Juan-Diego Estrada
(he/him)
Field of Work
School counseling and wellness
Organization
The John Cooper School
Years of Experience
20+
Why Mental Health?
Mental health is important to me because we all aspire to experience a sense of well-being in life. Mental health is an essential component in the fulfillment of that aspiration. Poor mental health can negatively impact our relationships, our decisions, our ability to learn and work, and our physical health. Since mental health impacts every aspect of our lives, it must be a priority.
Where I Started
My professional career started in Madrid, Spain. After finishing my degree in psychology, I started working as a psychologist in training at the Applied Psychology Center at my university. When I completed my training, I moved to the U.S. and started working as a school counselor at an independent school in Connecticut.
Where I Am Now
I am the Director of Wellness and Upper School Counselor at The John Cooper School, an independent school in The Woodlands, Texas. I am developing initiatives to infuse emotional intelligence into education by adopting the RULER Approach, developed by the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. I am also teaching Search Inside Yourself, the mindfulness-based emotional intelligence and leadership program developed at Google, and working as a health and well-being coach after receiving my certification from Duke University.
Where I'm Going
My vision is to continue educating younger generations on the importance of cultivating mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and positive mental health and to find ways to embed these aspects into the DNA of our society.