As Hispanic Heritage Month shines a spotlight on the contributions of Latinos across North Texas and the nation, it’s also a time to acknowledge challenges many families face – particularly when it comes to mental health.
For Dr. Jessica Gomez, a bilingual clinical psychologist and executive director at the nonprofit Momentous Institute in Oak Cliff, representation in her field is more than professional. It’s deeply personal.
“The inspiration for me really was born from my own lived experience of having to deal with mental health challenges—severe anxiety and depression—that started at a young age,” Gomez said. “We didn’t even talk about mental health; it wasn’t in our vocabulary in my family. And that led to me struggling for a really long time and getting care from practitioners that didn’t understand my family, my language, my culture.”…