We Asked Latina Therapists How We Can Take Care of Our Mental Health Amid ICE Arrests. Here’s What They Said.

Support for Austin Vida’s mental health coverage is made possible by the Ortiz Therapy Group.

The last few weeks (okay, months) have been heavy. Pero bien pesado para nuestra gente, no? We have felt the heaviness in our hearts as ICE activity ramps up. We asked ourselves as a digital Latine and solutions-based publication, “Que podemos hacer?” 

We reached out to local therapists to provide us with some coping strategies. It’s tough out there, and we may not know how to take care of one another, much less ourselves. 

We spoke to Felicia Segura of Roots of Healing Therapy, Paola Ortiz of Ortiz Therapy Group, Natalia Alas Duran at Sin Miedo Counseling, and Zarina Moreno with Inner Mente Counseling. Here’s what they shared. 

Edited for brevity and clarity. 

Q: What are some ways we can stay informed but not overwhelmed?

A: Felicia: It can be helpful to seek out reliable news sources. Consider reading transcripts of videos/interviews instead of viewing images that may trigger our trauma response. There is no sure fire way to guarantee you won’t feel activated or overwhelmed, but this could be a better option.

Paola: Define what it means to stay informed first, and then use that as a way to filter what you are absorbing via social media, the news, and others in general.

Zarina: I think it’s important to be in tune with our bodies and what we’re noticing is coming up as we’re consuming the media that’s out there. If we sense any type of dysregulation or general sense of “this isn’t making me feel good,” then that’s a good sign to step away and take a break from it. Going outside, staying grounded, taking deep breaths, and connecting with your community are all useful ways to be in tune both with what’s going on in the world and with your body.

Q: Do you recommend we shorten our social media use? What’s a “healthy” time limit (if you think there is one)?

A: Felicia: It can be helpful to limit our social media use if we have the privilege of doing so. I recognize that some of our gente cannot do this as they need to stay plugged in to stay informed. I cannot say there is a certain time limit to call “healthy,” however, it is important to be mindful about the content you are consuming. Social media is easy to consume and is at our literal fingertips, which allows us to go down “rabbit holes” and “doom scroll” without noticing the passage of time. It could be wise to consider unplugging, going outside into nature, reading a book, calling someone in your support community or journaling as alternative options for social media consumption. 

Paola: I know shortening the amount of time can be hard, so maybe consider muting some of the accounts that cause more stress, fear, and overwhelm. Or maybe follow more accounts that provide helpful, fun, or regulating content. 

Natalia: If you are noticing that you are feeling more anxious spending time on social media, it can be helpful to shorten social media use. I usually advise that if you find yourself using social media for over an hour and you notice that you are feeling on edge, stressed, or anxious, taking breaks from it or limiting it to one to two hours a day could help so you have some mental respite. Having some structure to the time you are spending on social media can help so that time blindness doesn’t happen as often and we get caught in a loop of anxiety and stress.

Zarina: I think sometimes we feel called to be on social media all the time to keep up with what’s happening and then feel guilty if we choose to shorten or curate the time we’re on there. A “healthy” limit is essentially designated by the person because they know themselves best. If listening to a short podcast that provides an overview of the news to stay current is enough for you, then that’s good. But if you feel that you’re on your phone for hours and constantly attuned to what’s happening, then chances are you’re already disconnecting with the outside world and are constantly consuming a lot of social media that’s negatively impacting you. Ultimately, you decide what a healthy limit for time looks like but being honest and aware of what’s most useful for you at this time and creating self care practices around it will be good too.

Q: What are some coping mechanisms for when we are in stressful situations? 

Felicia: One of my favorite ways to deal with stressful situations is to breathe. I tell my clients all of the time that it seems like such a simple thing, and it is! It can be useful though as stress can trigger our “fight/flight/freeze” response. Taking slow deep breaths can help engage our parasympathetic system which helps regulate our bodily functions and is responsible for “rest and digest.” Breathing is something we are already doing, it’s free and it’s discreet. 

Paola: In addition to therapy, seeking out a community that feels safe. Places where we feel like we can be our authentic selves, or finding activities that help us regulate (intense workout classes, or restorative yoga). Being in nature in general is a very helpful way to ground ourselves.

Natalia: With everything going on right now, we can feel very helpless and powerless, so coping skills that I usually suggest are to see if there are ways that you can feel helpful or find ways to get your power back. It doesn’t have to be on a grand scale – even just checking in with a friend, creating art, listening to songs that remind you of the resilience of your community, or spreading awareness about issues that matter to you can be things that give us a sense of our power back. 

Zarina: Some useful coping mechanisms are deep breathing exercises like square breathing or tracing your index finger along your hands/fingers and inhaling/exhaling as your trace your fingers. Try grounding techniques such as splashing your face with water, the 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, technique involving all of your senses, literally putting your bare feet on the ground, being around others who support you, making space for any emotions or feelings that are coming up and honoring them and what you’re needing instead of ignoring them, going on mindful walks, eating nourishing foods, and snuggling with your furry pets, if you have any.

Q: Anything else you’d like to add?

Felicia: Please do not wait to seek support for all that is happening with ICE and protests. You do not have to be in crisis or get to the point of being overwhelmed to seek out therapy services. Therapy can help you learn coping skills to manage stress and emotions. The fight against injustice will not be quick or easy and therapy as self-care can help make it sustainable for you. 

Paola: We can resist and join the fight, as long as we check in with ourselves to make sure we have the mental, emotional, and physical bandwidth. Do what you can to find joy in small moments with friends, family and pets. Whether it’s in the comfort of our own home or in nature, we must rest to keep going. 

Natalia: Remind yourself that this is a marathon, not a race. What’s happening to our immigrant community can bring up a lot of stress, helplessness, and trauma so it is important to rely on each other and take care of each other. Unfortunately, this is not the first time our Latine community has experienced things like this – but, what that also means is that we have overcome and survived things like this before. Because of that, it can be helpful to turn to sources and stories of intergenerational wisdom by looking into how our ancestors and elders have navigated these situations in the past and there you might find pieces of resilience that we can learn from to figure out how to navigate what’s going on now. 

Zarina: Things are really hard right now, which can bring upon a sense of hopelessness, and despair. It’s important to rely on our community now, more than ever. This is a collective trauma that we’re experiencing, and especially in the Latino culture, where we’re so connected to our roots and ancestors, the generational trauma that’s passed down upon generations, can get stirred up as well. It’s okay to step back, take breaks, and take care of yourself to continue showing up and making this sustainable. Tune into the ancestral resilience that is also being passed down by our ancestors and generations before us. We are not alone!

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A message from our Mental Health sponsor:

At Ortiz Therapy Group, we’re passionate about people sharing their stories and acknowledge the privilege it is when they’re shared with us.
En Ortiz Therapy Group, nos apasiona que las personas compartan sus historias y reconocemos el privilegio que es cuando las comparten con nosotros.