How to Find a Culturally Competent Therapist if You're Latino

You’re not asking for too much if you want a therapist who can help you process how your cultural identity interacts with your beliefs and behaviors. In a therapeutic relationship, wanting to feel fully seen, heard, witnessed, and supported is normal. These are probably some of the biggest reasons you’re motivated to start therapy in the first place. As you search for a new therapist, remind yourself that you should never have to leave your cultural identity on the other side of your therapist’s door.

Therapists who can help you safely and comfortably bring your lived cultural experience into your sessions are referred to by a number of terms including: culturally competent, culturally sensitive, culturally humble, and culturally affirming. But what exactly makes a therapist fall into this category? And how do you ensure that’s who you’re sitting across during your next therapy session? Let’s get into it.

What is culturally competent therapy and why does it matter for Latinos?

“The way that our culture shows up in our experiences and interactions — and how the world responds to our cultural influences — runs deep and is highly nuanced,” explains Heather Montemarano, LCAT, LPAT, ATR-BC. “For example, someone may be struggling with anxiety or imposter syndrome, and if we look at that through just the lens of the individual, the interventions may look quite different than if we are considering the social, cultural, and historical context of how these feelings may have been passed down intergenerationally from the family unit and/or broader social dynamics.”

You can also trust that a clinician who understands Latino culture will not pathologize culture-bound syndromes, such as ataque de nervios, or spiritual norms, like talking to ancestors. They might also have an understanding of colorism and, depending on your experience, complexities associated with immigration and documentation status.

What does it mean for a therapist to be culturally humble or culturally affirming?

Culturally competent may sound similar to culturally humble and culturally affirming, but the latter two terms are growing in popularity, and for good reason. The terms “affirming” and “humble” acknowledge the fact that no one can really be competent in something as nuanced and ever-changing as cultural experience.

“Definitions of cultural competency have evolved over time, but in healthcare, they generally have to do with being attuned to and informed about a client’s sociocultural background,” explains Montemarano. “Concepts such as ‘cultural humility’ are perhaps the new and evolved direction to look toward, because they encourage providers to adopt more of a lifelong learner role, and to simultaneously examine their own backgrounds and beliefs, and how those may intersect with the clients they serve.”

In practice, a culturally humble or affirming therapist understands that each human is a compilation of many different identities and lived experiences. They also recognize that Latino people are not a monolith. Each Latin American community — and family — has different cultures, different norms, and different politics, which translate into very different lived experiences.

Rather than assume anything about you based on your background, a culturally humble therapist will also lead with curiosity and won’t hesitate to ask you questions or do additional research to deepen their understanding.

How do I find a culturally competent / affirming therapist?

One of the advantages of using Alma to find the right therapist for you is that you can search for a therapist who shares specific aspects of your identity, including your cultural background.

“Whichever shared traits are important to you, it can be a powerful thing to feel safe enough from the get-go — rather than have your guard up, which can inhibit you from showing up more fully to your sessions.” says Montemarano

That said, a therapist doesn’t have to share your cultural background to be culturally affirming. To find out if a therapist who you are interested in working with is culturally affirming, it’s best to ask direct questions during your initial consultation.

While talking about cultural affirmation with a therapist, take note of how you’re feeling. “If you start to observe, or your nervous system starts to tell you, that your lived experience isn’t being validated by this therapist, that may be a sign that this therapist still has some work to do, or that they may not be the best fit,” says Montemarano. “Remember that you are making a choice and have the right to move accordingly.”

According to Montemarano, other red flags you want to look out for include:

• If the therapist starts framing it like a systemic or lived experience issue is solely due to your own pattern of thinking rather than also taking into account the ways society or your family’s culture have shaped you.
• If the therapist is being dismissive around certain culturally relevant topics.
• If the therapist seems to be perpetuating a narrative about your culture that you know not to be true.

Don’t be discouraged if the first therapist you meet with doesn’t feel like an ideal match. This is what consultations are for. Trust that the work you put into finding a therapist who aligns with your needs will be worth the effort.

How do I start talking more about my culture with an existing therapist? And what if they don’t get it?

As you grow and live through new experiences, certain aspects of your identity may surface or become meaningful in new ways. For instance, you may have never brought up being Latino in therapy before, but now, for one or many reasons, it might feel timely and necessary.

If this is happening for you, Montemarano encourages you to act on this feeling by bringing it up in your next session. You can then start to gauge your therapist's cultural competence by how they respond.

Ask yourself questions like, “Is my therapist comfortable talking about this part of my identity? Do I need someone who is more comfortable with it than they are?” If your gut is telling you yes and no, respectively, you may be in perfectly good hands.

If negative or uncomfortable issues arise as you explore this aspect of your identity in therapy, Montemarano has suggestions about what to do — and pay attention to — next:

• Start with voicing your concerns about what happened with the therapist and how they made you feel.
• Can they own that they didn’t see the full picture?
• Do they respond with positive and reparative energy?
• Do you feel that this is something that can be safely and comfortably worked through?

“If you feel unsafe in the space or like you are having to carry the weight of your therapist’s ‘stuff,’ it might be time to seek a new provider,” says Montemarano.

We know that’s easier said than done. But whether you’re already in therapy or looking for a new therapist, your expectations aren’t too high in wanting to work with someone who listens, validates, and helps you navigate through every aspect of your identity that feels relevant to you right now.