Latino-focused mental health clinic opens in Mount Vernon

From the moment you approach the front desk at Consejo Counseling you can see it is a different type of clinic. Murals of farmland populated with people of Hispanic descent cover the walls, and the staff very much reflects the community that surrounds them. "My life experience is very valid to this community," therapist Mary Garcia said. "So, I'm able to provide those services with the understanding of what it feels like." Garcia is one of six bilingual counselors at Consejo, with a dozen more to follow. It is the first and only fully bilingual mental health clinic in Skagit County offering therapy to the local Latino population. The center is removing one major obstacle coming between people and the help they need. "A lot of people do shy away from wanting to get those services because they have that language barrier," Garcia said. The last census showed Latinos comprise 20% of the county's population. They are the fastest growing group. READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.king5.com/article/news/lo...