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EMDRIA Members Respond: Identity and Heritage Representation for Hispanic Heritage Month

October 7, 2022

We are celebrating EMDRIA members identifying with Hispanic and/or Latinx heritage for Hispanic Heritage Month. Someone identifying as Hispanic or Latinx may do so for various reasons and contexts. We love to point to Terry Blas’ comic “I’m Latino. I’m Hispanic. And they’re different, so I drew a comic to explain” for a lighthearted and authentic clarification around the terms Hispanic (usually about Spanish language base) and Latinx (usually of a geographical area). We know that in therapy, our clients’ identity matters and that clients do best when the different aspects of their identity are encouraged and considered within the therapy relationship. Similarly, at EMDRIA, our members’ identity matters, and our goal is that EMDRIA members’ identities are considered, celebrated, and encouraged to be fully expressed and understood. We asked EMDRIA members and EMDR therapists to share 2-minute video clips responding to the following question.

“Describe a bit about your experience as a member of the Hispanic/Latinx community and how your identity has informed, strengthened, and/or challenged your EMDR practice.”

*For closed captioning, play the video you wish and click on the ‘CC’ icon in the lower right hand corner. *** Vianca Anderson, LPC *** Esther Arredondo, LMFT ***Alicia Avila, LCSW ***Alicia Beltran, LCPC, LPC ***Dr. Miguel A Contreras, LCSW, PsyD *** Maria Fernanda Guerrero, LPC ***Dalila Guerrero Santa Cruz, LMFT ***Johanna Martinez, LPC ***Alejandra Medina, LPC *** H. Yamel Medina, LCSW ***Leo Mora Jr., Ph.D. (Cand.), LMFT-S ***Claudia Irene Ramirez, LCSW ***Elizabeth Sanchez, LMFT ***Sabrina Sartori Rocha Chouinard, Mental Health Therapist

Resources

Blas, Terry. You Say Latino: A Mini Comic. Vox. https://www.vox.com/2015/8/19/9173457/hispanic-latino-comic
Blossom, P. It’s More Important Than Ever to Remove the Stigma Around Latinx Mental Health. Oprah Daily. https://www.oprahdaily.com/life/health/a29518665/latinos-mental-health-stigma/
Flores, V., & Irias, E. Lifting Latinx: A Primer About Working Effectively with the Hispanic and Latino Population, Ep. 129. Clearly Clinical Podcast. https://clearlyclinical.com/podcast/ceu-therapy-hispanic-latin-community
Garcia, K. Why Latinos can benefit from a culturally competent therapist, and how to find one. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/lifestyle/story/2021-12-29/how-to-find-a-culturally-competent-mental-health-professional
Gomez, Shirley. Bilingual Mental Health Resources for the Latinx Community. Hola! https://us.hola.com/lifestyle/20210917g2gerzsos3/bilingual-mental-health-resources-for-the-latinx-community/
Harris, H., Urdaneta, V., Triana, V., Vo, C. S., Walden, D., & Myers, D. (2018). A pilot study with Spanish-speaking Latina survivors of domestic violence comparing EMDR & TF-CBT group interventions. Open Journal of Social Sciences, 6(11), 203-222. Open access: https://doi.org/10.4236/jss.2018.611015
Health and Human Services. National Hispanic Heritage Month 2021 Fact Sheet. Office of Minority Health. https://www.minorityhealth.hhs.gov/hispanic-heritage-month/
Hinojosa, Maria. From Invisible to Visible: TedxPennsylvaniaAvenue. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAucrEPi4sM
Latino USA. Podcast. https://www.latinousa.org/
Manrique, J. (2017). Therapy used for U. S. veterans finds success among traumatized immigrants. Center for Health Journalism. https://centerforhealthjournalism.org/fellowships/projects/therapy-used-us-veterans-finds-success-among-traumatized-immigrants
Natural History Museum. Beyond Gender: Indigenous Perspectives, Mapuche. NHMLAC. https://nhm.org/stories/beyond-gender-indigenous-perspectives-mapuche
Natural History Museum. Beyond Gender: Indigenous Perspectives, Muxe. NHMLAC. https://nhm.org/stories/beyond-gender-indigenous-perspectives-muxe
Piech, E. Fuerza: LGBTQ Latinx Youth Speak Their Truth. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5P5knjMj-64
Rodriguez, N. Intersectionality & Latinx as Digital Disruptions of Identity. TEDx. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUqqgMkC2T8
The Hispanic Star. Infographic on Latino Mental Health. https://hispanicstar.org/resources/
Wylde, A. Elles: Being Non Binary and Latinx. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-ccuUFF-Ts

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