An important component of humanistic psychology is recognizing the value that cultural background brings to psychological health and wellness. I view culture as a source of strength and resilience that informs every aspect of clinical treatment from assessment and diagnosis to treatment goals and tasks.
I became interested specifically in Latinx mental health due to my own cultural background. My grandmother immigrated from Mexico, and unfortunately, she died before I was born. Because of this, I lost both my connection to her as well as that aspect of my cultural identity.

This led me to pursue studies in Spanish in addition to psychology. During my training as a clinical psychologist, I saw firsthand that monolingual Spanish speakers have less access to mental health treatment and often face language barriers in receiving care. I also observed that there are fewer clinicians who are able to provide therapy in Spanish.

When I became a professor at Saybrook, I was delighted to teach a diverse student body, and I discovered that many of our students are Spanish speakers. This inspired me to create an opportunity for Spanish-speaking students to learn more about providing clinical services in Spanish.

Thanks to funding from Saybrook University’s GLOBE grant initiative, I was able to create a tailored course experience that provided clinical training in Spanish. Students were provided a clinical training textbook in Spanish, they attended a workshop facilitated by a Spanish speaker with expertise in the clinical approach, and they received individualized feedback on a clinical practice example conducted in Spanish. Many of the students stated that this experience gave them the opportunity to learn professional mental health vocabulary in Spanish and that they plan to use the experience to promote optimal health practices among the clients they serve in their communities.

I believe that the enrolled Spanish-speaking students have a unique gift to offer the field of mental health: treatment that is both culturally informed and delivered in Spanish. I am grateful to the GLOBE grant initiative to create experiences such as this one, and I am looking forward to more Spanish-speaking clinical opportunities for our students.

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