WRITTEN BY SARAH RIVERA, LPC April is National Counseling Awareness Month and National Minority Health Month—a perfect time to remind ourselves that sometimes when culture and counseling cross it can be tough. But it’s also a time for us to talk about how counseling through a cultural lens can be helpful too, especially for people who often feel unseen, overlooked, or left out.
At La Luz Counseling, we know that minority communities have often grown up with certain expectations or beliefs. Many times, talking about emotions wasn’t normal—or it may have even been discouraged. Maybe you were told to keep things quiet or to deal with them behind closed doors.
In other situations, you may have been told to “just pray about it” or to leave it in God’s hands. While some of this advice may come from a place of love or faith, it can still feel lonely to handle everything on your own.
When Culture and Counseling Cross
In many families, counseling feels strange—or even wrong. Culturally, some people believe that asking for help means you’re weak or broken. But that’s not true.
If you are resistant to therapy, it often helps to consider how you were raised or what your culture is made up of. In many communities, strength is measured by how much you can carry silently. Sharing emotions may be seen as a burden to others, or even as a sign of failure. But that mindset often comes from generations who had to survive with limited resources, where staying quiet was a way to stay safe.
Still, hiding pain doesn’t make it go away—it only makes it harder to carry. Just because something is familiar, doesn’t mean it’s healthy. And just because something is cultural, doesn’t mean it can’t grow or change.
Faith and Counseling
We love that faith is important. At La Luz Counseling, we believe faith is a core part of daily life. Many of our clients lean on prayer and trust God when life gets hard. Prayer is powerful—but so is Jesus.
He works in many ways and through many people. He never meant for us to face life alone. He gave us community so that we can find encouragement and support from one another.
You can go to church and go to therapy. You can talk to God and still talk to a counselor. You can believe in Jesus and still believe in therapy too.
We believe—strongly—that faith, culture, and counseling matter, and they can come together in a way that brings deep healing and hope.
Why Culturally, Counseling Can be Hard
For many people—especially in minority communities—starting counseling can feel difficult. There are many reasons for this:
- Money – Therapy can feel too expensive, especially if you need to go regularly. We understand that. That’s why we offer reduced-rate sessions and can help connect you with local agencies that offer free or low-cost services.
- Access – Sometimes you just don’t know where to start. But when you ask, there are people ready to point you in the right direction.
- Trust – Let’s be honest: opening up to a total stranger is hard. But if you can trust the process and begin to trust the person, healing can begin. When trust is built and you stick with counseling, your progress becomes real and visible.
- Representation – It helps to see yourself in your therapist. No, your counselor doesn’t have to know exactly what it’s like to be you—but it can help if they understand or respect your cultural background. If race, culture, or ethnicity is important to you when choosing a therapist, that’s OK. You deserve to feel seen and heard.
You Are Allowed to Start Counseling
This month—and every month moving forward—let’s remind ourselves that when culture and counseling cross it can be a wonderful thing. They do belong in the same room.
You are allowed to ask for help.
You are allowed to get support.
You are allowed to begin your healing journey.
We’re here when you’re ready to start. Yes, your faith and culture matter, and so do you.
To read more about how mental health and cultural identity intersect, especially within the Latino community, check out our blog on Hispanic Heritage Month and Mental Health.
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