Meet the Counseling Team
The Counseling Center staff at Saint Louis University — Madrid supports and promotes the well-being and academic success of SLU-Madrid students by offering counseling services and resources, as well as outreach initiatives that foster balance, self-regulation and coping skills.
Paloma Gómez de Salazar, M.S.
Coordinator of Counseling and Mental Health Services / Counselor
paloma.gomezdesalazar@slu.edu
Ext. 218/230
Paloma Gómez de Salazar was born in southern Spain but has always lived in Madrid. She graduated from the Pontifical University of Comillas with a bachelor's degree in psychology.
She has specialization in family and couples' therapy by completing two master's degrees, and a third in general health psychology at the International University of La Rioja.
Paloma has worked in many different areas, including as an instructor at the University Francisco de Vitoria and professor of Catholic religion pedagogy and didactic methods at the University Camilo José Cela. She also has experience as a counselor at Covadonga Family Planning Centre and as a psychologist, therapist and coach in KilosOut, an innovative method of weight loss.
She has worked at SLU-Madrid in the Office of Student Life as a campus minister, overseeing Student Support and Engagement, and as a counselor at the Counseling Center, where she works full-time.
Paloma belongs to the Spanish Professional Association of Psychologists.
Carla Aparicio, M.A.
Coordinator of Mental Health Outreach & Prevention
carla.aparicio@slu.edu
Ext. 285
Carla Aparicio Gallardo was born and raised in the Republic of Panama. She began her studies at Pace University in Manhattan and completed them at Saint Louis University — Madrid, graduating with a bachelor's degree in psychology with minors in philosophy and English. In 2020, she was granted the Regis 100 Merit Scholarship, which enabled her to pursue a Master of Arts in Spanish at SLU-Madrid.
In recent years, Carla has dedicated her work to providing psychosocial support to LGBTQ+ folks, specifically transgender individuals. Carla is also an author: her first book, Madreselva, was published in 2023. She joined the SLU-Madrid family first as a part of the Office of Student Life and later, as a member of the University Counseling Center team, where she currently works.
Carla is undergoing training in Gestalt Therapy at Equipo Centro while pursuing a grado en psicología at the International University of La Rioja.
Eduardo Fernández-Cruz. Ph.D.
Counselor
eduardo.fernandezcruz@slu.edu
Ext. 208
Eduardo Fernández-Cruz Sarrate was born in Madrid and raised in San Diego, California, and in Madrid. He earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from the University Foundation San Pablo CEU. Later, he completed advanced studies in neuroscience and holds a Ph.D. from Complutense University of Madrid.
Eduardo has a strong interest in group and individual humanistic approaches, and he specialized in psychodrama at the School of Psychotherapy and Psychodrama in Madrid. Eduardo is a founding Member and member of the Board of Directors of the Asociación Para el Estudio de la Psicoterapia y el Psicodrama (A.E.P.P.) and worked at the School of Psychotherapy and Psychodrama for 10 years. Also, he specialized in tobacco addiction by completing a master's degree in tobacco cessation and treatment from the University of Cantabria.
Eduardo has been a professor, scholar, and counselor at SLU-Madrid since 2010. He also supported students for many years as the coordinator of the Center for Accessibility and Disability Resources.