Meet Elco Marquez at Psychiatry of the Palm Beaches in Florida

Elco Marquez was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in Florida, living just outside of Saint Augustine in the town of Green Cove Springs, Florida. He received his Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences from Advent Health University in Orlando, Florida. He completed his postgraduate medical studies at Barry University in St. Petersburg, Florida. Throughout his childhood, he would often visit his Grandfather’s ranch in Mexico and speak Spanish and English fluently. Elco is proud to be an American and proud of his family’s cultural heritage. For Elco, relating well to different backgrounds and walks of life has always been an area of strength.

Coming from an immigrant family and seeing the mental health struggles when visiting family in Mexico left a lasting impression on Elco to make a difference through medicine. He observed not only mental health issues but other untreated medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Seeing the effect of scarcity of resources and services motivated him to study medicine, as he wanted to serve and make a difference. Elco has learned that treating mental health issues will have a positive impact on other health issues and vice versa. Mental health impacts an individual globally and will be deleterious to them and their family, regardless of background, culture, or resources.

Before medical school, Elco was an ER Technician in Orlando. A secondary function of his job was being a mental health technician. Every day he was involved in the care of patients who suffered from anxiety, depression, and many other untreated psychiatric conditions. During medical school Elco’s psychiatric rotations exposed him to many who suffer from anxiety and depression and it was amazing to see the improvement in their lives over time. He was amazed at how patients could be very depressed, very anxious, or even noncoherent and in a psychotic state and with help would return to wellness and full awareness, which fascinated him. Elco was intrigued to understand how this could happen to someone and saw the great need for mental health treatment.

Psychiatry is a field in which there are not enough providers to help and due to his experiences, Elco decided to enter this field to make a difference with the patients. His goal is to be a central figure in their quest for wellness and guide his patients on their journey.

Elco creates a supportive and understanding environment where patients feel heard and respected. He is equipped to treat a wide range of psychiatric areas, including anxiety, PTSD, depression, and mood disorders. He believes that with patience, perseverance, and truly listening, he can treat everyone. He enjoys and cares deeply about giving patients his full attention to ensure their concerns, symptoms (both physical and emotional), and preferences are heard and incorporated into treatment.

He understands that every patient is unique and tailors the plan of care to their individual needs. When patients see that their needs are recognized, trust is established. Elco finds that trust and collaboration are key to emotional and psychological progress. Progress can become a strength that helps you overcome. Learning to overcome can become thriving and learning how to live your best life.

Elco feels very comfortable talking with patients in both English and Spanish. He diligently works to explain complex medical concepts in a way that patients can easily understand, encouraging open dialogue and questions to ensure they feel informed and empowered in their medical care. Born and raised in the United States, Elco identifies as an American and also relates well to those with an international background.

Elco’s care philosophy is empathy, patience, and helping to win the thought battle with hope and small changes in attitude. Elco has always been a friend who listened and showed caring when someone was struggling mentally. He remembers seeing his mother struggle with depression and anxiety, living far from her family, and facing life’s difficulties. Her sadness and desire to help left an impression on him from an early age. His caring approach extended later to a good friend who suffers from PTSD as a firefighter. Elco spent many nights with him when these episodes occurred. During his time working in the ER, he helped many people with different situations and saw that we all struggle sometimes.

Elco finds that learning how to win in sports taught him many lessons that he shares with his clients to help them succeed and overcome. During his years of baseball and later soccer, he had many coaches who would state “The majority of the game is in your head, and with the right attitude you can take on any challenge.” Sometimes it seemed much harder and overwhelming. And yet this mentality, one day at a time and one practice at a time, helped them win games and tournaments. This mindset has helped Elco often, beyond sports. Helping his patients implement small doses of winning thoughts has helped them often to be the best versions of themselves and to overcome the challenges that they face.

Elco’s interests include travel, cooking, sports, and exploring places with family and friends. He likes to experience his family’s roots and visits Chihuahua, Mexico once or twice a year. He is an avid sports fan and follows soccer clubs FC Barcelona, AS Roma, and Guadalajara. In baseball, he is a Cleveland Guardians fan. He enjoys kayaking, snorkeling at the springs, Disney, playing soccer and softball.

Yes, Elco Marquez is accepting new patients. You can book an appointment online.