The first time Jacqueline Garcia sought therapy, she was in college. She’d lived in Tijuana until she was 12, and she had struggled with the transition when her family immigrated to the United States.
She signed up for an initial therapy session with a mental health professional but never made a second appointment. She said she didn’t feel like her white therapist understood or validated her experiences.
Five years passed before Garcia was ready to search for a therapist again. She wanted to work with a bilingual mental health professional who could understand her childhood and its effects on her young-adult life.
“Having someone who is not culturally competent and/or informed can lead to experiencing microaggressions, feeling misunderstood, or even perpetuating oppressive behaviors,” said Lydiana Garcia, a Los Angeles-based psychologist.
A culturally competent mental health professional, by contrast, aims to be sensitive to and understand your cultural background. That includes your values, race, and religious or spiritual beliefs.
A therapist with this kind of training allows you to focus on talking about your experiences and how you’re feeling without having to explain the nuances of your family dynamic or upbringing.
Lydiana Garcia; Katheryn Perez, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Burbank; and Angelica Tello, assistant professor of counseling at the University of Houston-Clear Lake share some tips for Latinos looking for a culturally competent therapist.
Read more at LATimes.com.
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