You deserve spaces where your story is honored, your identity is affirmed, and your healing is held with care.
And you never have to rise alone.
The Phoenix Empowered was born from this belief.
Founded by José R. Rosario, our work reminds people that healing is not meant to be done alone — and that in order for people to rise and heal, we must first empower them to do so.
We create spaces where people feel seen, safe, and empowered to rise.
Who We Are
The Phoenix Empowered is a community-rooted nonprofit dedicated to identity-affirming mental-health education and healing.
We exist to empower individuals and communities, especially those who’ve been historically minoritized, to reclaim their stories, nurture joy, and build liberatory paths forward.
We bring together research, storytelling, lived experience, and community to support healing that is holistic and collective.
Our Mission
The Phoenix Empowered uses storytelling and education to amplify the experiences of minoritized communities, facilitate an inclusive mental health conversation, and empower systemic change.
Our Vision
We are committed to evolving the global mental health conversation so that minoritized communities are made visible, empowered, and have access to equitable mental health care that acknowledges their unique identity-based experiences.
Our Mantra
We make room for creativity.
The Phoenix Empowered focuses on making sure that those who are so often left out of the mental health conversation have a place for storytelling, education, and empowerment. This is a place to share your story, how you see fit.
May we be inspired.
The Phoenix Empowered hopes to provide moments of reflection during the darker moments in life, through storytelling, interactive consultation, and innovative advocacy.
We make room for innovation.
At the Phoenix Empowered, we believe that we must evolve mental health practice to acknowledge and address identity-based stressors. We must be bold and introduce new tools into our toolkits like storytelling, community engagement, and activism.
May we be committed to equity.
We know that one size does not fit all when it comes to mental health care. Through advocacy work, empowerment, policy engagement, and the sharing of stories, we are determined to make sure that everyone can access the personalized care they need.
We make room for dreams.
At the Phoenix Empowered, we believe that people are stronger than the societal systems that fight to keep them down. We believe that when they are empowered and treated equitably, an individual can move towards healing..
May we believe global healing is possible.
The Phoenix Empowered believes that stories unite us. It is our hope that through advocacy work and developing inclusive tools that we can help develop mental health care that embodies our diverse global community.
We are catalysts for change.
The Phoenix Empowered knows that in order for people to rise, they must first be empowered. We all hold within us the power to create change, with our words, with our art, and with the way we treat others. Rise with us!
Our Founder
José R. Rosario (He/Him)
Founder & CEO of The Phoenix Empowered
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Candidate, Clark University
Clinician trained in ACT, DBT, CPT, STAIR
Disabled · Gay · Latino
José’s work bridges research, storytelling and activism, rooted in the belief that healing is both personal and collective, and that joy itself can be an act of resistance.
Research focus: cultural trauma, identity-based violence & healing
Therapist
Scholar
Activist
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José’s research explores the intersections of cultural trauma, identity-based violence, and healing.
Primary focus areas: hate-based violence, radical healing, collective trauma, and community-level activism
Centering intersectional experiences of harm and healing
Published across academic and public platforms, including peer-reviewed journals and op-eds
Committed to connecting empirical research with lived realities and actionable insight
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José has taught, mentored, and led with an equity-oriented lens.
Instructor of undergraduate courses: Cultural Psychology and Psychopathology
Founder of Empowered Spaces: a mental health literacy program piloted with healthcare trainees and providers in Rhode Island, later scaled nationally
Mentorship of emerging clinicians, with a focus on identity-informed frameworks
Workshop facilitator for a wide range of topics including workplace inclusion, disability rights, expressive arts, suicide prevention, and cultural trauma
Emphasis on connecting theory to lived experience and building capacity for care and equity in real-world settings
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José is deeply committed to supporting marginalized communities through trauma-informed, affirming care.
Experience across outpatient, PHP/IOP, and inpatient psychiatric settings
Focus areas: PTSD/C-PTSD, mood disorders, psychosis, suicidality, and severe mental illness
Trained in modalities including:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
STAIR (Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation)
Centers culturally attuned, values-based care that honors identity and complexity
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José is a internationally recognized speaker and facilitator.
Keynote speaker and workshop leader at TEDx, UN-affiliated events, and national conferences
Frequent presenter on topics like radical healing, cultural trauma, identity-based harm, and organizational wellness
Known for weaving clinical insight, personal storytelling, and radical hope into powerful calls for justice and healing
Engages audiences across healthcare, education, nonprofit, and community sectors
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José’s commitment to social justice extends beyond the therapy room.
Interdisciplinary Minority Fellow, American Psychological Association (APA)
Member of the APA’s Division of Trauma Psychology Policy and Anti-Oppression Committees
Community Advisory Board member, Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office
Former Congressional Advisory Board member for Congressman James Langevin
Disaster mental health responder with the American Red Cross
Expressive arts facilitator for community events with PeaceLove Studios
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José’s work has been recognized for its innovation, compassion, and transformative reach.
Honored for advocacy, community leadership, and inclusive mental health practice
Widely respected for uplifting underrepresented voices and making healing more accessible
Through every role: clinician, educator, advocate, and storyteller, José models his belief that in order for communities to rise, we must empower them