Latinx Therapy is a bilingual weekly podcast that discusses mental health from a cultural and psychological perspective. Join Adriana Alejandre interview professionals that support and specialize in mental health related topics to give a sneak peek of what goes on psychologically and to give professional knowledge about myths carried on in our culture from generations ago.

Each episode will be referred to a "sesión" (a "session" in Spanish). In this introductory sesión, you will learn more about your host and what to expect on the podcast. We will release episodes on Tuesdays and the following are the various kinds of sesiónes we will be offering:

QUESTION & ANSWER Segments will be part of all episodes. Record your message on the recorder found on the website to have your question aired and/or answered. Leave your name and state if you would like for your question to air!

BREAK THE STIGMA Guest segments will feature individuals who have overcome challenges, demystified stereotypes and created a different path, in hopes of empowering listeners and bringing awareness to mental health and the Latinx culture. These segments are more so stories of strength. #BreakTheStigma episodes will air at the end of the month. 

BONUS sesiónes will be in Spanish. There is no set schedule as to when they would air but they will come out in addition to our regularly scheduled episodes, so stay tuned on our social media!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @LatinxTherapy, and Facebook will be "Latinx Therapy" and "Counseling and Trauma Therapy." Use #latinxtherapy on social media to refer to the podcast! 

For more information and bilingual resources, visit latinxtherapy.com

La chancla, which refers to a flip flop in Spanish, is a cultural discipline style that has evolved to be very symbolic. La chancla can also refer cords, cables, the belt, hangers, any item that can be used to inflict pain as a punishment. Often, it is also a trigger word and is a form of child abuse. In this special 1-hour sesión, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Maritza Plascencia shares her personal experience with la chancla, and dives deeper with her professional knowledge about the generational differences of la chancla, the use of it in schools, when discipline crosses the line, when professionals and people need to report, why it is used and what people can do instead. 

You can find more about Maritza at www.mindfulquestrelationshipcounseling.com/ 

Instagram: @MindfulQuestRC

Facebook: Mindful Quest Counseling

Resources:

• ChildHelp: www.childhelp.org is a nonprofit dedicated to helping victims of child abuse, neglect and at-risk children.
• ChildWelfare: https://www.childwelfare.gov/ is a government site with educational resources for families and professionals
• Adult Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA): http://www.ascasupport.org/
• A trusted guide that described child abuse in depth: https://www.helpguide.org/articles/abuse/child-abuse-and-neglect.htm
• Parenting Techniques: https://suzukiassociation.org/news/25-nonviolent-discipline-options/

Recursos en Español 

• Hojas Informativas y guías: https://www.childwelfare.gov/spanish/#tab=general
• Línea de Apoyo para Padres (Eng/Spa): 1-855-427-2736
• Técnicas sin Violencia para padres: www.counselingandtraumatherapy.com/tecnicassinviolencia

Books:

• The Whole Brain Child by Dan Siegel
• No Drama Discipline & Workbook by Dan Siegel
• Everyday Blessings by Myla and Jon Kabat-Zinn

In sesión 3, Peruvian Elena Apaza, Board Certified Nurse Practitioner explores with me what Bipolar Disorder truly is and what it is not. She dives into the symptoms from the two different types of Bipolar Disorder, problems with diagnosing Bipolar Disorder, how this diagnosis is seen in our Latinx culture and what people in our community do when they do not get treatment. We also answer your questions and provide you all with language to use with someone who has disclosed this diagnosis to you.  

Elena Apaza graduated from Regis College in Boston. She is an Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Certified Nurse Practitioner currently in Massachusetts. She works in an outpatient mental health community center and a crisis stabilization unit. She specializes in mood disorders but treats many different psychiatric conditions. 

 Resources:

• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance: www.dbsalliance.org
• International Bipolar Foundation: www.ibpf.org/ 
• NAMI (National Alliance of Mental Illness): https://www.nami.org/

Recursos En Español:

• NAMI: https://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Diverse-Communities/Latino-Mental-Health/La-salud-mental-en-la-comunidad-latina
• Línea de ayuda: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) (English, too)
• Mental Health America: http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/conditions/trastorno-bipolar-lo-que-usted-necesita-saber

Let me know what you thought about today’s episode! If you have any questions for myself or Elena, contact me on my social media pages or through email at latinxtherapypodcast@gmail.com

FB: Official Latinx Therapy

IG/Twitter: @LatinxTherapy

Transcript

Nancy Salas, born in Nayarit, Mexico struggled with mental health realities after a family secret was disclosed to her. This secret shattered her life and spiraled her world into self-destruction. Nancy Salas had an epiphany after the birth of her daughter at the age of 16 years old that changed her perspective of the world. We talk about the psychological perspectives that helped her begin recovering, and the boundaries she learned from therapy that she had to set in place with her familia. 

