La Puerta Abierta (LPA) began its work in partnership with a network of family therapy programs based in Latin America over 25 years ago. In 2010, LPA was established in the Philadelphia region in response to the growing need for mental health services as well as training of bilingual clinicians who have a specific interest in working with immigrant youth and families facing multiple barriers to mental health support.
LPA offers a bilingual, culturally and trauma-informed source of pro bono counseling support that is flexible and accessible. We work to standardize the care offered to constituents while being responsive to the complicated needs and issues facing this diverse community.
We collaborate closely with psychologists, educators, and community service providers. We educate and train mental health providers and others who work with immigrants, to help them understand the broad range of migration, acculturative, and family stressors that can affect the mental and behavioral health of immigrant families.
LPA also works to empower youth and families through a peer-mentor training model to function as “first responders” in the local immigrant and refugee community. This serves to increase both the bandwidth of LPA’s work while promoting a culture of dignity and respect that is healing and hopeful for the multitude of community members who have previously suffered in the shadows of community life.
What is therapy at La Puerta Abierta?
Click here for an overview of what is therapy at LPA.