Addressing trauma and accessing resilience
Depression, trauma, and anxiety are not uncommon mental health concerns that Dr. Silvia sees among clients who seek out individual and group services through SFAF’s TransLife program. Many clients are monolingual Spanish speakers, immigrants (both recent and longer-term residents), and have limited financial resources.
“There’s a lot of collective anxiety in the community right now,” she said. “Some of that is a direct result of the political situation in this country. People are apprehensive of the police. There’s fear of access – to health care, hormones, and other services. There is depression and trauma as well. What I’ve heard is that some folks are experiencing things in this country they never thought they’d have to experience after leaving their home country. The community feels like a target right now because they are a target.”
Dr. Silvia and other TransLife staff give community members a safe place to explore and work on resolving these issues during group sessions (Trans Galaxy and Transformaciones) and individual one-on-one psychotherapy.
TransLife Galaxy has a mental health component and includes psychoeducation. Group members devote time to learning about a specific topic, such as conflict and conflict resolution, and discuss its interplay with race and culture.
Transformaciones, developed in response to the specific needs of trans Latinas, is facilitated entirely in Spanish. Dr. Silvia said that she uses media and film to spark conversations around trans identity and wellbeing.
“This week, we watched a film about an intersex individual in Spain. We’ve also watched a series about a trans woman in Mexico. Whatever themes come up for folks after watching them, we discuss the unresolved or unpalatable memories that come up for each of them.”
Dr. Silvia said the groups act as an entryway for people to begin individual one-on-one therapy.
“These groups and services are badly needed,” she said. “But there is a stigma attached to individual psychotherapy. Some people may feel more comfortable in a group setting. They come in, are able to meet me, and feel comfortable with what I do. At that point, they’re more likely to come to individual therapy.”
SFAF developed these mental health support groups and sessions in response to a needs assessment conducted a few years ago, which found that services in Spanish for trans communities in San Francisco were needed.
“There are other resources and groups for trans folks in San Francisco, but they’re not offered in Spanish alone. It’s important for these services to exist in Spanish. Many people are monolingual, and they don’t yet have English-language skills. Or their emotional language might not be English, and it’s important to address clinical concerns, especially trauma, in the individual’s emotional language in a therapeutic setting.”
Dr. Silvia is proud of the ways in which the teams are able to support and care for trans community members.
“We’re not closing doors on folks, like other places do. We listen and tend to the needs of the trans immigrant community. It’s very rewarding that we’re able to say that one of the few requirements is that you show up. We will invest in you, we will help guide you to your goals. We want you to invest in yourself and for that you just need to show up. I feel honored to be able to do this work.”
