Nepantla Moments in Therapy: A Clinical Example With Latinx Immigrants

Abstract

Therapy can be a site of decolonization in which the traumatic experiences of individuals, couples, families, and communities can be transformed by liberation-based frameworks. In this essay I articulate how key concepts from De Sousa Santos Epistemologies of the South, such as the ecologies of temporality, recognition, and productivity, can be integrated within a Mujerista therapy framework to address trauma and resilience. Through a clinical example of a Latinx mother and daughter, I illustrate nepantla moments and the co-construction of testimonios involving experiential, narrative, and spiritual levels of experience.

Keywords:

• Borderlands
• psychology of liberation
• testimonios