Ralph De La Rosa

Ralph De La Rosa, LCSW, is a psychotherapist in private practice and a seasoned meditation instructor. He began practicing meditation in 1996 and has been teaching since 2008. He was a student of Amma’s (Mata Amritanandamayi) for sixteen years and began studying Buddhism in 2005. His work has been featured in the New York Post, CNN, GQ, SELF, Women’s Health, and many other publications and podcasts. He regularly leads immersive healing retreats at Omega Institute, Spirit Rock, and Kripalu. He is a summa cum laude graduate of Fordham University’s social work program and has trained in multiple forms of trauma-focused treatment including Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS) and Somatic Experiencing (SE).


Ralph himself is a depression, PTSD, and opiate addiction survivor. His work is inspired by the tremendous transformation he has experienced through meditation, yoga, and therapy.

"De La Rosa entwines neurobiology, spirituality, and parts work in an intriguing way and offers powerful experiential exercises that bring his approach to life." —Richard Schwartz, developer of the Internal Family Systems model of psychotherapy

"De La Rosa offers a path of empathy, compassion, and mindfulness—a path of walking straight through the entire range of our emotions." —Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Happiness

"A stunning and transformative book, critical for our times." —Yael Shy, author of What Now? Meditation for Your Twenties and Beyond

"This book is like a flotation device amidst the churning waters of insanity—not only in the world we live in but inside our bodies and minds as well." —Will Johnson, author of The Posture of Meditation

"Through his deep experience as a psychotherapist, author, storyteller, and meditation teacher, Ralph De La Rosa sheds light upon the crucial subject of emotional resilience. In Don’t Tell Me to Relax, he masterfully blends science with love to help us understand that we are all able to mention, and manage, our emotions through a powerful process of self-healing, mindfulness, and growth." —Brendan Burns, host of The Brendan Burns Show

"Proposing that activism has everything to do with resilience, De La Rosa suggests self-care and mindfulness as a means for increasing one’s resilience, and that anger can be the fuel needed to take action instead of something that hardens one’s heart." —Publishers Weekly