Here's What to Do if Your Past Trauma Is Affecting Your Mental Health, According to a Trauma Expert [hellogiggles.com]

By Raven Ishak, HelloGiggles, November 1, 2020

Adriana Alejandre, licensed marriage and family therapist and founder of Latinx Therapy, a counseling community and directory aimed specifically at Latinx patients, first realized she wanted to be a mental health professional when she became a single, teen mom during her first year in college and had no idea that the "intense sadness and disconnection" she felt from her son was normal. "I did not know that I had postpartum depression," the now-30-year-old tells HelloGiggles. "A professor spoke to me during office hours and encouraged me to visit the counseling center."

However, it was difficult for Alejandre to open up because she felt ashamed for being in therapy. "Growing up and when I got pregnant, I was told by my mom that problems are to be kept in the family, so disclosing about my feelings to a therapist felt wrong and I only stayed for three sessions," she explains. But those short counseling sessions made her realize how much she was holding inside and how much she wanted to help others to no longer feel how she once felt. So she earned a degree in psychology, followed by a Masters in marriage and family therapy. Then, the idea for Latinx Therapy took shape.

"After realizing how Westernized and non-diverse the world of psychology is, I decided to make it a goal to open my own practice after getting my license to open services to my community," Alejandre says. "So now I am the founder of a national organization, Latinx Therapy, and the owner of my new group practice, EMDR and Trauma Therapy, where I mentor pre-licensed clinicians and offer sliding scale services to BIPOC."

[Please click here to read more.]

Here's What to Do if Your Past Trauma Is Affecting Your Mental Health, According to a Trauma Expert [hellogiggles.com]

Add Comment

Comments (0)

Skip to main content

Add Comment

Membership Required

Remove From Your Block List

Manage Follow Preferences

Block

Please wait...