Cannenta Center for Healing in San Antonio steps up to help the undocumented community and their families with affordable services.
SAN ANTONIO — During a time of uncertainty for undocumented migrants in San Antonio, KENS 5 sat down with a few to hear their experience.
For their safety they will not be identified.
“I have two children, and they are my reason to keep moving forward day by day in this country,” one undocumented woman said.
“If they deport you, your children stay here or they send your children first,” another undocumented woman said. “That has them in shock, you fall asleep thinking about it, you wake up thinking and praying to God that it isn’t so.
Seeing an influx of patients just like this Elizabeth Palafox, lead clinician at Cannenta San Antonio said finding what you can control is key.
“It’s really difficult for them to maintain any normalcy right now,” Palafox said.
She added that sometimes creating normalcy looks like being prepared, looking at peoples’ rights with them or creating a safety plan.
Palafox said this time has been detrimental to migrants’ mental health, undocumented or not.
“It can rob people of their hope, also robbing them of the sense of power or control they had in their lives.”
With in person and virtual options for help Palafox wants people to know Cannenta is a safe space.
If you do not have unsurance click here to sign-up for their $10 therapy sessions.
“We’re really strong and we want to hold it all together but sometimes it’s okay to be honest and this is the space to do so.”
Also provided are psychological evaluations.
“They’re for people who want to explain the hardship their family would go through due to a separation.”
They then would draw up so you could send to an attorney.
And for those undocumented, anxious and uncertain, they want to leave everyone with this:
“Americans have felt very comfortable. The call would be to not lose that comfort of having us around, because I know that for many Americans working with us has been good, always being hand in hand.”
Anyone over the age of 16 can apply for the service and possibly qualify for 10-dollar therapy sessions.