The “Comadre” Group Approach: A Wellness-Based Group Model for Monolingual Mexican Women

The “comadre” approach to group counseling with immigrant Mexican women creates an environment of sisterhood, trust, support, and education. This article describes a wellness-based, comadre pilot group designed to support monolingual Spanish-speaking, Mexican-born women who recently immigrated to the United States. The need for the group and group development and process are described. The 10-week pilot group is described illustrating this particular comadre model of group work with immigrant Mexican women. Implications for future group work and research with Mexican female immigrants are discussed, and suggestions are offered for wellness-based group work led by cross-cultural counselors.

Keywords:

• group work
• immigrants
• Mexican women
• wellness

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Notes on contributors

Andrea Dixon Rayle

Andrea Dixon Rayle, Ph.D., NCC, is an assistant professor in the Counseling and Counseling Psychology Department at Arizona State University. Dr. Toni Brucato is a clinical psychologist with Mesa Public Schools in Mesa, AZ. Jennifer K. Sand and Jessica Ortega are doctoral students in the Counseling Psychology Department at Arizona State University. This paper was sponsored by the Association for Specialists in Group Work for presentation at the 2004 American Counseling Association annual meeting in Kansas City, MO.