Law & Ethics, Health Equity, and/or

Cultural Competence CEs

From Immigration to Homecoming: Supporting the Mental Health Needs of Immigrant Clients

Part One of a Two-Part Series

(though you don’t need to be registered for both to attend either)

Part Two, Cultural Humility in Working with Immigrant Clients, is on Friday, June 12th. Learn more and register here >>>

Presented by: Dr. Gitika Talwar

When: Friday, May 1st, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 12:15 PM, Pacific Time

Where: Live on Zoom. You will receive your Zoom link/invitation the week of the workshop.

Continuing Education Credit Hours: 3 Law & Ethics, Health Equity, and/or Cultural Competence CEs | $99.00

Workshop Description

This workshop focuses on the impact of immigration on the mental health of immigrants. It presents an opportunity for licensed therapists to learn about trauma-informed, culturally-attuned therapeutic care to immigrant clients from all over the world. A quick web search about training programs about the mental health needs of immigrants reveals that there is limited knowledge and discussion in the mental health and psychology fields about the immigration process and the unique needs of immigrant communities based on their immigration pathways.

Immigration status is a major factor that intersects with a range of other identity variables (Tahirih Justice Center, 2023) and provides nuance to the inner world of immigrant clients, especially those who may be new to therapy.

Migration to the U.S. has grown steadily over the last few decades. Migration happens for reasons as varied as education and labor opportunities, family reunification, and escape from war, persecution, and other traumatic experiences. Whether by choice (“pull factors” that attract immigrants to the U.S.) or by necessity (“push factors” that necessitate migration out of their home countries), immigrants face a host of psychological and socioeconomic challenges and stressors during and after migrating. These profoundly affect their mental health and quality of life (Shea & Wong, 2022).

Licensed Clinical-Community Psychologist Dr. Gitika Talwar created and will present this workshop, drawing on her personal experience as a first-generation immigrant and immigration activist and her professional experience working with international students, first-generation immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers in the United States. Dr. Talwar’s dissertation focused on the immigration experiences of people who migrated from Afghanistan to the U.S. between 1965 and 2012.

Objectives: 

• Attendees will reflect on their understanding and personal experience with immigration
• Attendees will gain knowledge about multiple pathways of immigration and access to resources
• Attendees will learn about neurobiological and psychosocial impact of migration
• Attendees will recognize ways to expand their therapeutic prompts and practices to include the needs of the immigrant community