Ruben M. Lopez completed his Clinical Psychology Master’s program at Governors State University (GSU) in May of 2025. He has worked with survivors of sexual trauma since 2019. Ruben makes efforts to incorporate creativity and art into his work. Ruben was born and raised in Chicago and lived across the Chicagoland areas before moving to the South Suburbs in 2018. Ruben is of Puerto Rican and Mexican descent and a first-generation college student. In the summer of 2020, Ruben completed his associates at Prairie State College (PSC), where he learned the importance of community connection and social support systems. Then, Ruben transferred to GSU in the fall of 2020 term to complete his bachelors. Ruben’s research focuses include gender-based violence, male incarceration, clinical treatments, and pedagogy. Ruben hopes to earn a doctorate in clinical psychology and later focus on community prevention programs. Additional interest includes posttraumatic stress disorder, social anxiety, and complex trauma. In clinical practice, Ruben believes that invalidating environments and emotional dysregulation contribute to mental illnesses. Ruben also believes individuals feel better when provided with the skills to regulate their emotional states, provided with validation of their emotional experiences, and given tools for coping. He aims to create an inclusive, safe, and welcoming therapeutic environment to service members of the LGBTQPIA+ community and anyone who might fear seeking mental healthcare. Ruben is bilingual English/Spanish.