Forging Caminos

Maciel Campos, PsyD, is the program director for the New York City Health and Hospitals Kings County Behavioral Health Child and Adolescent Outpatient Psychiatry Department in Brooklyn, NY. She holds a voluntary clinical assistant professor appointment at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. She earned her doctoral degree at the Adler University in Chicago, IL. She completed a clinical predoctoral internship at the Columbia University Medical Center, where she continued to work as a licensed psychologist and program director. Dr. Campos is a bilingual English-Spanish speaking psychologist who accompanies bilingual English-Spanish speaking Latinx families living in the United States.Yessenia Mejia, PsyD, is a bilingual-bicultural clinical assistant professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at New York University's Grossman School of Medicine and program manager at the Family Health Centers of NYU Langone in Sunset Park, Brooklyn. Dr. Mejia received her doctorate from the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology at Yeshiva University in New York. She was formerly a staff psychologist at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and a postdoctoral fellow at CUIMC. Dr. Mejia also serves as a cochair for the National Latinx Psychological Association’s Bilingual Issues in Latinx Mental Health Special Interest Group.Andrés Consoli, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) and a licensed psychologist in California. Dr. Consoli was professor and associate chair of the Department of Counseling at San Francisco State University. He was raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he received a licenciatura degree in clinical psychology at the Universidad de Belgrano. He earned a masters and doctorate in counseling psychology at UCSB and received postdoctoral training in behavioral medicine in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University's School of Medicine.

• ContributorsForewordsForeword: Compromisos and Visibility—Jessica GomezForeword: ¡Date Puesto!—Melanie M. Domenech Rodríguez¡Bienvenide! An Introduction to Forging CaminosMaciel Campos, Yessenia Mejia, and Andrés J. Consoli1. Ha Llegado el Momento: The Intentional Becoming of a Bilingual Mental Health Professional in the United StatesMaciel Campos, Yessenia Mejia, and Andrés J. Consoli2. Sueños y Logros: Maximizing the College Experience and Applying to Graduate School as Aspiring Bilingual Mental Health Scientists–PractitionersJeanett Castellanos, Veronica Franco, Karen E. Godinez Gonzalez, and Erick Felix3. ¡Sí Se Pudo! Now What? Starting Graduate School as a Bilingual StudentCristalís Capielo Rosario, Génesis Ramos Rosado, and Candice N. Hargons4. Construyendo a Decolonial Latinx Mental Health With Black and Indigenous Latinxs at the CenterHector Y. Adames and Nayeli Y. Chavez-Dueñas5. El Entrenamiento: Training Necessities and Opportunities to Advance Bilingual Mental Health CompetenciesAndrés J. Consoli, Yvette Ramírez-Gutiérrez, Maira Anaya-López, Isabel López, and Evelyn A. Melendez6. Enséñame a Volar: Supervisión y Mentoría of Bilingual TraineesJacqueline Fuentes, Eckart Werther, Charmaine Mora-Ozuna, Geysa Flores, and Edward A. Delgado-Romero7. La Investigación: Conducting and Publishing Bilingual ResearchYesenia Uribe, Alberta M. Gloria, and Jeanett Castellanos8. Advanced Caminos: Navegando Internship and Postdoctoral Programs as a Bilingual TraineeMaciel Campos and Yessenia Mejia9. Deciding Your Camino in Bilingual Mental HealthJasmine A. Mena and Grevelin Ulerio10. El Camino Clínico: Cultivating Your Clinical and Cultural IdentityKimberly Alba and Jorge Cienfuegos Szalay11. El Camino Académico: Bilingual Professional Identity in AcademiaVanesa Mora Ringle and Raquel Sosa12. ¡Ya Pues! Intentional, Comprehensive Bilingual Mental Health Training NowMaciel Campos, Yessenia Mejia, and Andrés J. ConsoliIndexAbout the Editors

“An essential resource that serves as both a guide and a map—offering clear direction, practical wisdom, and profound insight for Latinxs seeking to forge a path as a bilingual mental health professional, researcher, or educator. Drawing deeply from their own lived experiences, the contributors illuminate the journey with compassion and clarity, making the road ahead both accessible and inspiring. Este libro es clave para la formación bilingüe en salud mental.” - Dr. Carlos P. Zalaquett, PhD, MA, Lic., LMHC, Professor—Catedrático, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States ”A timely and comprehensive resource authored by leading experts in the field! This book is essential reading for anyone working with bilingual Latine students, patients, and families. An invaluable guide for trainers, supervisors, and practitioners committed to culturally responsive care.” - Milton A. Fuentes, PsyD, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, United States ”The authors offer a thoughtful developmental approach to becoming a bilingual mental health professional, from one’s undergraduate experiences to those of postgraduate status. Individuals’ personal language, bilingual competency, and cultural heritage are described as assets for engaging in bilingual mental health interventions. Dichos and other cultural resources are shared to enrich one’s bilingual mental health practice.” - Dr. Patricia Arredondo, EdD, President, Arredondo Advisory Group; Faculty, Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA, United States; and Founding President of the National Latinx Psychological Association ”Finally! This much-needed guidebook is useful for bilingual Latine students pursuing careers in mental health, but also essential for the faculty, families, and institutions that support them. Chapters thoughtfully trace developmental milestones of bilingual students and early career professionals, all the while celebrating the richness of Latine language, culture, and identity. With practical advice and honest reflections, the authors, all experts in Latine psychology, affirm the experiences of those too often left out of dominant narratives.” - Ana J. Bridges, PhD, Distinguished Professor and Director of Clinical Training, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, United States; and Past President of the National Latinx Psychological Association ”In Forging Caminos, Doctores Campos Mejia y Consoli offer a deeply insightful and timely guide for mental health professionals seeking to expand their practice across linguistic and cultural lines. With clarity, compassion, and hard-earned experience, they illuminate the unique challenges—and profound rewards of working bilingually in research, training, and the clinical setting. As a friend and fellow advocate for equitable mental health care, I’ve witnessed their dedication to building authentic, culturally attuned therapeutic relationships. This book is more than a manual—it’s a call to action for clinicians to embrace language as both a tool and a bridge to underserved communities. Whether you’re just beginning your journey or are a seasoned clinician looking to grow, Forging Caminos is an essential companion. It will inspire you, challenge you, and remind you why this work matters.” - Alexandra Canetti, MD, Program Medical Director of the Special Need Clinic, Cochair of the Diversity and Inclusion Alliance, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, United States“As a graduate student, I struggled to find training, education, and supervision experiences to hone my Spanish language skills as a budding bilingual clinician. This is the book I wish I had! It is a comprehensive guide for mental health professionals at all stages of training or anywhere in their career journey. The book is full of reflections, advice, and concrete steps people can take to forge their unique bilingual and/or bicultural professional identity.” - Timothy Stahl, PhD, Licensed Clinical Psychologist