We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marcelli Pascal-Rodriguez. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marcelli below.

Marcelli , appreciate you joining us today. Was there a defining moment in your professional career? A moment that changed the trajectory of your career?

Thirty days before I opened my first business, my mother was murdered.
That word still stings every time I say it—but it’s the truth. And it shaped me in a way nothing else ever could.

I was in the final stretch of launching Transformation Health Services. I had the vision, the credentials, the momentum. Everything was lined up—until the moment everything fell apart. My mother—my anchor, my biggest supporter, the woman who reminded me to breathe when I was running on fumes—was suddenly gone. Taken from me. Just like that.

People say grief changes you, and it does. But unexpectedly losing your mother? It reconstructs your soul.

My mother wasn’t just mine—she was everybody’s. The neighborhood mom. The one with an open door, a warm meal, and a listening ear. She made sure every child felt seen, safe, and cared for. Her love was the blueprint for how I move through the world.

After her death, I had every reason to stop. To shut it all down. To fall apart.
But I didn’t. I opened my business anyway—with a swollen heart, shaking hands, and a kind of faith I had never stood on before.

That unplanned loss became the birthplace of something greater.

Through my work, I’ve created spaces for others to heal—emotionally, physically, and spiritually. As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, dual-certified in anti-aging and aesthetics, and trained in somatic healing, I hold space for people navigating everything from trauma to transformation. Because I get it. I know what it feels like to hit rock bottom and still have to keep going. I know the courage it takes to rebuild when life no longer makes sense.

But her legacy didn’t end with me—it expanded through me. Her love for the community inspired me to launch the nonprofit My Neighborhood Mom, dedicated to supporting youth facing mental health challenges. Watching her pour into other people’s children helped me realize: this was never just about me. Life is full circle. Nothing is wasted. Even in the darkest, most unplanned moments, there is a divine assignment—and I believe God uses every piece of our story for the greater good.

I couldn’t help people the way I do now if I hadn’t lived through that level of grief.
Her absence became my calling. Her life—and her loss—became the foundation of my purpose.

Marcelli , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m Marcelli Pascal-Rodriguez—Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC), dual-certified in anti-aging and aesthetics (AAOPM-C), certified somatic mind-body healing practitioner, and the founder of multiple businesses dedicated to helping people heal, evolve, and transform from the inside out. I’m also the founder of the nonprofit My Neighborhood Mom, inspired by my mother’s legacy and rooted in supporting youth through their mental health journeys.

How did I get here? Life pushed me into purpose.

I started in mental health because I saw the gaps—people being treated as diagnoses, not human beings. I became a nurse practitioner to change that. But after years in clinical settings, I realized healing wasn’t just about medication or talk therapy. People needed a holistic space—a place where they could feel seen emotionally, physically, and spiritually. That’s why I expanded my expertise to include aesthetics and somatic healing. Because I believe that mental wellness and physical confidence are deeply connected, and transformation isn’t one-dimensional.

I launched Transformation Health Services to provide high-quality, culturally competent psychiatric care across the lifespan—therapy, medication management, and healing support that actually honors people’s stories. From there, Transformation Aesthetics & Wellness was born—where clients come to restore confidence, enhance their natural beauty, and experience rejuvenation as a form of self-love. I treat everything from anxiety and ADHD to offering PRP facials, injectables, and trauma-informed bodywork. What sets my work apart is that you’re not just receiving a service—you’re receiving care with intention. Healing isn’t just what I do—it’s who I am.

After the unexpected murder of my mother just 30 days before opening my first business, my mission became even deeper. She was known as the “neighborhood mom”—a safe space for so many. Her death became the driving force behind My Neighborhood Mom, a nonprofit I created to support children and teens battling depression, anxiety, trauma, and identity issues. I know what it feels like to hit rock bottom, to rebuild from grief with nothing but faith, and to find meaning in unimaginable pain.

Today, I stand at the intersection of mental health, wellness, beauty, and soul. I’m most proud of the impact my work has on people’s lives—from the woman who finally feels comfortable in her skin again to the child who found safety in a space we created. Whether I’m leading a wellness retreat, supporting a teen through therapy, or injecting confidence into someone’s self-image, I do it with purpose.

What I want people to know is this: healing isn’t linear, but it is possible. You can be both hurt and healing, soft and strong, grieving and growing.
And if you’re ready to return home to yourself—I’ve created space for that.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your firm or practice?

I started my business with a $30,000 loan from the Small Business Administration—and a whole lot of faith.

At the time, I had just lost my job at a practice where I had helped build out their entire mental health platform. I brought in systems, clients, and structure. But once things started booming, they let me go. Fired me on a Tuesday.

By Friday, I opened my own practice.

No business plan. No cushion. Just me, my license, and that loan. I started out in a 250–300 square-foot office—barely enough room to breathe, but it was mine. I stayed there for three months, then upgraded into a four-office suite. Within six months, I outgrew that too. By the end of the first year, I had acquired two buildings and had 19 providers working under my brand. It grew fast—really fast—because I was committed, consistent, and clear on my purpose.

That $30,000 didn’t just fund an office—it funded a movement. It gave me the runway to create something of my own after someone tried to take my value and cut me out of the picture. And that will always be a part of my story: getting fired didn’t break me. It launched me.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Without a doubt: word of mouth.

You can have the best branding, the fanciest marketing campaigns, but at the end of the day—if you’re great at what you do, people will talk about it. If you’re honest, if you treat people like human beings and not numbers, if you show up with empathy and compassion—they’ll come. And more importantly, they’ll send others.

I don’t see myself as someone who “fixes” people. I see myself as someone who navigates with them. I meet people where they are, and I allow them to show up as their authentic selves—because I show up as mine.

That energy is magnetic. And when word of mouth starts working in your favor, the next key is maintaining exclusivity and integrity. If someone hears about you through someone they trust, you have to live up to that reputation every single time. And no, you won’t always hit the mark—especially in mental health, where people’s needs are so unique. But being honest about what you can and can’t offer—and even helping someone pivot to another provider when necessary—still builds trust. That’s real leadership.

So the best strategy I’ve ever had for growing my clientele?
Be authentic. Stay excellent. Let your work speak for itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: Psych: www.transformationhealthservices.com and Aesthetics: www.transformations.vip
• Instagram: psychinjector_marcelli

Image Credits

Lianna Pevar
⦅860⦆805-8686
www.LiannaPevarPhotography.com