Trauma-Informed Bilingual Counselor Education: Factors to Guide Professional Mental Health Training with Spanish-Speaking Students

Authors

Fernando Estrada, Loyola Marymount UniversityFollow
Miguel A. Arana, UC Santa BarbaraFollow

Document Type

Article

Keywords

bilingual counselor, trauma-informed therapy, Spanish-speaking clients, Latinx immigrants, PTSD

Subject Area

Counselor Education

Abstract

Latine immigrants confront various forms of violence that increases their risk for traumatic stress and post-traumatic stress disorder. There is a need to advance the training of counselors who can work with Spanish-speaking clients exposed to trauma. The goal of this study was to articulate a literature-based conceptualization of trauma-informed bilingual counselor education. The results of a content analysis facilitated a synthesis of the relevant scholarship that highlighted four main facets: (i) integrative translanguage pedagogy, (ii) immigrant trauma exposure and reaction, (iii) culturally responsive socio-emotional interventions, and (iv) bilingual supervisory alliance. These factors can help guide professional graduate training. Implications are discussed related to curricular content, linguistic proficiency, and clinical supervision. Limitations and future scholarship are also discussed.

Public Significance Statement

A model of trauma-informed bilingual counselor education was derived by conducting a content analysis using the published literature. The results suggested four overarching factors that can inform classroom pedagogy, curricular content, clinical supervision, and other issues related to teaching and learning. The model factors show potential for enhancing graduate-level training of bilingual counseling students who intend to work with Spanish-speaking clients.

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.70013/jer1cnrh

Recommended Citation

Estrada, F., & Arana, M. A. (2025). Trauma-Informed Bilingual Counselor Education: Factors to Guide Professional Mental Health Training with Spanish-Speaking Students. Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision, 19(1). http://dx.doi.org/10.70013/jer1cnrh