Description & Objectives

Continuing Education Hours: 1.5 CEs for LPC, SW, LMFT, and Psychologists - NBCC Approved

Description: "New Latinx Liberation: Transforming Theory Into Action" tackles some of the most impactful social phenomena that are relevant to Latin-American populations (such as machismo and marianismo) and the myriad ways they shape the cultural perspectives of both perpetrators and survivors of interpersonal violence.  While acknowledging and exploring the effects of these points of view, this presentation will also consider the complex systems of oppression (and their historical throughlines) that perpetuate crime and victimization while stifling efforts to support survivors within these minoritized communities.  The goal, then, of this presentation is to offer new avenues of hope by reexamining a diverse array of scholars, poets, activists (Gloria Anzaldúa, bell hooks, Gwendolyn Brooks, among others) and wring from their rich words of liberation strategies and tools that are accessible for bystanders, prevention, and helping professionals in our effort to eliminate interpersonal violence within Latinx communities.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand relevant social phenomena (e.g., machismo and marianismo) and other root causes of interpersonal violence
  • Increase awareness of issues affecting Latinx victims of interpersonal violence
  • Advocate for actionable community engagement practices
  • Encourage effective, trauma-informed communication strategies with survivors, emphasizing bystander interventions

Instructor

Brenda Barajas-Koch

Brenda Barajas-Koch has worked as a Prevention Education Specialist for The Women’s Center of Tarrant County since June of 2020. Her work focuses on community education among the diverse Latinx populations of North Texas, as she seeks to close the health, safety, and wellness gaps that hinder equity initiatives across many of the neighborhoods and towns that comprise the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area. Brenda’s activism promotes cultural humility as a culmination of the spectrum of cultural competency, and she is passionate about deconstructing assumptions of gender socialization. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a Master of Arts in Women’s & Gender Studies, both from the University of North Texas.