Why does a Latinx Individual Need Coaching?
In the Latinx community, secrecy, fear and shame around traumatic experiences can be taught, creating an expectation of silence. A culture of mistrust towards mental health professionals also creates a stigma that makes the breaking silence and expectations much harder, causing the community to pass down traumas for generations to come. Traumas can include: physical and sexual abuse, community violence, racisms and discrimination, and ineffective emotional regulation.
Childhood trauma is not specific to any ethnic group or race. Still, we must recognize the impact that culture has on children who have experienced trauma in their lives because risk factors, symptomology, and overall experiences can vary. It is critical to incorporate cultural sensitivity when discussing childhood trauma within the Latino/a community.
Childhood trauma is not specific to any ethnic group or race. Still, we must recognize the impact that culture has on children who have experienced trauma in their lives because risk factors, symptomology, and overall experiences can vary. It is critical to incorporate cultural sensitivity when discussing childhood trauma within the Latino/a community.
Evelyn Patino |
My name is Evelyn and I was born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New York City. My upbringing in the city’s diverse neighborhoods instilled a deep appreciation for empathy and understanding for the adverse experiences that come with living in a minority community. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, and completed two minors in law and psychology. Through my master’s program in Clinical Mental Health that specialized in Forensic Counseling, I developed a passion for gaining a deeper understanding of the long-term impact that complex and chronic trauma has on the Latinx community.
Since 2020, I have been dedicated to helping clients navigate and overcome trauma. My experience spans a variety of settings including working with at-risk youth and their families in both individual and group therapy settings as well as providing in-home and school-based therapy. By working in these various settings, I identify large gaps in the current systems that inhibit individuals from long-term sustainable growth. It was through these settings that I decided to branch out into Trauma Recovery Coaching to provide a more well-rounded and effective approach where I strive to meet the distinctive needs of my clients within this specialized community. The Latinx community faces distinct challenges and experiences that shape the way trauma is felt and healed. With trauma affecting everyone differently, many Latinx individuals often share common traumatic experiences such as: acculturation stress, discrimination and racism, intergenerational trauma, domestic and community violence, family separation, and workplace exploitation. I recognize there is an intricate and complicated relationship between the Latin community and mental health by providing services in Spanish, offering cultural insight and sensitivity, as well as offering a set of skills that can be instrumental in addressing trauma recovery within the Latinx community.
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