Orion Rodriguez (he/they)

My Background

As someone with multiple marginalized identities - neurodivergent, transgender, Indigenous - I understand feeling out of place. When I began seeking treatment for my own mental health struggles, I realized how few providers shared or understood my lived experiences. So I decided to go back to school to become a therapist. I began working as a Peer Support Specialist in 2021 and graduated from my master’s program in May 2026. I have experience working with teens and adults. Through my internship at a residential crisis facility, I received training on working with clients experiencing unusual and altered perceptions, navigating extreme states, and dual diagnosis clients struggling with substance use disorder.

My Approach to Helping

I take a client-led, trauma-informed, and process-oriented approach to art and narrative therapy. I believe that healing happens through our experiences with other people. Rather than focus on endless worksheets or theory, together we’ll use the creative process to explore difficult feelings, process past experiences, and practice healthier ways of coping with the heaviness of life. Whether you have previous art or creative writing experience isn’t important - the process is the focus, not the end product. Before I entered the mental health field, I was a professional writer. I know the importance of the stories we tell ourselves, and how easy it can be to get stuck in a spiral of negative self-talk. Through the creative process, it’s possible to break through the narrative we’ve built in our head and create a new story about our lives.