Today we’d like to introduce you to Rochelle Clarke.
Hi Rochelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My path into medical family therapy was not a career choice—it was a calling born from lived experience. When my son was born with a craniofacial abnormality, my world shifted in ways I couldn’t have anticipated. Navigating his diagnosis, surgeries, and the emotional toll as a first-generation American—often told to “be strong” and “handle it”—left me feeling isolated and overwhelmed. I searched for meaning, for guidance, for a way to make sense of the emotional terrain that illness carves into a family’s life. What I found was a profound lack of resources for people like me—those managing complex medical realities while also carrying cultural expectations and generational burdens.
This search led me to the field of marriage and family therapy, where I discovered a framework that honored context, relationships, and the invisible weight illness places on families. I immersed myself in medical family therapy, exploring grief, loss, and the non-death traumas that shape our lives. Through this lens, I found healing—not just for myself, but a way to help others navigate their own storms.
Today, I work with individuals and families facing high-stress, high-loss environments—those living with chronic illness, disability, or medical trauma. My commitment is to meet people where they are, to offer culturally attuned, empathetic support that acknowledges the full biopsychosocial impact of illness. I market my services to those who feel unseen in their pain, unheard in their grief, and unsupported in their caregiving roles. Because I’ve been there. And I know that healing begins when someone finally says, “I see you.”
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?
The road has not been smooth—but it has been transformative.
I’ve learned to stop labeling experiences as “negative” or “positive” and instead see them as they are. This shift—from judgment to acceptance—has helped me move from a place of victimhood to one of empowerment. My journey began with the early transition into motherhood, shaped by the unique needs of my son, born with a craniofacial abnormality. I became his advocate, his protector, and his voice. But as he grew and blossomed into independence, I faced a new kind of loss—one rarely named or discussed: the loss of identity that comes with becoming an empty nester, especially after years of intense caregiving.
Letting go was bittersweet. I was proud of him, yet I grieved the version of myself that had been so deeply tied to his care. I had to rediscover who I was, who I had become, and who I was within my marriage—transitioning from “parents” back to “partners.” That shift was not easy. It brought questions, discomfort, and the need to rebuild intimacy and purpose.
But this lived experience has become the foundation of my work. As a medical family therapist, I walk alongside individuals and families navigating illness, identity shifts, and non-death losses. I help parents—especially those raising children with social, physical, or medical challenges—explore who they are beyond their caregiving roles. Together, we reimagine life stages, reclaim personal meaning, and build new narratives rooted in resilience.
We’ve been impressed with New Leaf Strategies , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
At New Leaf Strategies, we believe healing begins with understanding—and that every person deserves a safe space to process life’s most complex transitions. Founded with heart and purpose, our practice specializes in supporting individuals and families navigating trauma, grief, loss, life transitions, and obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs). Whether you’re facing medical challenges, emotional upheaval, or identity shifts, we’re here to help you turn the page and begin again.
What sets us apart is our deeply integrative and empathetic approach. We don’t just treat symptoms—we honor your story. Our founder is EMDRIA-certified in EMDR therapy, trained in hypnosis for pain management, and skilled in Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). These modalities allow us to tailor care to your unique needs, helping you move through pain, reclaim agency, and rediscover meaning.
We’re especially known for working with clients in high-stress, high-loss environments, including caregivers, medical families, and those experiencing non-death losses—like identity shifts, empty nesting, or chronic illness. Our work is grounded in medical family therapy, which means we understand the biopsychosocial impact of illness and trauma on relationships, identity, and emotional health.
We are most proud of our ability to meet people where they are—with compassion, cultural sensitivity, and clinical excellence. We don’t just offer therapy; we offer transformation.
Visit us at www.newleafstrat.com to learn more about our services, philosophy, and how we can support you or your organization.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The field of medical family therapy is undergoing a powerful transformation—one that embraces technology, cultural responsiveness, and deeper collaboration with healthcare systems. Over the next five years, therapists will increasingly integrate telehealth, digital tools, and outcome-based practices to meet clients where they are, both emotionally and geographically. This shift is especially impactful for families managing chronic illness, trauma, and identity transitions, as it allows for more accessible and personalized care.
There’s also a growing emphasis on culturally attuned therapy, particularly for first-generation families and communities historically underserved by mental health services. Therapists are being called to understand the nuanced grief of non-death losses—like caregiving fatigue, empty nesting, and post-medical identity shifts—and to help clients reconstruct meaning in these transitions. At New Leaf Strategies, we’re proud to be at the forefront of this movement, offering EMDRIA-certified EMDR therapy, hypnosis for pain, and solution-focused brief therapy to support individuals and families in high-stress, high-loss environments.
As medical family therapy continues to evolve, our commitment remains clear: to provide integrative, trauma-informed care that honors the complexity of each client’s story. We believe healing happens in context—and we’re here to help people turn the page, rebuild, and rediscover who they are at every stage of life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.newleafstrat.com
