In many immigrant and first-generation families, the phrase “échale ganas” – roughly translated to “give it your all” – is handed down like an heirloom. It’s meant to motivate, to toughen you up in the face of adversity. But sometimes, as therapist Natalia V. Reyes, AMFT, explains, that same phrase becomes a barrier. “Many of my clients have been told to ‘échale ganas’ or pray it away – well-intentioned advice that can still feel dismissive,” she says.
Mental health awareness, especially in these communities, isn’t just important — it’s urgent.
“Raising awareness is a way to validate that emotional well-being matters just as much as physical health and that it’s okay to seek support,” Reyes says. In a social climate marked by anti-immigrant rhetoric, deportation fears, and economic instability, chronic stress becomes the norm. Mental health struggles, in this context, are not signs of weakness — they’re responses to lived reality.
But even when these struggles are deeply felt, they’re not always easily named. “In my sessions, I often see clients dealing with increased anxiety, depression, and deep grief, much of which stems from immigration trauma, racial stress, and economic hardship,” Reyes notes. For youth — particularly those navigating dual identities — the pressure can be compounded by identity confusion and the challenge of fitting in. These burdens are real, but they often go unspoken.
The Quiet Burden of Mental Health Stigma
Mental health stigma, or the judgment, shame, or silence that surrounds emotional suffering, can feel like a second wound. “Stigma communicates, ‘you shouldn’t feel this way’ or ‘keep that to yourself,’” Reyes says.
Often, this stigma is rooted in values like aguantarse, the cultural expectation to endure without complaint. In immigrant families, survival was the priority, not therapy. Emotional pain, if acknowledged at all, was to be handled quietly. “For first-generation children, voicing emotional pain can feel like betraying that sacrifice,” Reyes explains. “So we learn to be strong, grateful, and silent, even if we’re hurting.”
Over time, this silence hardens into isolation. “I see it in their bodies through tension, exhaustion, and disconnection,” she says. “Stigma isolates people from their communities and from themselves. It limits their ability to thrive, to build meaningful relationships, and to show up fully in their families and roles.”
And while some clients Reyes sees have waited years to seek help, others hide their therapy out of fear of being seen as unstable or “too sensitive.” Even among children, Reyes notes, the belief persists that young people can’t struggle in serious ways – a misconception that only deepens their sense of being unseen.
How Psychoeducation Helps Us Heal
To counteract stigma, Reyes emphasizes the importance of psychoeducation: teaching people what mental health is (and isn’t), how it works, and how it affects the brain and body. “When people understand the brain-body connection and that conditions like anxiety or PTSD have names and treatments, stigma begins to break down.”
Psychoeducation makes the invisible visible. When families learn about the impact of migration stress on the nervous system, or how grief can be stored in the body, their mindset begins to shift. “Education helps connect the dots between trauma and behavior, between culture and coping, and allows us to replace blame with curiosity and judgment with care.”
There are specific truths Reyes believes communities need to hear:
- Mental health conditions are common and treatable.
- Therapy isn’t just for crises; it’s a tool for growth.
- Children and teens can experience depression, anxiety, and trauma.
- Vulnerability isn’t failure. It’s strength.
- Healing is possible, and it doesn’t mean leaving your culture behind.
Importantly, psychoeducation also shows people what to look for. Mental health struggles don’t always look like sobbing or shouting. “You might notice withdrawal, irritability, emotional numbness, or outbursts,” Reyes explains. In kids, it may look like perfectionism or disinterest in things they once loved. “Sometimes, it’s not loud, it’s the quiet disconnection that speaks the loudest.”
From Silence to Connection
In her sessions, Reyes sees what stigma looks like behind closed doors: people battling anxiety, depression, and deep grief, often in silence. “Especially among Spanish-speaking clients who live in constant fear of deportation, family separation, and limited access to care,” she notes.
But she also sees what happens when that silence is broken. “When clients hear me say, ‘You’re not broken, this makes sense given what you’ve lived through,’ something softens,” she says. “They don’t have to carry everything alone.”
Awareness isn’t just a campaign, it’s a lifeline. It offers people the chance to move out of survival mode, and into lives where joy, rest, and connection are possible.
Healing Through Story
One of the most powerful tools for shifting stigma is storytelling. “When someone says, ‘This is what I’ve lived through, and this is how I’m healing,’ it breaks through stigma and silence,” Reyes explains. “In our communities, where mental health is often taboo, our stories become medicine.”
She believes this is especially true when stories are told in culturally relevant ways: in people’s native languages, with respect for spiritual and communal values. “Hearing, ‘I went to therapy, and it helped,’ especially in our native language, creates cultural relevance and permits others to seek help too.”
Stories open hearts. They normalize the experience of struggle. They remind us that healing isn’t just a luxury, it’s a right.
Why Community Matters in Mental Health
Schools, churches, workplaces, and local leaders all have a role to play in dismantling stigma. Reyes suggests:
- Hosting bilingual workshops
- Hiring therapists who reflect the community
- Normalizing therapy in workplace and school environments
- Creating wellness spaces with culturally relevant support
Statewide efforts like Each Mind Matters, Know the Signs, and SanaMente in California have shown that public education, media, and policy can work together to reduce stigma and increase access to care.
But change doesn’t only come from institutions. It also comes from community spaces — support groups for moms, youth, or those grieving migration-related loss. “These groups remind us that healing doesn’t have to happen alone,” Reyes says. “It’s okay to be messy, human, and supported.”
What We Can Each Do to Reduce Stigma
Reducing stigma doesn’t require a psychology degree — just intention and care. According to Reyes, we can start with:
- Using empathetic, nonjudgmental language
- Normalizing phrases like “I’m working on my mental health”
- Listening without rushing to offer solutions
- Sharing our own stories, if it feels safe
In schools, this might look like integrating emotional literacy and conflict resolution into the curriculum. In workplaces, it could mean offering mental health days, multilingual resources, or guest speakers who reflect the community.
Above all, building trust matters. “Building trust through consistency, cultural humility, and confidentiality helps create genuine safety and belonging,” Reyes says.
Supporting Each Other
When someone we love is struggling, we don’t need the perfect words. We just need to show up.
“Check in with a text, offer to sit with them, or even drive them to a session,” Reyes advises. “Sometimes just saying, ‘I’m here with you, you don’t have to do this alone,’ is enough to ease the fear of reaching out.”
That kind of care – consistent, gentle, human – can be the bridge between silence and healing.
Mental health awareness isn’t just about statistics or diagnoses. It’s about reclaiming what stigma stole: our right to feel, to rest, to ask for help, and to heal out loud.
As Reyes reminds us: “Healing is possible, and no one has to suffer in silence.”
Let’s Shift the Conversation Together
At Blue Humming Therapy, we believe that healing begins with understanding — and that change starts when communities come together to talk openly about mental health. If you’re part of a school, nonprofit, company, or community group ready to reduce stigma and foster emotional well-being, our psychoeducational services can help you start those conversations with care and cultural relevance.
From workshops and training sessions, to healing-centered education tailored for your team, and how we can partner with your organization to create safer, more supportive spaces for everyone.
Let’s build a future where no one has to heal in silence.