Psychotherapy with Latino Children: Some Issues and Concerns

Abstract

Latinos constitute the largest minority in the United States. While the term could refer to all individuals born or whose families come from countries in which languages derived from Latin are predominant, the term has come to primarily refer to those who were born or come from families born in countries in the Western Hemisphere where Spanish is the predominant language. Latinos face discrimination in the health-care system of the United States, even if born in this country, which is negatively affecting the mental health of both adults and children. There is an ever-increasing influx of families and children in the United States coming from countries in Latin America where they have experienced various forms of violence as well as violations of human rights and have arrived an undocumented status. As a result, many Latino families fear the potential detainment and deportation of family members, including the parents of children born in the United States, creating a source of anxiety and stress for the children. In addition to this, the process of forcibly having to abandon their country of origin within the context of what has been referred to as force migration is, in and of itself, a potentially traumatic event. Providers of psychotherapy for Latino children need to become more aware of these circumstances and take them into account during the treatment of these children in order to be more effective in their interventions.