Social Work Corner – Demystifying Therapy – May 2026

Mental Health Awareness: Demystifying Therapy

In observance of Mental Health Awareness Month, we uplift the lived experiences of unaccompanied youth and provide you with language and tools to demystify therapy in ways that are accessible, culturally responsive, and empowering for the diverse population of youth you serve. Unaccompanied youth carry beliefs about mental health that are influenced by their culture, community norms, or experiences with authority systems. This may include not being familiar with mental health as in many cultures it is taboo, a spiritual experience or test, or simply not prioritized due to other challenges present and the need to prioritize those. It’s important to acknowledge that stigma surrounding mental health can stem from misunderstanding, fear, or beliefs that seeking help is a sign of weakness, lack of faith, or being seen as less than.

Demystifying therapy for unaccompanied youth reframes therapy as a supportive relationship that meets the youth where they are in their mental health journey.

Tools to demystify therapy to offer support:

• Understand the youth’s culture and familial norms. Exercise cultural humility by learning about the youth’s culture, religious practices, their native language, and their understanding and beliefs regarding mental health, seeking help, and healing practices.
• Define therapy for what it is as well as what it is not. Use language and examples the youth will understand and can relate to. For example, having a coach and training in a sport. “In a sport like soccer, a coach is there to guide you and give you suggestions to improve your skills, form, strength, and help prepare you for a game. A therapist guides you as you are building your coping skills, decision-making abilities, and helps you prepare to handle challenges and stressors in your life. A therapist is not there to tell you what to do, judge you, or make you talk about things you do not want to talk about.”
• Reframe therapy as a supportive and collaborative space. Therapy may be perceived as an intimidating process. Explain how the role of a therapist is a partnership, where the youth’s voice, choices, and experiences guide the therapeutic process. The youth is the expert of their own life. The therapist works with the youth to help them process their feelings, lived experiences, and help the youth identify and work towards their goals. Reframe therapy as a conversation, where they can decide the pace and topics covered, and give the therapist feedback to what is helping them in their healing process and what is not. Therapy is collaborative. In a therapeutic relationship, the voice of the client is centered, heard, and respected.
• Explore stigma associated with mental health. Create space for open communication where the youth can express their views and feelings about mental health. It’s important to validate their feelings and experiences while gently explaining what therapy is and how it can help individuals process difficult emotions. For example, a youth statement like, “Talking to a therapist means something is wrong with me.” The advocate can reply, “It’s okay if talking to a therapist feels like something isn’t right, we can hold space for that feeling, while exploring what receiving support means to you. Noticing that something feels off in you and asking for help is a sign of courage and immense strength, not a weakness. It is similar to when you go to the doctor to make sure your physical health is well. Going to a therapist or counselor helps your emotional and mental health. Many people use therapy to stay strong and continue learning skills to manage challenges with support.”
• Mental health services go beyond talk therapy. Many youth are not comfortable talking about their experiences or emotions, and that is okay. They can still process their emotions through other interventions such as:
  • Somatic therapy - Focuses on the physical sensations from emotions.
  • Art therapy - Focuses on artistic expression.
  • Play therapy - Focuses on play to process emotions.
  • Dance Movement Therapy (DMT) - Uses movement to process emotions.
  • Eye-movement Desensitazation and Reprocessing (EMDR) to process trauma and release physical symptoms.
• Center choice and autonomy. Remind youth therapy is about them. They have control and can decide what they want to share, ask questions, give feedback, and they have the agency to receive therapy from a therapist they feel comfortable with.
• Normalize therapy as a tool to manage stress, process experiences, and build resilience. Explain to youth how therapy is not only for moments of crisis, where individuals have reached their boiling point, but how it is helpful before being in crisis mode to learn coping strategies to manage stress, process feelings and situations, and feel equipped to manage new challenges.
• Integrate cultural and community strengths. Share with the youth that in the therapeutic space they can feel free to share with their therapist their family values, community customs, spirituality, and anything else about their identity and experience they wish to talk about. Connect the youth to mental health professionals that understand their language and culture and have experience working with the immigrant community.
• Address practical and systemic barriers that impact unaccompanied youth’s ability to access therapy. Consider practical barriers such as transportation, scheduling appointments, if the youth prefers (virtual/telehealth or in person), and geographical limitations. Consider as well systemic barriers such as cost (availability of free, low-cost, or sliding- scale) options, language access, and the availability of culturally competent mental health services. When referring unaccompanied youth to mental health services it’s important to verify that referrals to mental health professionals are accessible, within the client’s financial means, linguistically appropriate, culturally affirming, and sustainable.

By CILA Social Work Team