Juan Morales, MS
Masters in Counseling Psychology
AIDCP-certified Life Coach
Inspirational Speaker
What is routine and ordinary to Juan Morales is extraordinary to others as he conquers everyday life in a wheelchair. Juan was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 2 and has been in a wheelchair ever since.
At the age of 12, a doctor advised Juan that he should live a sedentary life, “Working out won’t help your situation. Don’t worry about exercising. Just stay home and learn how to use the computer. Enjoy the rest of your life on the internet.” Juan chose to rebel against the doctor’s word and became determined to live as active of a life as possible.
Juan’s love for music led him to record his first album at the age of 19. Juan loved performing and rocking the stage, but chose to take a break from music to finish school. Juan became a counselor for FIU’s Youth Development Project where he mentored and inspired troubled youth in South Florida high schools. Juan graduated with a Masters in Counseling Psychology and has devoted his career to counseling and giving speeches to troubled youth, always finding a way to include motivational raps in all of his speeches. Juan’s devotion has led him to develop his very own theoretical framework based on breaking paradigms and creating an ideal reality for the self, and has applied this wisdom to all of his work…
Winner of the Worlds Ahead Graduate Award and member of Florida International University’s Golden Key Honor Society, Juan believes in making a difference in the world around him. Through his work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Juan has made it his goal to be an advocate for the association’s cause: raising awareness about the illness, supporting others who live with it, and eventually finding a cure.
Juan thanks God for granting him determination and credits the Counseling Psychology Masters Program faculty, including Director Lisa Arango, Dr. George Shepeard, Dr. Michelle Channing, Dr. Robert Rinaldi, Dr. Beverly Trott, & Dr. William Kurtines for teaching him beyond theory and academic literature. He also thanks Supervisors Dr. James Huysman and Kristen Patterson, and spiritual coach Martin Orozco for providing the support and guidance that facilitated his transition into the professional he is today.
Juan acknowledges his mother and father as mentors for showing him that “Dreams are meant to be lived.”