Tag: Affirming

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Meet Your Therapist: Clinician Spotlight Series – Trent

What are your favorite clients to work with (populations of special interest)?   

My favorite clients to work with are couples, families, teens, adults, and end-of-life clients. I especially enjoy working with LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities and those who have been historically underserved and underrepresented in the mental health community. I specialize in working with those who are dealing with life transitions, internal family conflicts, grief and loss, systematic barriers, loneliness, and social anxiety. I love working with those who are authentic, unapologetically themselves, and move from a place of passion for change.  

What inspired you to enter the field of mental health?   

I was inspired to become a professional counselor associate and future therapist from my own personal experience in therapy. When I was twelve, my father passed away and my mother encouraged me to / helped me attend therapy for support and guidance. Therapy not only helped me gain tools to better cope with my issues and work towards living my ideal life, but I was also inspired by the work my therapist and I did together. So much so that at the age of thirteen, I decided that I wanted to become a therapist and dedicate my life to making mental health more accessible and approachable for underserved communities.  

  What does it mean to you to heal, or be a healer/agent of healing?   

The therapeutic journey clients and I embark on together is something I consider as sacred. To be invited into the experience of another and to be the person who walks alongside them as they work towards healing is an honor. To be given the opportunity to build that level of trust with another as they work towards addressing their concerns and connecting to their authentic selves is a beautiful thing to witness. Whenever one of my clients enters the therapeutic space and engages, allowing real change to take place, it offers what I consider to be the best ‘big-picture moment’ a therapist can experience and reminds me why this work matters.  as therapists are very lucky to do the work that we do with clients.  

What have you learned from your work / collaboration as a therapist working with individuals and communities?  

Through my work as a therapist, I have learned that one of the most important aspects of therapy is simply being human in the room with our clients. Our presence and genuine curiosity can speak volumes. I am thankful that I have mentors and relationships in the mental health community because within these, I have been able to see through a variety of lenses. Therapy is a collaboration and relational, both inside the therapeutic space and when we are out connecting our communities. Whether we are working with individuals, couples, or families; we are developing a trusting relationship and exploring issues with a relational lens. After we create genuine, meaningful bonds with our clients, the integration of diverse therapeutic modalities comes easily. I’ve found that clients often prefer we meet them in their current reality before we start using our clinical language. Humanizing the therapy experience is one of my biggest focal points as a mental health provider.  

What insurance(s) do you accept?                         

I accept Kaiser  insurance for both couples/families, and individuals, Providence for individuals, and Blue Cross/Blue Shield for individuals.  

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Mental Health in Latine and Hispanic Communities 

This month is Latine and Hispanic Heritage Month, a time to honor and celebrate the strengths and contributions of Latine and Hispanic communities. Latine and Hispanic communities teach us the importance of collective care and relationships, and values such as confianza, (trust), and conciencia (developing personal awareness) (Bordas, 2023). These communities bring great gifts and strengths to U.S. society, meriting respect, gratitude, and attention. As reported by Mental Health America, “A mix of Indigenous and colonial heritage, Latine and Hispanic cultures vary greatly in regions across the U.S. People from Mexico and Puerto Rico make up the great majority of these populations. There are more than 20 different countries that make up these groups. They each have different cultures, beliefs, and experiences” (MHA, 2025).  

At this unprecedented time in U.S. history where the Trump administration is weaponizing the “us versus them” narrative (ACLU; Shah, 2021), re-organizing and militarizing various government agencies to carry out mass deportations, it is critical that we celebrate Latine and Hispanic individuals who have provided significant contributions to U.S. society. Immigrant communities make U.S. society stronger and wiser. According to recent Pew Research data, “thirty-three percent of U.S. immigrants are Latinx/Hispanic and 79 percent of Latinx/Hispanic people living in the U.S. are citizens.”  

There are too many to name, but some who have brought significant contributions are Sonia Sotomayer, the first Latina, and the third woman to be appointed judge of the Supreme Court of the United States, Bad Bunny, a contemporary artist representing the complex cultural identity, strength and joy of the Puerto Rican people, and Dolores Huerta, a legendary labor and leader of the Chicano civil rights movement (NWHM, 2025). Others whose legacies inspire many, are Paulo Freire, an educator and author who advocated for a liberatory form of education rooted in social justice, and Maria Lorena Ramírez Hernández, who won a 50-kilometer race while wearing her huaraches (sandals) and long skirt, the traditional dress worn by the Tarahumara, an Indigenous group who run long distance as a form of prayer (Preedy, 2021).  

Given the violence towards immigrants carried out by the current administration, and its violation of human rights and the U.S. Constitution, systemic harms are increasing, along with these concerns for the mental health and overall wellness of these populations. According to the organization UnidosUS, 17% of Hispanic/Latine people in the U.S. live in poverty (compared to 8.2% of non-Hispanic whites), and 50% of Latinos do not have access to paid sick leave at their jobs. Out of the Latine/Hispanic population, 17% live in poverty, and make up for 19% of the U.S. civilian labor force. 

