By Christina Fernández-Morrow
Working in the schools was more than eye-opening for Antonia Valadez, it was life altering. It was through her work with families that she saw how many challenges they face when seeking culturally competent mental health resources. So, she decided to be part of the solution. As a single mom raising three active boys, she went back to school and got a degree in social work and became one of the few bilingual and bicultural licensed mental health therapists in Iowa. Valadez specifically built her practice to serve her community – a population that often avoids therapy due to cultural stigma and limited access to culturally competent care. “The misconceptions about mental health treatment in our community are costing us our wellbeing,” says Valadez, who wants to dismantle the persistent myths that keep Latinos from seeking help when they need it most.
Valadez focuses on trauma, a term that is often used but not as widely understood. “Trauma is not just a single incident like a car crash, murder, or violence. It can be from everyday occurrences that cause harm,” she explains. “It could come from comments, behaviors, any number of things and the effects may not be obvious.” Valadez recognizes how trauma is passed down through generations, with family members experiencing behaviors and coping mechanisms that manifest in anxiety, depression, or difficulty with relationships.
The issue that took her from community school coordinator to her own practice in 2020 was domestic violence. “People who haven’t experienced it often say, ‘just leave,’ but there are so many layers: financial, emotional, and safety,” she shares. This taught her an important lesson she refers to regularly across all clients: tools only work when clients are ready to use them.
Healing begins only if a person is ready to make changes, which can be difficult and takes time. “That’s why I’m drawn to trauma, to help people break cycles and to help people gain insight on why change is needed,” she reflects.
When asked about some of the myths that get in the way of Latinos going to therapy, she shares this advice:
- Therapy is not a therapist telling you what to do. It’s about having the information to understand what is happening and how that impacts your behavior. “You have a choice in your therapy. If you don’t want to do something, I’ll say, ‘OK, we can circle back to it later’ because the client sets the pace.”
- It is not a gossip session or verbal dump. Valadez challenges her clients to think about what they want, not just be a place to vent their anger or frustration. “If all you do is come to complain, you’re not going to get anywhere. It’s most helpful when we work towards structured goals.”
- There is no shame in going to therapy. “Even therapists have therapists!” stresses Valadez. She insists that therapists are not judging you for what you tell them. They are thinking of the root cause of your actions and reactions, and how to use that understanding to help move you closer to your goals.
- Everything is confidential. Valadez understands that the Latino community is close knit. That’s why she affirms that nothing goes beyond the session. “We’re not going to tell anyone what we talk about, and we’re not going to have a session in aisle five if I see you in the grocery store.”
- There are different types of therapy to address different concerns. For example, Valadez is training on brain-spotting, a form of therapy that uses music or tones that activate both hemispheres of the brain with little to no talking. It focuses on physical responses and the mind-body connection.
When asked about what is needed most when it comes to mental health resources in her community, Valadez is hopeful that more Latinos will go into the mental health field. “It’s slowing increasing,” she admits. “But we need more.” She encourages families to talk openly about therapy the same way they talk about other ways to manage their health so that they break down the stigma. Ultimately, she wants therapy to be seen as a partnership working together to understand the core of a person so they can become their best selves. For this dedicated therapist, she is excited that her journey is helping her community in ways that haven’t always been easy to find.
You can find therapists using online directories like Psychology Today, Zocdoc, or GoodTherapy.org, or ask your doctor or friends and family for referrals.
Additional Mental Health Resources:
- Iowa Warm Line (for non-crisis support): 1-844-775-9276
- Mental Health America (has Spanish support): mhanational.org – Resources tab
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
- Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
- NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): nami.org
- The Trevor Project (LGBTQIA+ support): 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678 – thetrevorproject.org