Susana Fernández-Hijicos Calderón, a psychologist who champions brief therapy

Brief and integrative therapy, clinic management, and a particularly close work with women who have experienced intimate partner violence

"Brief and integrative therapy, my method for effectiveness."

Susana Fernández-Hijicos Calderón is a psychologist and the founder of her own clinic, Psicomind, where she works with a method that combines brevity with the integration of different approaches. Her career includes particularly sensitive work: supporting women who seek therapy due to intimate partner violence, a process that, for her, represents one of the most significant moments of her profession.

In this Eholo Voices interview, Susana shares how she managed the challenge of creating her clinic during the postpartum period, what Eholo represents in her daily life, and how she envisions psychology in the coming years.

Effectiveness, not duration

When Susana describes her approach, she chooses a key word: effectiveness. Brief and integrative therapy doesn't aim to prolong processes; it aims for them to work, combining tools from different models according to each patient's needs. She sees this same logic of effectiveness shaping the future of the entire profession.

"Third-wave therapies and brief, results-oriented therapy."

An approach that prioritizes the patient's outcome over the duration of the process.

The biggest challenge… and the best moment

Susana's biggest career challenge came at a particularly demanding personal time: creating and managing her own clinic during the postpartum period.

"Managing the clinic I created during postpartum was undoubtedly the most challenging time."

And, interestingly, that same period of her professional career also contains what she considers her best moment.

"The best moment, without a doubt, is discharging women who come to me due to intimate partner violence."

Two sides of the same period: the difficulty of sustaining one's own project during an intense life stage, and the satisfaction of supporting recovery processes that truly transform lives.

Unity

Susana defines Eholo with a single word.

"Unity."

A concept that perfectly summarizes what any psychologist managing their own clinic seeks: that everything related to patients, scheduling, and administration is in one place, without dispersion.

Envisioning the practice five years from now

Susana's vision for her clinic five years from now is one of growth, both in terms of team and impact.

"With five new psychologists in the clinic and hundreds of patients happy with their lasting therapy results."

More hands, greater capacity to provide support, and always with patient outcomes as the measure of success.

Inspiration and influences

📚 Book that changed her way of thinking — In Case the Voices Return, by Ángel Martín. "It puts into words what psychologists know but sometimes don't fully understand."

🎙 Essential podcasts — Have it with Wine and Blessed Therapy.

💭 If she weren't a psychologist… — "Creating, drawing, writing, etc. Anything that makes people's lives a little bit happier."

💬 Life-changing quote — "You're not arriving late, you're arriving at your own time."

🍽 Dream Dinner — With Lady Diana. "I would love to embrace her empathy and gentleness, as well as her strength."

✨ Professional Role Model — Alicia González. "I think she's a fabulous psychologist and communicator."

Learn more about Susana

🔗 psicoomind.com

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