Find more about Nancy Salas at her family's YouTube channel: RealityChangers

IG: @SimplyNancySalas

Twitter: @NanSal26

Facebook:@RealityChangersFamily

Resources: 

Self-Injury 24-Hour Hotline: 1-800-334-HELP

Suicide Support Line: 1-800-273-8255 (en español tambien)

For more hotlines & tips on ways to stop: www.selfinjury.com

Finding a Therapist

Let me know what you thought about today’s episode! If you have any questions for myself or Nancy, contact her on her social media handles, or email me at latinxtherapypodcast@gmail.com

In this sesión with Bianca Rodriguez, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, we talk about drugs and alcohol. We discuss what it means to be addicted and have a substance use disorder,  substances that make someone addicted, we review cultural habits that weigh in, how to set boundaries and ways to talk to someone struggling with these realities.

Did you know that about 9.5 percent of Latinos will have alcohol dependence at some point in their lives? This is according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Bilingual Resources:

SAMHSA HELP LINE: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)

• National Institute on Drug Abuse
• Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
• Al-Anon  
• Alcoholics Anonymous 
• Narcotics Anonymous 

English-Only Resources:

• Rethinking Drinking Facts & Quiz 
• Narcotics Anonymous
• SMART Recovery 
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism 2015 Fact Sheet 
• For kids and teens struggling with drugs 

You can find Bianca on Instagram, FB and Twitter, her handle is: @YouAreComplete. Biana's website is www.youarecomplete.com. For any follow-up questions, contact her or latinxtherapypodcast@gmail.com. 

Hoy hablamos con Andrea Minski de sus secretos para encontrar la felicidad. Ella comparte con nosotros varias técnicas, incluyendo un ejercicio de Brasil, Capoeira. Este ejercicio incluye una combinación de música, baile, defensa personal y cultura. Ella trae su energía y alegría en este segmento y nos enseña sus técnicas para tratar con los niños para que uno aprenda la paciencia. Compartió cómo balancear ser madre y profesional, y cómo vivir una vida auténtica.

Pueden perseguir a Andrea Minski en Facebook, Twitter y Instagram en @AndreaMinski y @Mujer Balance.

Para cualquier pregunta: latinxtherapypodcast@gmail.com. 

Recursos de hoy:

Encuentren más en su página: http://mujerbalance.com/

Ejercicio de Respiración Profunda

Cómo Meditar (Para Principiantes)

Today we meet Zeahlot Lopez, LMFT. In this bilingual sesión, we talk about the intention of shame, intergenerational shame, shame in speaking Spanish, where this stems from and how you can work on shame, if you are not ready to enter into therapy. Most importantly, Zeahlot talks to us about her unique perspective of using shame as a strength and provides us with various tools.

Zeahlot Lopez is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and a Licensed Cosmetologist in private practice in Sherman Oaks, CA. Her social media handle is: @VidaTherapy on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube & Instagram.

Resources:

• The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
• The Gifts of Imperfecting Parenting by Brene Brown
• Shame Ted Talk

Recursos:

• Los cuatro acuerdos: una guia practica para la libertad personal de Don Miguel Ruiz
• De la verguenza a la autoestima de Ligia Almono de Jenichen y Gladys Brites de Vila.
• TED: Escuchando a la vergüenza

Let me know what you think about today's episode on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. Find us @LatinxTherapy. This is also the Venmo handle if you would like to support the podcast. Thank you all for your continuous love and support! 

“According to Mental Health America, over 21% of American adults between the ages of 18 and 64 will have a diagnosable anxiety disorder in a given year, that number represents 42.5 million people”.

Welcome to sesión 8, where Yesenia Reta, LCSW, and I bring our anxiety specialties into one interview for you. We define what anxiety is, go over different type of anxieties, review anxiety in our culture, and the symptoms that anxiety brings. We also go over where anxiety comes from and bring to you some useful tools to help you combat anxiety.

Towards the end of the sesión, I announce the how to enter into the Latinx Therapy Podcast T-shirt giveaway! Contest ends Sunday, May 20 at 11:59PM (Pacific Time). Winner will be announced next Tuesday during the sesión.

 Find Yesenia at www.fullnessoflifecounseling.com Her Instagram is: @CounselingBradenton and her FB is: Fullness of Life Counseling.

 If you would like to share your experiences with anxiety, feel free to email me at latinxtherapypodcast@gmail.com or find me on any social media site. Twitter, Facebook or Instagram @LatinxTherapy. If you’re interested in supporting the podcast, our Venmo is @LatinxTherapy. Any support is deeply appreciated.  

 Resources- For more info about anxiety, check these out:

Anxiety and Depression Association of Anxiety

Mental Health America 

Check out Pacifica, an app that helps reduce stress.