Roberto Gonzalez-Prado

Roberto Gonzalez-Prado

My name is Roberto Gonzalez-Prado and I am a graduate student at Wayne State University pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology. I was born into a Mexican family, my mother immigrating from Cuauhtémoc, Chihuahua in Mexico, overcoming significant economic challenges. She has survived poverty in rural Mexico as well as in San Diego, California, where I was born and raised by my mother. Growing up a few miles away from my mother's home country and learning of her story, her struggle, and her triumphs as both an immigrant with little to no english-speaking skills and as an eventual American citizen with an Associates degree whilst raising two children on her own inform every facet of my being.

My mother's journey and experience inform my perspective on a variety of subjects from intergenerational trauma, somatization of psychpathology, and culturally responsible/informed research practices. These research interests have led me to become incredibly interested in psychological assessments and treatments across race, language, and ethnicity, leading me here to Wayne State University, where I hope to continue researching minority populations and ensuring mental healthcare equity across race and ethnicity. 

Specifically, I am interested in the central sensitization of chronic pain and its possible roots in somatization of repressed trauma/emotions as well as how culturally competent psychotherapeutic techniques therapies can relieve these experiences.  

Research interest(s)/area of expertise

• Central Sensitization of Chronic Pain (e.g., Fibromyalgia, FMness) 
• Emotion-focused Psychotherapeutic Techniques and Treatments
• Somatization of psychopathology

Education

• A.A. in Psychology with honors, Southwestern Community College (2020)
• A.A. in Communications with honors, Southwestern Community College (2020)
• B.A. in Psychology, Magna Cum Laude, San Diego State University (2024)

Awards and grants

National Institute of Health-funded Initiative for Maximizing Student Development Scholar 2024