Working With and Counseling Latin American Clients

Fulfills Diversity and Multicultural Issues

According to the 2020 census, there are approximately 60.5 million Latin Americans in the United States, and this figure is projected to grow to about 119 million by the year 2060. Mental health services that are culturally responsive to Latin American communities are essential to meet the needs of this diverse group.

This advanced beginner/intermediate course was developed to provide mental health professionals with an in-depth opportunity to improve their understanding of Latin Americans and gain tools necessary to better provide mental health care for this population. The course materials are drawn from several sources: (1) selected chapters from the Routledge book collection, Multicultural Psychology, Fourth Edition, and Multicultural Counseling and Psychotherapy, Sixth Edition, (2) The Experience of Being a Non-Latinx Mental Health Professional Who Works with Latinx Clients: Providing Appropriate Transcultural Care developed by the National Hispanic and Latino Mental Health Technology Transfer Center, and (3) the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Among the Hispanic or Latino Population Aged 12 or Older published by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The first section of the course provides mental health professionals with an understanding of the different terminology used to describe Latin Americans (e.g., Hispanic, Latino/a, Latinx) and an overview of the relevant historical and cultural issues. Issues of gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, and religion are considered to provide a more complete picture. When possible, information specific to Mexican Americans, Puerto Rican Americans, Cuban Americans, and other Latin Americans is presented to reflect the diversity of cultures and differences in immigration history.

In the second section, mental health professionals become familiar with cultural themes that should be considered when providing services, as well as strategies to approach diversity in psychotherapy with Latin American clients. Next, mental health professionals learn to identify potential problems warranting counseling and to discern the important clinical considerations for Latin American clients. Attention is given to working with children, adolescents, adults, and elderly clients. Content also explores whether individual, group, and/or family therapy approaches are likely to be helpful. The section concludes with graphic data related to drug use, mental health issues, and treatment utilization among Latin American adults and adolescents.