Now more than ever, Latine and Hispanic communities need celebration and protection, as well as culturally humble (Khan, 2021) mental health support and human services professionals who understand the complexity and nuances of intersecting cultural identities and experiences (Lekas et al., 2020). Recent studies show that some of the issues facing these communities are poor communication and lack of access to care due to lack of Spanish-speaking providers and lack of access to insurance, and disparities in mental health treatment, including Latine and Hispanic young people being treated for ADHD and depression at half the rate of white youth (NAMI, 2025).  

Here below are some resources collected from Mental Health America (MHA) and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to help guide and support mental health care providers in serving the Latine and Hispanic communities.  

Mental Health-Related Resources for Latinx and Hispanic Communities  

American Psychological Association-Immigration 
This website offers information for mental health providers and educators regarding the mental health needs of immigrants. 

American Psychiatric Association (APA) Stress & Trauma Toolkit  
Stress and trauma toolkit for treating undocumented immigrants in a changing political and social environment. 

APA – Como hablar con sus hijos/as de las elecciones en los Estados Unidos  
Educational resource in Spanish on how to speak with your children about the U.S presidential elections  

Immigrants Rising – Mental Health Connector  
A tool to connect with mental health professionals serving immigrant patients. 

Informed Immigrant 
This website offers multiple resources for Latinx, immigrants, DACA recipients and undocumented individuals. 

Mental Health America Screening and Informational Resources in Spanish 

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 
Find contact information for mental health services for refugees. 

Sources 

American Psychiatric Association. (2017). Mental Health Disparities: Hispanics and Latinos. https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Cultural-Competency/Mental-Health-Disparities/Mental-Health-Facts-for-Hispanic-Latino.pdf 

Bordas, J. 2023. The Power of Latino Leadership. Second Edition. Berrett-Koehler Publishers.  

Forcén FE, Vélez Flórez MC, Bido Medina R, Zambrano J, Pérez JH, Rodríguez AM, Santos LH.  

Deconstructing Cultural Aspects of Mental Health Care in Hispanic/Latinx People. Psychiatr Ann. 2023 Mar;53(3):127-132. doi: 10.3928/00485713-20230215-02. Epub 2023 Mar 1. PMID: 37781171; PMCID: PMC10540642. 

Harris DB, Roter DL. (2024). Profound Love and Dialogue: Paulo Freire and Liberation Education. Health Lit Res Pract. 2024 Jul;8(3):e118-e120. doi: 10.3928/24748307-20240613-02. Epub 2024 Jul 5. PMID: 38979815; PMCID: PMC11230641. 

Khan, S. (2021, Jan. 13). Cultural Humility vs. Cultural Competence — and Why Providers Need Both. Health City News. Boston Medical Center. https://healthcity.bmc.org/cultural-humility-vs-cultural-competence-providers-need-both/ 

Lekas HM, Pahl K, Fuller Lewis C. Rethinking Cultural Competence: Shifting to Cultural Humility. Health Serv Insights. 2020 Dec 20;13:1178632920970580. doi: 10.1177/1178632920970580. PMID: 33424230; PMCID: PMC7756036. 

Mental Health America. (2025). Latine and Hispanic mental health: Challenges, strengths, and heroes. https://mhanational.org/resources/latine-hispanic-mental-health-challenges-strengths-and-heroes/ 

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (2025). Hispanic/Latinx. https://www.nami.org/your-journey/identity-and-cultural-dimensions/hispanic-latinx/ 

National Women’s History Museum. (2025). Dolores Huerta. https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/dolores-huerta 

Neumeister, L. (2025, Sept. 16). Sotomayer urges better civic education so people know difference between presidents and kings. https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-sonia-sotomayor-b34d2a467aab1771aa5dbdca229c5928?utm_source=copy&utm_medium=share 

Pew Research Center tabulations of the 2017 American Community Survey (1% IPUMS). https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/09/16/key-facts-about-u-s-hispanics/ 

Preedy, Michael (1 June 2021). “Book Review: Exercised: The Science of Physical Activity, Rest and Health By Professor Daniel Lieberman”. Physiology News. doi:10.36866/122.12 

Renshaw, S. (2021, February 14). What is a Temazcal Ceremony? The Green Maya Project. https://www.greenmaya.mx/blog/2020/11/6/what-is-your-definition-of-church. 

SAMHSA. 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH): Hispanics, Latino, or Spanish Origin of Descent. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt23249/4_Hispanic_2020_01_14_508.pdf 

Sanneh, K. (2025, Sept. 15). Bad Bunny’s Puerto Rican Homecoming. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2025/09/22/debi-tirar-mas-fotos-bad-bunny-music-review 

Shah, Naureen. (2021). How Trump is Using the Alien Enemies Act to Deport Millions. ACLU. https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/anti-immigrant-extremists-want-to-use-this-226-year-old-law-to-implement-a-mass-deportation-program 

Unidos US. (2025). Statistics about the Latino Population. https://unidosus.org/facts/statistics-about-latinos-in-the-us-unidosus/