Silencing Shadows: Latina Adolescent Border Crossings, Citizenship Status, and Counseling Practices in Schools

• In Event: 41.028 - Contemporary Topics Facing School Counselors: Increasing Competencies for Working With Diverse Youth

Abstract

This qualitative study aims to challenge traditional conceptualizations of mental health in Latina adolescents through a critical Latina framework that acknowledges intersections of identity, gender, spirituality, ethnicity, etc., how these junctures broadly influence mental health and counseling practices in schools, and specifically how we perceive mental health and well-being within families, communities, and educational institutions. In particular, the project acknowledges the experiences of undocumented Latina adolescents and recognizes trauma as an ongoing experience that is constant and permeates all aspects of the undocumented girls’ lives. Finally, this paper reimagines counseling approaches in educational institutions that provide more equitable outcomes for Latina adolescents.

Author

• Alycia M. Elfreich, Indiana University - Indianapolis