Photo courtesy of Francisco Lopez
Dr. Francisco Lopez has served as Director of Counseling at Choate since 2018 and is responsible for managing all mental health services, along with being a faculty adviser to the Wellness Committee. Originally hailing from Puerto Rico, Dr. Lopez grew up in New York City and received his Master’s Degree in Psychology from the Yale School of Medicine and his PhD in Psychology from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. Subsequently, he moved to the town of Wallingford.
As Director of Counseling, Dr. Lopez strived to destigmatize behavioral and emotional mental health. He worked towards not only improving students’ general mental health, but also meeting the specific goals of each individual, whether those were personal or life goals. Ms. Judith Bender, Associate Director of Counseling, stated, “He thoroughly enjoyed working with individual students as well as establishing a critical voice in the various administrative roles he played. In the years that Dr. Lopez served as the Director of Counseling, he became fully immersed in the Choate community — always wanting the best for all members.”
Through both his guidance and patience, Dr. Lopez has had a resounding impact on his students. Joshua Ramon ’24 remarked, “Dr. Lopez was always patient and understanding. He has allowed me to perceive my mental health in a positive light and has helped me realize things I didn’t know about myself.” Dr. Lopez will be leaving Choate at the end of this year to offer psycho-legal representation in a wide range of immigration and legal issues. He said, “As a Spanish speaking provider, born in Puerto Rico by immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, this work is an important extension of my desire to continue to serve the needs of young people.” He continued, “Choate is a wonderful community and I have loved my work at Choate. As I will still be living here in Wallingford, I hope to remain connected with my friends and colleagues from Choate.”
