The dire need for more access to mental health care continues to grow across the state, especially in Latinx communities. According to AM Counseling and Consulting, approximately 7% of graduates in the mental health field speak Spanish, but the Latino community continues to grow and demand for bilingual services is also increasing. “There is a real lack of bilingual services for community members,” said Laura Sanchez, founder and CEO of AM Counseling and Consulting. “And the Latinx community is really underserved, especially in the behavioral health field.” Sanchez said that due to a lack of bilingual services and widespread stigma, her group He said his therapy practice is working to change that. “There's still a lot of stigma surrounding therapy, especially in the Latinx community,” Laura said. “We have 20 therapists, 15 of whom are bilingual in Spanish. We work with those 20 therapists and two student interns.” Mental health is especially important in the Latinx community. It's really important because I feel like it's something that doesn't get talked about a lot. For me to be able to represent the community,” said Daisy Sanchez, intern at AM Counseling & Consulting. Monica Godinez, another intern, said it's exciting to work and study in a workplace that represents multiple cultures. I haven't seen that much, and it's so incredible that I would want to be in a space where literally almost every therapist is a person of color,” Godinez said. And it highlights the importance of representation among service providers. “There's something very powerful about seeing someone who looks like you and understands the issues you've had before,” Daisy said. Laura said AM's internship program not only helps students further their education, but also helps local communities in need. ” provides free or very low-cost services to the most underserved members of our community, those who need accessible language but don't have insurance or the resources to pay out of pocket. ” Laura said. And Laura said most people are surprised to even learn that bilingual services are an option. “The big theme is, wow, I didn't know this was this big, I didn't know there were so many people here,” Laura said. Both interns plan to continue their careers as bilingual mental health therapists after graduation, she said. “Just as we take care of our physical health, we must take care of our mental health,” Godinez said. AM Counseling and Consulting said they hope other medical institutions will follow their lead and encourage more bilingual therapists to come to Nebraska. ATTENTION: If you or someone you know is experiencing hardship or crisis, please call or text her mental health hotline at 988. Click here for the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7.
The dire need for more access to mental health care continues to grow across the state, especially in Latinx communities.
According to AM Counseling and Consulting, approximately 7% of graduates in the mental health field speak Spanish, but the Latino community continues to grow and demand for bilingual services is also increasing.
“There is a real lack of bilingual services for community members,” said Laura Sanchez, founder and CEO of AM Counseling and Consulting. She added, “And the Latinx community is underserved, especially in the area of behavioral health.”
Sanchez said there is a lack of bilingual services and widespread public stigma, and her group therapy practice is working to change that.
“There's still a lot of stigma surrounding therapy, especially in the Latinx community,” Laura said. “We have 20 therapists, 15 of whom are bilingual in Spanish.”
We work with 20 therapists and 2 student interns.
“I feel like mental health is not talked about a lot, especially in the Latinx community, so being able to represent the community is really important to me,” said Daisy Sanchez, intern at AM Counseling & Consulting. Ta.
Monica Godinez, another intern, said it was inspiring to work and study in a place that represented multiple cultures.
“Growing up, I didn't see a lot of that, so I love being in a space where literally almost all the therapists are people of color, which is pretty incredible,” Godinez said. Ta.
and emphasizes the importance of representation in service providers.
“There's something very powerful about seeing someone who looks like you and understands the issues you went through,” Daisy said.
Laura said AM’s internship program not only helps students further their education, but also helps communities in need.
“These students provide free or very low-cost services to the most underserved members of our community – people who need accessible language but don’t have the insurance or the financial resources to pay. You can. I took it out of my pocket,” Laura said.
And Laura said most people are surprised to learn that bilingual services are an option.
“The overarching theme is, wow, I didn't realize this place was this big, that there were so many people here,” Laura said.
Both interns said they plan to continue their careers as bilingual mental health therapists after graduation.
“Just as we take care of our physical health, we have to take care of our mental health,” Godinez says.
AM Counseling & Consulting said it hopes other clinics will follow suit and encourage more bilingual therapists to come to Nebraska.
ATTENTION: If you or someone you know is experiencing hardship or crisis, please call or text the Mental Health Hotline at 988.
Click here for the latest headlines on KETV NewsWatch 7
