Latinx Therapy Brand Refresh

PROCESS BOOK | MARIELY MARQUEZ

Defining Latinx vs. Hispanic

Latinx people and Hispanics make up a population group in the United States that is richly diverse. This group represents several nations and races, and share many cultural similarities and histories. Because of the vast diversity of this group, there are existing misconceptions about the difference between Latinx and Hispanic.

Latinx is a relatively new gender-neutral term commonly used by English speakers in the United States as an alternative for the gendered terms, “Latino” or “Latina.” Latine is a Spanish alternative to Latinx used by Spanish speakers. Latino, Latina, Latine, and Latinx are all valid terms used to describe people of Latin American origin in the United States.

Hispanic is a term that refers to people whose ancestry stems from Spain or a Spanishspeaking country. While a large portion of Hispanics are also categorized as Latinx, not all Latinx people identify as Hispanic.

The United States Census counts all self-reported Latinos, Hispanics, and people of Spanish Origin as Hispanic.

Latinx and Hispanic individuals represent 19% of the U.S. population, totaling over 62.5 million people.1 Studies indicate that U.S.-born Hispanics report elevated rates of psychiatric disorders compared to Hispanic immigrants. This trend is particularly pronounced among older Hispanic adults and youth, who face heightened psychological stresses associated with the processes of immigration and acculturation.2

Despite these challenges, access to mental health services remains limited within the Hispanic/Latinx community, with only about one in ten Hispanics with a mental disorder seeking assistance from general health care providers, and even fewer—only one in twenty—receiving support from mental health specialists.3 With projections indicating that the Hispanic/Latinx population in the U.S. is growing significantly, this means that a very large percentage of the population with mental health concerns will not seek help for their conditions.

Why aren’t Latinos going to therapy?

Latinx/Hispanic people face multiple challenges when addressing their mental health, including a lack of access to and knowledge about mental health resources. In addition to this, scarce culturally competent treatment and a shortage of Latinx mental health professionals create extra barriers between Latinx people and receiving appropriate treatment.4

Among the challenges that Latinx people face, cultural stigma is a prominent factor.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, existing cultural norms of privacy and stigma surrounding mental health challenges deter individuals from discussing their issues openly, perpetuating the cycle of silence and shame. Limited awareness and support within faith communities further exacerbates barriers to seeking treatment.5

These challenges highlight the need for comprehensive strategies to enhance awareness, accessibility, and support within these communities.

Thoughts from Dr. Castro

To learn more about the disparity in Latinx mental health, and about her experience as a Latinx therapist, I spoke with Dr. Janice Castro. Dr. Castro is a bilingual, bicultural Licensed Psychologist specializing in ADHD, trauma-informed practice, and Latinx mental health. She holds a B.A. in Psychology, and a M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology.

Dr. Castro explained that during her time in school, “there was a noticeable gap” in mental health research. The “gap” was that of Latinx people who were not receiving mental health services, primarily therapy. She cites existing cultural stigma in the Latinx community as a primary reason why many will not seek resources for their mental wellbeing, causing both the gap in those receiving care, and the availability of Latinx mental health professionals. Dr. Castro’s experience helps us understand the domino effect that occurs when cultural stigma and systemic failures deter Latinx people from mental health conversations or treatment. Closing this gap necessitates efforts to expand access to culturally competent care, spread of awareness, and ultimately, destigmatization.

My thesis question:

How can approachable branding be employed to destigmatize mental health among young adult Latinx communities?

Forming My Project

My background research helped better inform me about the disparities that Latinx people face when addressing their mental health. Not only do systemic issues play a role in the gap between Latinos and mental health, but the stigma that has been embedded into many Latinx cultures widens the gap even further.

After having completed my research, I wanted to understand what solutions have been proposed to address this issue. I then discovered Latinx Therapy, an online nationwide directory of Latinx-identifying therapists. Apart from their directory, which helps Latinos connect with culturally competent professionals, this organization also offers education and additional resources through their website, social media, and podcast.

To better understand Latinx Therapy, I decided to do a brand audit with some help from Latinx Therapy’s founder, Adriana Alejandre.

Latinx Therapy’s Brand Story

In 2018, Adriana Alejandre began Latinx Therapy with the goal of destigmatizing mental health discussion in the Latinx community. What started as a bilingual podcast focusing on mental health topics eventually spurred the development of a nationwide directory of Latinx-identifying mental health professionals. Their podcast and social media pages provide easy access to education about several mental health topics, while their directory works to connect Latinos with culturally competent specialists. Alejandre also started a sister non-profit, the Adriana Alejandre Foundation, which hosts the Therapy Dinero program. The non-profit provides funding for up to 8 therapy sessions to support those with financial need.

Latinx Therapy works to destigmatize mental health in the Latinx community while providing a tool to connect community members with culturally competent therapists. Latinx Therapy strives to unite individuals, offering resources and education to promote mental well-being across the nation.

Mission

Latinx Therapy is dedicated to providing resources and education for Latinx people all over the country.

Vision

Their vision is to destigmatize mental health within Latinx communities to encourage more Latinos to seek mental health services to treat their health concerns.

Values

The organization fosters a sense of community, support, and advocacy for Latinx professionals and people seeking care.

