“Representation of other therapists in the field of mental health is so important because there are certain things that you don’t have to explain to them because they understand that’s part of your culture,” said Márquez. “It’s deeper than the language. It’s very deeply rooted in the identity of individuals, and how much you feel understood just simply by talking to a person who looks like you.
Diana Beltran, left, and Adry Sanders speak during a BIPOC Mental health workshop at Stacy's Furniture in Grapevine on Jun 9, 2023. Beltran experienced while working in non-Hispanic clinics how patients were often poorly treated because the therapists couldn’t understand their perspectives or family history.
The demand for bilingual therapy is expected to keep growing as the population of second-and third-generation children of Hispanic immigrants does, too. Therapy Works has experienced an increase of about 35% in younger clients: children, and teenagers, seeking therapy for anxiety and depression. from 70 hospitalizations per 100,000 population in 2016 to 92 hospitalizations in 2020, reported the Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council this year.2,900 suicides in youths ages 10 to 19, and 4,200 in 20- to 24-year-olds,When parents bring their kids in for therapy, the clinic explains that sooner rather than later, parents will need to attend sessions, too, because that’s more effective so that the whole family can be on the same page, said Beltran.
She says understanding cultural backgrounds is the most important element when starting out with patients. But for Espinoza, it has been a challenge practicing all her theories in Spanish since her education is in English.