By Suzanne Potter, Producer
Therapists are stepping up to help undocumented students deal with the pervasive fear created by the Trump administration’s ongoing ICE raids.
The group Immigrants Rising offers free online counseling to undocumented students in California, ages 18 to 45.
Mayra Barragan-O’Brien is a licensed marriage and family therapist, and the mental health senior manager with the nonprofit Immigrants Rising.
“They struggle with the fear of family separation, with anxiety, financial struggles, relationship struggles, discrimination,” said Barragan-O’Brien. “And so these mental health providers help them find ways to cope with those stressors.”
The program started during the first Trump administration and has provided about 24,000 hours of therapy to almost 800 undocumented immigrant students to date.
People can learn more online at ImmigrantsRising.org/mental-health-connector. The deadline to apply is August 11.
Barragan-O’Brien said all counselors are licensed therapists who have lived experience or work with the undocumented community.
“They will be connected with a therapist who understands their experience,” said Barragan-O’Brien, “who will not judge, who will meet them where they are, who are culturally sensitive.”
Most of the therapy is conducted in English, but some therapists also speak Spanish, Mandarin, or Tagalog.
Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.
