Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Elena Collazo, Psy.D..
Hi Maria Elena , thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
From Curiosity to Compassion: A Psychologist’s Path and the Practice of Balance
By Maria Elena Collazo, Psy.D.
I was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and from the start I was that child who watched closely. My father used to share with me how I would observe a situation and then share what I noticed not with judgment, but with curiosity. At 17, a high-school psychology class turned that curiosity into a calling. College led to a doctorate, and the path that followed has been my life’s work: clinical psychology rooted in empathy, science, and the belief that people can heal.
Over the past 25 years, 20 of them in Miami I’ve practiced across settings from psychiatric care to wellness programs, working with children, adolescents, adults, and older adults. Eighteen years ago I trained in EMDR, deepening my focus on trauma. The work is intimate and humbling: to sit with people in their most difficult moments, to help them regulate the nervous system, to witness the gradual shift from pain to possibility. EMDR therapy, at its best, offers a safe space to reframe experience and rewrite the story toward freedom, healthier relationships, and steadier self-respect.
For the last 13 years, much of my energy has gone to high-performance professionals, people navigating demanding careers who also want to preserve their health, marriages, parenting, friendships, and sense of self. My approach is integrative and practical: positive psychology, neuroscience and trauma-informed care, compassion and accountability, breath and movement paired with evidence-based therapy. The unifying science is neuroplasticity; the brain’s capacity to change with repeated experience. When we pair small, consistent practices with compassionate attention, circuits for threat and overdrive can quiet, while pathways for focus, calm, creativity and connection grow stronger.
In 2021, during the pandemic, I realized weekly sessions weren’t enough for many people. Stress was daily; training the brain needed to be daily, too. That is why I founded Emotion Health and built the Emotion App. The concept was simple and deeply neuroplastic: short, repeatable drills, breath pacing, guided imagery, gratitude and savoring prompts, micro-movement resets delivered in the moments people actually need them. Each repetition is a tiny vote for the brain you want tomorrow; the app makes those votes easy and frequent. It was a new world for me; product roadmaps and development sprints, but with generous friends and the talented Garage Coders team in Mexico City, the idea became a living tool. The lesson was clear: patience, flexibility, love, creativity, passion, discipline, and the science of practice-driven brain change can carry a vision all the way to someone’s phone and into their daily life.
None of this, however, exists in a vacuum. I am a psychologist and I am also a family member, wife, mother, and friend. Holding those roles with integrity is not a footnote; it is the work. Balance isn’t a finish line; it’s a practice. Self-care isn’t a luxury; it’s an ethical commitment to the people who count on me, at home and at work. Some days it looks like leaving on time for a school event or soccer practice; other days it’s a boundary around late-night emails, a 10-minute walk between sessions, or simply saying “not now” to protect what matters most. The throughline is compassion extended to clients, yes, but also to ourselves.
If there’s a lesson my career keeps teaching me, it’s that healing is both relational and repeatable: we co-regulate, we practice, we track progress, and we try again. Whether in a therapy room, a boardroom, or a living room, the same truth applies with love and science, with structure and grace, we can grow. And when we balance our achievements with care for the people we love and for the person we are we don’t just perform better; we live better.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
How smooth or how hard is a matter of perception. I prefer to focus on that every challenge in the road with faith, flexibility and patience resolved and I was able to always move forward. Solution focused always. When there is a will there is always a way when you keep a positive attitude.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Emotion Health?
Emotion is more than an app, it’s the heartbeat of our company and the core of our mission to elevate emotional health. Designed with intention and care, our digital platform empowers individuals with tools grounded in positive psychology and neuroscience, helping them navigate life with clarity, resilience, and compassion.
But our impact doesn’t stop there.
We extend our integrative, modern approach beyond the screen through our clinical services, immersive workshops, transformative retreats, and bespoke wellness program design. Whether digital or in-person, every experience we create is rooted in empathy, science, and a deep understanding of human connection.
Led by a team of experienced, forward-thinking, and deeply committed professionals, we bridge innovation with warmth. Our work brings together technology and personal presence, offering a truly holistic path to mental wellness.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Books:
The Four Agreements
The Mastery of Love
Five Love Languages
Buddha’s Brain
The Brain that Changes Itself
From Strength to Strength
Contact Info:
- Website: https://emotionapp.health
- Instagram: emotionapp.health
- Facebook: EmotionApp
- LinkedIn: Maria Elena Collazo, Psy.D.