Brand Ecosystem

Latinx Therapy’s presence is primarily online. The organization has a prominent Instagram following with over 113,000 followers, with a few thousand followers on their Facebook and Twitter profiles. The brand also has a YouTube channel housing videos of therapist talks and season trailers for the Latinx Therapy podcast. While Latinx Therapy has a wellrounded digital presence but lacks printed collateral. To promote the services offered by Latinx Therapy, postcards given to counselors or counseling centers would be beneficial to encourage more Latinx-identifying mental health professionals to join the directory. In addition to this, informational pamphlets can help to promote the directory to those wanting to find a therapist.

Brand Matrix

Current Branding & Touch Points

The current branding for Latinx Therapy is colorful and makes use of organic shapes and patterns. The main color used for the organization is a deep purple, which was chosen by Alejandre as a method to stand out against other mental health services that tend to use a light blue or green color scheme. The logo versions make use of the purple, but also a variety of other colors, with the overall brand making use of white, teal, orange, and blue. The logo itself currently uses a variety of patterns alluding to traditional Guatemalan Textiles. Their current touch points include social media posts, their website, and podcast.

Ideation

The current branding of Latinx Therapy is characterized by its approachable nature created through its vibrant use of colors and organic shapes. However, there are opportunities to improve the branding to create a more cohesive and impactful brand identity. Primarily, Latinx Therapy would benefit from a cohesive visual identity system led by an updated logo. While the current logo alludes to Latinx textiles, the multicolor patterned logo becomes illegible when reduced in scale. With an updated logo, the branding can echo the cultural textiles in the original logo through secondary elements such as color, pattern, and imagery. In tandem with the rebrand, Latinx Therapy’s digital presence would be enhanced with updated social media templates and website. Outreach materials, such as informational postcards will also be used to spread awareness of Latinx Therapy and it’s offerings. The visual goal of these elements is to emphasize cultural authenticity to foster a sense of pride and approachability while elevating the brand’s presence in the mental health services landscape.

Brand Package

Information Postcard (4” x 6”)

Social Post

Template (1080px x 1080px)

Website (Desktop)

Social Post

Template (1920px x 1080px)

Business Card (2” x 3.5”)

Merchandise Merchandise Merchandise

Adriana Alejandre, Founder of Latinx Therapy

HOW IT ALL Started

In 2018, Adriana Alejandre launched a groundbreaking podcast, delving into mental health issues from a Latinx perspective. What began as a platform for connection swiftly evolved into a national force, igniting a mission to revolutionize mental health care for Latinx communities. Latinx Therapy has since blossomed into a dynamic hub for education and support, empowering individuals across the nation.

Latinx Therapy’s logo reflects the organization’s friendliness and professionalism.

The logo combines the approachable font, Ice Cream, with the rounded sans serif forms of Poppins. The logo is represented in purple or white when appropriate. The suggested clear space for the logo should be estimated using the tittle of the “i” in “Latinx.”

Secondary Elements

Logo with Tagline

Logo Mark

Typography

Use for Logo, Decorative Text

Ice Cream

Use for H1, headlines, Titles, Quotes

Poppins Semi bold

Use for H2, H3, Sub-headlines, Body Text

Poppins Regular

Graphic Elements

Latinx Therapy’s graphic pieces feature a variety of organic shapes with textured, brush stroke edges. The smaller graphic elements are inspired by Latinx Therapy’s previous logo, which referenced traditional Guatemalan patterning.

Image Treatment

When treating images for Latinx Therapy, vibrancy, texture, and quality need to be considered. All images should be high resolution and vibrant. Images that are overlayed with text should be treated with a color overlay. Images may also contained within a textured shape.

Sample Text

Color Overlays & Text

When using color overlays, only purple and turquoise should be used as the base colors. The priority should be on readability and contrast, so white or purple text should be used when putting text on top of the image.

Sample Text

brand

The Package

Citations

1. Mark Hugo Lopez, Jens Manuel Krogstad, Jeffery S. Passel, “Who is Hispanic?” Pew Research Center, September 23, 2024, https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/05/who-ishispanic/#:~:text=How%20many%20Hispanics%20are%20in,19%25%20of%20the%20nation’s%20population.

2. Margarita Alegría et al., “Prevalence of Mental Illness in Immigrant and Non-Immigrant U.S. Latino Groups,” American Journal of Psychiatry 165, no. 3 (2008): 359–69, https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07040704.

3. Office of the Surgeon General (US), Center for Mental Health Services (US), and National Institute of Mental Health (US), “Chapter 6 Mental Health Care for Hispanic Americans,” August 2001, in Nih.gov; Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (US), https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK44247/.

4. American Psychiatric Association, “Mental Health Disparities: Hispanics and Latinos,” 2017, www.psychiatry. org, https://www.psychiatry.org/File%20Library/Psychiatrists/Cultural-Competency/Mental-Health-Disparities/Mental-Health-Facts-for-Hispanic-Latino.pdf.

5. National Alliance on Mental Illness, “Hispanic/Latinx | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness,” 2018, Nami. org, https://www.nami.org/Your-Journey/Identity-and-Cultural-Dimensions/Hispanic-Latinx.

Thank you

This project is dedicated to my friends, family, and mentors that have supported me in the process of creating my thesis, and in the past 4 years that I’ve pursued design. Nothing I do would be possible without your continued encouragement.

A special thank you to Adriana Alejandre, who trusted me with Latinx Therapy. Your organization and non-profit are absolutely necessary resources for the well being of our community.