Suzana Mallard
ABOUT ME:
As a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Minnesota, psychoanalytically-informed therapist, and scholar with a Ph.D. in Psychosociology of Communities and Social Ecology, I am deeply committed to addressing mental health concerns with particular attention to the psychological impacts of marginalization, migration, displacement, and diasporic identities.
I view psychoanalytic work as a meaningful journey into the deeper and often less visible dimensions of the self. In therapy, I offer a culturally attuned and reflective space where individuals can safely explore inner conflicts, emotional suffering, identity struggles, and experiences that may feel difficult to articulate. This process can help alleviate psychological pain while fostering greater self-understanding, emotional integration, and the capacity for meaningful change.
I My clinical work is grounded in the belief that our differences, histories, and contradictions are not weaknesses to erase, but essential parts of who we are. In a world that often pressures individuals toward silence, assimilation, or fragmentation, therapy can become a space for reconciliation with oneself rather than adaptation through self-denial.
I approach this work as a profound process of self-discovery that addresses anxiety, inhibitions, emotional suffering, relational difficulties, and recurring patterns that shape our lives. This work invites us to examine our desires, identities, fantasies, cultural inheritances, and life choices with honesty and curiosity, opening the possibility for deeper freedom and transformation in how we relate to ourselves and others.
My philosophy is rooted in the conviction that effective psychological care requires both clinical depth and a genuine appreciation for each person's cultural, historical, and subjective experience. This perspective informs both my therapeutic practice and my academic and community work.
BACKGROUND
Born into a multilingual and multicultural family and having navigated multiple cultural contexts myself, I bring both personal and professional insight into the complexities of intercultural psychology and diasporic experience.
With over 18 years of international clinical and academic experience, I have worked extensively in the areas of trauma, migration, identity formation, and the psychological effects of exclusion and displacement. I hold a Ph.D. in Psychosociology of Communities and Social Ecology and a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology, and I am a licensed psychologist in Brazil, where I continue to practice. In Minnesota, I am licensed as a Professional Counselor (LPC); my application for licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) is currently in process.
Currently based in Minneapolis, I work with diverse communities through individual therapy, group work, teaching, research, and consulting focused on mental health, cultural identity, and social vulnerability.
RESEARCH INTERESTS
My research and teaching focus on the intersections of migration, diasporic identities, race, marginalization, subjectivity, and mental health. I am actively involved in academic research, psychoanalytic training, and the development of educational and community-based mental health initiatives, particularly in underserved and intercultural contexts.
