16/10/2025
🌿 In Memory of Dr. Guillermo Bernal (1949–2025)
It has taken me months to find the words.
Sometimes, when a person has shaped not only your career but the way you understand humanity itself, words simply don’t feel enough.
Dr. Guillermo Bernal was not only my mentor — he was the voice that reminded me that psychology in Puerto Rico can and must be done with both rigor and corazón. During my early trainings in TF-CBT, he believed in me when I was still finding my place. He challenged me to think critically, but more importantly, to feel responsibly.
My clinic — founded in the mountains of San Sebastián — was born from his vision: that even in the most remote corners of Puerto Rico, where research and clinical services are often forgotten, excellence and science can thrive. He showed us that our people deserve world-class care without having to leave their communities.
He once encouraged me to publish a case study on TF-CBT. Life took me elsewhere — to Florida, to hospitals, to other chapters — but that unfinished promise has lived quietly in my heart. Now, in his memory, I intend to fulfill it.
Dr. Bernal taught me that our profession demands brains, yes — but also love. Not the performative kind, but the kind that listens, mentors, builds, and believes.
He embodied what so many forget: that true brilliance is gentle.
Thank you, Guillermo, for being a teacher, a friend, and a compass.
Your legacy lives in every young clinician you inspired, in every patient whose life changed because you reminded us to stay human.
🕊️
Con gratitud y respeto eterno,
Dr. Ángel E. Alemán Rivera, PhD
Brain & Behavior Clinic — San Sebastián, Puerto Rico
