Understanding the past helps you interact with your future in a way more in tune with your desired outcomes and values.
Alejandra Aschittino-Rodriguez
And, in the process, we’ve welcomed some exceptional new providers to our team.
To celebrate, we’re introducing you to the humans behind the many services we offer.
This week, we’re talking with a therapist on our team who was recently featured in the Star Tribune for her work with clients experiencing job loss, Alejandra (“Alé”) Aschittino-Rodriguez:
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us, Alé! What’s 1 thing clients might be surprised to learn about you?
I’m not from the USA; I grew up in Guatemala City, Guatemala. This means I bring a different culture, point of view, and style to therapy.
You’ve worked in a variety of settings. Who do you enjoy working with most?
I enjoy working with people who want to connect with their emotions, develop a better understanding of themselves, and aren’t afraid to ask hard questions and challenge the world around them.
What first brought you to this work? What keeps you going?
I had a truck accident when I was 17.
This left me with many unresolved feelings. I wanted to further understand myself and grow from the experience.
I know how feeling alone and isolated can damage a person and warp their interpersonal reality. I’m working on becoming the counselor my 17-year old self needed in order to grow as a person and help others not feel like I did when I needed support.
We know there’s a lot of misinformation out there about emotional wellness. What’s one myth or misconception that you encounter in your work with clients?
There’s a misconception that the therapist has all the answers.
I don’t. (I don’t even know how to decently cook rice.)
But, I can help you decide what’s important to you and what provides meaning in your life. We figure this out together because you are the expert on you and I am the expert in counseling.
When you’re not working, what are you most likely up to?
I’m underneath a tree in some park (or under a blanket in winter) reading in Spanish or English, riding a scooter all over downtown St. Paul, or looking for the best ice-cream in the Twin Cities (to balance while scooting).
As providers, it’s essential that we maintain our own emotional wellness practices. What does self-care look like for you these days?
Self-care to me is reconnecting with my body through exercise (swimming or weightlifting).
It also means spending time with loved ones to recharge good energy. This looks like movie-night, dinner, or game night with my husband and friends.
What would you like to say to our readers who are on the fence about trying therapy?
I would say that examining everything you are or have experienced and have lived is very scary.
However, understanding the past helps you interact with your future in a way more in tune with your desired outcomes and values. I always say history does not repeat itself, but it often rhymes. Why not examine your personal history to move forward? Get curious about what makes you you.
I go to therapy myself. I know how scary it can feel and I’ll never request a client to do something I wouldn’t do or haven’t done myself.
Thanks, Alé! We’re grateful to have you on the team.
Ready for some emotional wellness support?