Biography

Marangelie (Mara) Velez completed her master’s degree in Marriage, Couple, and Family Therapy at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. Mara is a certified relationship educator with the Prevention and Relationship Education Program (PREP). Most of Mara’s clinical work has been with English and Spanish speaking couples and providing them with healthy relationship skills and tools through nonprofit work at the Marriage and Family Research Institute (MFRI). Other clinical experiences include working with women in substance use facilities and with children and adolescents of all backgrounds. Her research interests include substance use in the Latinx population, relationship acculturation, and wellness in the counseling field. Mara is an active member of the American Counseling Association (ACA).