Undocumented Therapists Exist: Being and Serving Undocumented Humans Amidst ICE Raids

PRESENTER: LIVE PANEL

• Mayra Barragán-O’Brien – Master’s in Clinical Psychology, LMFT
• José Perez – Master’s in Marriage & Family Therapy, LMFT
• Nancy Rodriguez – Doctor of Psychology (PsyD), Licensed Psychologist
• Muriel Casamayor – Doctor of Social Work (DSW), LMFT #116554

Descriptive Narrative:

This 3-hour live panel centers on the lived realities and clinical practice of undocumented and DACAmented mental-health professionals working in a climate of fear, surveillance, and systemic exclusion. Across California, therapists are witnessing how immigration enforcement, policy shifts, and anti-immigrant rhetoric shape the well-being of the clients they serve — and, for many clinicians, their own families and communities.

Undocumented Therapists Exist invites mental-health professionals and students to explore the ethical, emotional, and professional intersections of being and serving while undocumented. Panelists share their personal and professional journeys, discuss trauma-informed and decolonial frameworks, and highlight community-based strategies that restore dignity and agency to those living under threat of ICE raids and deportation.

This presentation fulfills BBS § 1887.4.0 requirements by integrating evidence-based, ethically grounded, and scope-of-practice-relevant content for LMFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs. Participants will gain concrete clinical tools, advocacy insights, and self-reflective practices for trauma-responsive, culturally sustaining care.

Objectives:

At the conclusion of this course, participants will be able to:: 

1. Identify three systemic barriers that affect undocumented clients and clinicians within mental-health systems.
2. Describe two trauma-informed and decolonial interventions that foster safety and trust in therapy.
3. Recognize ethical and legal considerations in documentation and advocacy for clients without legal status.
4. List two strategies for collaborating with community organizations to enhance support networks and care continuity.

About the presenters:

Dra. Muriel Casamayor, DSW, LMFT #116554
Afro-Latina therapist, educator, and community advocate originally from Peru. Founder of Insight Family Counseling & Wellness Services in Riverside and President of IE-CAMFT (2025-2026). Formerly undocumented, Dr. Casamayor’s work centers immigrant mental health, decolonial leadership, and community healing. An EMDRIA Credit Provider, she trains clinicians in culturally responsive EMDR and trauma-informed care rooted in collective liberation.

Mayra Barragán-O’Brien, LMFT (she/ella)
First-generation Latina immigrant and founder of UndocuMental Health. Co-creator of Immigrants Rising’s Mental Health Career Program and Wellness Support Groups. Though now a lawful permanent resident, Mayra continues to challenge stigma and expand access through creative storytelling and community-based education that honors the immigrant journey.

José Perez, LMFT (he/him/el)
DACAmented therapist and Associate Director of Behavioral Health Care at Samaritan House San Mateo. He leads initiatives that increase access to culturally responsive care for uninsured immigrants and maintains a private practice focused on trauma, depression, and acculturation stress. A proud gay Latino clinician, he cultivates affirming spaces that celebrate identity and resilience while pursuing a Psy.D. in migration psychology.

Dra. Nancy Rodriguez, PsyD (she/her/ella)
Licensed bilingual, DACAmented psychologist and founder of Healing Corazones Psychotherapy. She guides BIPOC professionals in healing bicultural and intergenerational trauma through a decolonized healing-justice lens. Nancy also creates networking spaces for Latinx students and early-career clinicians to foster visibility, connection, and collective growth. 

Evaluations