Foundation Connections

As a therapist at the Maxine Platzer Lynn Women’s Center at the University of Virginia, Uriel Santiago, MS, NCC, LPC, brings care and intention to every session.

“With a heart full of gratitude, I am humbled by the trust my clients place in me, allowing me to walk beside them through a chapter of their life’s unfolding story,” he says.

 

Uriel, a 2016 NBCC Foundation Rural Scholarship recipient, has dedicated his counseling career to creating a place where clients feel truly seen. Whether it’s helping someone reclaim their identity or watching a client take that first step toward self-compassion, he considers it a privilege to help create room for growth. “I am deeply moved witnessing my clients show up for themselves in session with resilience, authenticity, and unwavering love.”

 

His approach to mental health goes far beyond symptom management. “I would like to model a more comprehensive approach to mental health. One that goes beyond just treating symptoms.” He believes that when people feel truly seen and supported, they carry that into every part of their life. “When clients feel seen in their unique and beautiful complexity as an individual, they carry that feeling into their families, work, school, community, and ultimately the world.”

 

For Uriel, it’s the simple moments that stay with him. “Clients remember how you greet them every session, your kindness, your care for them, and how much you believe in them.” These thank-you notes and messages remind him just how deeply that care matters.

 

Outside of individual sessions, he’s been leading conversations with college students to talk openly about therapy. He’s also passionate about the presence of therapy animals in mental health spaces. While his service dog, Virginia, doesn’t directly work with clients, her quiet presence still makes an impact. “Indirectly, my clients benefit from witnessing how their therapist is supported by a service dog. It models vulnerability, empathy, responsibility, and trust.”

 

To support his own well-being, Uriel leans on routines that keep him grounded. “Caring for Virginia, ongoing clinical supervision, practicing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, volunteering, cooking, spending time in nature, meditating, going to my own therapy, and staying connected with my spiritual beliefs” all help him sustain the energy and clarity needed to support others.

 

To those just beginning the path toward becoming a counselor, he offers some important advice. “My humble recommendation would be that it's ok to start before you feel fully ready—try, ‘fail forward,’ adjust, and try again. More clarity and better results would come from acting, not from overthinking it.”

 

Uriel’s work shows that counseling is deeply personal, grounded in trust and care between people. It’s a commitment to healing, presence, and connection.

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