Education
Paolo Laraño grew up in The Bay Area before moving East to attend New York University, where he studied English and Music. He served as an RA at Hayden Hall from 2008-2010. He was also heavily involved in leading retreats and groups through NYU’s Catholic Center and was involved in Middle C, a music-focused community service group. After graduating in 2010, he eventually found his way to the mental health field, all while fulfilling a childhood dream of making ice cream professionally. He sadly had to say goodbye to this dream job when he moved back to California to pursue a graduate degree at The Wright Institute in Berkeley, California, eventually earning a doctorate in Clinical Psychology in 2018. He has cherished the opportunity to provide clinical services to students at every level, political refugees, adults of all ages, families, individuals in the criminal justice system, and more. His dissertation, entitled “Exploring The Onset and Progression of Body Dissatisfaction in Male Athletes From Adolescence to Young Adulthood” highlights some of his clinical interests, which also include multicultural issues, acculturation difficulties, decolonization work, family issues, social anxiety, and motivation. He currently works as a Staff Psychologist and Outreach Coordinator at The University of Washington Tacoma. When he’s not working, you can catch him running, eating/cooking, dancing while washing dishes, and spending time with his wife, Courtney (a fellow Hayden RA!), their son, Cai, and their dog, Winnie.