Group Work with Latina Immigrant Women Keyla Stephens

Group Work with Latina Immigrant Women Keyla Stephens CNS 742 Fall 2013

Working with Latin Americans, considerations… v. Among the largest immigrant groups -15% (Molina et al. , 2009) v. Four major subgroups: Mexican American, Central & South American, Puerto Rican, & Cuban American (Gladding, 2012) v. Shared values include: importance of family, interdependence and cooperation, individual worth and dignity, and acceptance of life as it exists (Gladding, 2012) v. Differences include: language, religious rituals, and celebrations (Gladding, 2012)

Benefits of Support Groups for Latina Women Survivors of Domestic Violence v. Social support v. Ability to speak v. Mutuality v. Bonding v. Strength-based focus

Divorcing Abused Latina Immigrant Women’s Experiences with Domestic Violence Support Groups v 2009 study by Molina, Lawrence, Azhar-Miller, and Rivera v. High prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among US Latinos (Molina et al. , 2009) v. Separation from family support system v. Isolation and dependency

Topics v. Cycle of violence v. Power and control v. Survivor’s rights and the legal system v. Self-esteem v. Abuser behavior v. Effects on children v. Adjusting to living in the U. S. v. Member strengths and obstacles v. Taking responsibility v. Living without the partner v. Preparation for court v. Becoming independent v. Ways of coping with divorce

Conclusion Group work with Latina immigrant women can be beneficial and effective in transforming their thinking.

References § Gladding, S. T. (2012). Groups: A counseling specialty (6 th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. § Molina, O. , Lawrence, S. A. , Azhar-Miller, A. , & Rivera, M. (2009). Divorcing abused Latina immigrant women’s experiences with domestic violence support groups. Journal of Divorce & Remarriage, 50: 7, 459 -471. DOI: 10. 1080/10502550902970561