Meet the Therapist

Edelys Mariel Diaz, LMFT, Child Therapist
Edelys calls herself a "human diary" (a diary is a place where you express personal things you may be going through free of outside judgment and criticism). She refers to herself as such since that is exactly what she feels she is to her clients. Edelys likes to provide a space for children and teens to express all the things they are too afraid to put into words and say out loud. Her loving and nurturing traits make children and teens feel safe, understood, loved, and accepted. Most importantly, she makes therapy fun!
At a young age, Edelys experienced her own trauma and began therapy at the age of 6 years old. With the help of her therapist, along with a lot of art and play therapy, she became more confident in herself over time. This experience and personal story are what inspired her to become a child therapist. Edelys is very familiar with how children think and feel when they go through tough times. Not only on a personal level but because she has been working with children and teenagers for the past 8 years. She has made it her lifetime goal to provide children with what she was offered as a child in order to help them heal their emotional wounds.
Just like her childhood therapist, Edelys incorporates play and art into her services. She has vast training in play therapy techniques and art therapy techniques. She firmly believes "Art and play are a child’s language, and toys and colors are their words." Using art and play, Edelys helps children and teens process their thoughts and feelings. She teaches kids healthy ways of coping, relaxation techniques, mindfulness, and how to feel better about themselves.
Edelys obtained her bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology in the Dominican Republic. She then moved to Miami, where she obtained her master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Carlos Albizu University. In addition, Edelys is trained in Infant Mental Health Counseling, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, EFT: Tapping, and EMDR. Edelys has been able to incorporate these modalities and make them fit into art and play in her services.
Edelys firmly believes that parent engagement is very important for the success of their child. "When parents become involved, it makes the child feel supported and that there is a team of people that have their back." Edelys also provides space and resources for parents in order to help them navigate through their thoughts and feelings about what their child is experiencing and explore better ways to support their child. As she likes to say, "Happy parent, happy child; unhappy parent, unhappy child."

Fun Facts
Edelys was born in New York City to Dominican parents. Everyone calls her Ede (E-d) because her name is a little hard to pronounce. She is a very proud Latina, and her hips do not lie when dancing to the rhythms of merengue, salsa, and bachata. Edelys loves Spanish music. Her favorite artist is Romeo Santos. She loves pizza so much that if she could, she would have it for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. She is a coffee lover and loves going to coffee shops to try different types of coffee. She loves dogs, and her dream is to one day own a home with a big backyard so she can have many dogs. Edelys loves fashion and playing with makeup. Family is very important to her. She is of Christian faith and believes therapy and theology go hand in hand. If distinctly requested by the family, she is willing to include Christianity into her services. Edelys has a bubbly personality, finds fun in anything she does, and loves to laugh and make others laugh too.