PERSONAL GROWTH TEAM
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Mario Duran, LCP 1499, MS in Substance Abuse Treatment.
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Mario has a lot of experience, having served as clinical coordinator at Villa San Jose, a drug and alcohol treatment center. Prior to that, he was the Executive Director of the Vida y Sociedad Foundation , a non-profit foundation dedicated to providing substance abuse prevention programs to elementary and secondary schools throughout Costa Rica. He has consulted for mental health and educational institutions, NGO’s and international organization and has published several articles and research reports on behavioral health, best practices and addiction. Prior to NSA, Mario was the Clinical Director at Coronado Academy a therapeutic boarding school serving adolescent boys and girls.
Mario invests himself in building healthy relationships with students by interacting with them in our milieu, creating opportunities to model patience, sensitivity and empathy. He also believes in helping adolescents boys become respectful, tolerant and responsible young men by providing mentorship and constant support. Mario uses a strength based approach in therapy and believes in finding opportunities instead of threats when it comes to family dynamics and change.
Mario has lived in Costa Rica most of his life and has had the opportunity to also live in the United States and France. He is a proud husband and father, and he enjoys mountain biking, nature, and indoor soccer.
Mario invests himself in building healthy relationships with students by interacting with them in our milieu, creating opportunities to model patience, sensitivity and empathy. He also believes in helping adolescents boys become respectful, tolerant and responsible young men by providing mentorship and constant support. Mario uses a strength based approach in therapy and believes in finding opportunities instead of threats when it comes to family dynamics and change.
Mario has lived in Costa Rica most of his life and has had the opportunity to also live in the United States and France. He is a proud husband and father, and he enjoys mountain biking, nature, and indoor soccer.
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Caleb Cortes, BA, LCP.
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Marcel Brenes, BA, LCP.
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Julia López S., BA, MA (in progress), LCP.
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Since childhood, her greatest passion has always been music and she enjoys playing the guitar in her spare time. She also has a deep love and respect for animals and nature. Some of her hobbies include activities involving art, reading historical novels, watching documentaries, and socializing with family and friends. Her friends and colleagues describe Julia as being a very analytical and outgoing person.
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Andrea Sosa, MA (in progress).
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In addition to individual work, Andrea is talented in group management and workshop facilitation. She recently finished a volunteer Music Therapy workshop with a group of young adults with disabilities. She enjoys singing, songwriting, guitar playing, watching international independent films, and she is beginning to learn about making beats and practicing her DJ skills. Her favorite sports are running, functional exercise, yoga, and taekwondo. She is vegetarian and loves nature, astronomy, and cats. She's passionate about every aspect of life, even those that are challenging. She believes that everything has a solution, and that every person has and deserves a chance. Andrea likes challenges and is not afraid of change, but what she likes most is working with and learning from others.
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Ignacio Vasquez, Licensed Therapist / Case ManagerIgnacio grew up in a small Costa Rican town called Palmares. He earned his Bachelors degree and Licensure in Psychology in 2015 and he is currently incorporated in the Colegio Profesional de Psicólogos de Costa Rica. In 2017, Ignacio completed a technical certificate in Human Resources in the Universidad de Costa Rica to improve his knowledge of organizational psychology.
He has been part of the NSA team since 2016 -first as an Experiential Education mentor who facilitated cultural activities, Student Council, Aventuras, and served as the Experiential Education/Personal Growth liaison. After learning all the ins and outs of NSA life, Ignacio joined the Personal Growth team full time as a case manager. Ignacio enjoys playing the guitar, exercising, gardening, traveling and spending time with his friends and family. |
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Jorge Morales, Personal Growth CoordinatorJorge Morales joined NSA in 2019 to put to use his wonderful organizational and communication skills as the PG Coordinator. He is interested in cultural differences and how they help to shape us into who we are among other aspects of this important social component. Jorge is himself a mixture of Costa Rican and Panamanian heritage and has pursued his interests by studying English as a Second Language and most recently Psychology at UCACIS.
His work experiences vary from publicity to most recently working with socially and economically-challenged communities in Costa Rica. He has worked mainly in group settings with children and young adults. Jorge has great respect for these populations and the particularities they face in our modern society. |
At a personal level, Jorge discovered music at a very young age and became passionate about it, especially singing. Jorge also enjoys being outdoors on hikes where nature can be experienced on a more in-depth level. He also likes to dance swing, practice yoga, take walks with his dog, read, and likes having the chance to sit down and have a conversation (especially with a good cup of coffee).
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Dr. Steven Kogel, MD Psychiatrist, Medication ManagerDr. Steven Kogel has his MD in Psychiatry from the University of Costa Rica and has been in private practice for about 30 years. Dr. Kogel worked as the General Director of the National Institute of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse in the 1990’s, and has worked with American adolescents at-risk for the last 9 years.
He is a native English speaker with over 40 years of speaking Spanish. Dr. Kogel also brings unique interests to his practice, including composition of music and the juxtaposition of psychiatry & spirituality. |
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ChichaChicha was born around 2006 and lived the first few years of her life as a wild woman on a coffee plantation, raising her kids and surviving. Once rescued, she was brought to NSA by Dr. Kogel's connections and has enjoyed her early retirement, being fed and spoiled at NSA. Everyone loves her stoic presence as she meanders around campus, nudging you to pet her before flopping on the floor for a nap. Her fierce loyalty to Luis and Heather is admirable (and scary at times), and her strong tail wagging makes you wonder how her tail can speak so loudly of joy and contentment while her expressions remain consistently bored.
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ShakiraShakira was adopted as a puppy around 2007 by Quincho, an NSA student at the time. After being spoiled into misbehavior, Shakira attended her own therapeutic doggie boarding school and came back with better behavior and a purpose - to guard and protect NSA students (probably inspired by her German Shepherd genetic roots); she can be found wherever the largest group of students is convened. There is no one more depressed during Aventura weeks when students are not on campus. She jumps excitedly and licks lots of toes upon the students' return. In her free time, she loves barking at squirrels, possums, and monkeys.
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SpySpy was adopted in 2012. Already an old man (he's about 15 or 16 now in 2019), he was a bit set in his ways and it took 3-4 years for a couple of students to tame him into behaving like a gentleman.
Currently, Danny is Spy's favorite student and he'll even let Danny dress him up in tee shirts and red bandanas for special events. He enjoys following Danny around, peeing on plants, sleeping in his "alcove" and begging for food during meal times. He struggles to see and hear much, but his sense of smell is still in tact, so watch out, delivery men! He may be old and crusty, but he WILL bark at you! |
