“We rely mostly on referrals. We don’t even have the business name on the door,” said business director Iris Buckley. “Our clients want privacy because seeing a therapist and seeking help for a problem from people outside your family is seen as taboo in many cultures.”

Serving Orlando’s culturally diverse population is the main goal of the Positive Paths center. Managing Partners, Iris Buckley and Stephanie Beers, a licensed clinical social worker, opened the counseling center after realizing minorities in Orlando were underserved by mental health professionals.

“Orlando is a melting pot of cultures,” explained Buckley. “When you are struggling with personal, family or work issues, it’s easiest to talk to someone who understands the dynamics of your culture and who speaks your language. I know that when I, personally, want to talk about a problem that I’m having, I want to speak in Spanish because it’s my primary language. That’s how I feel the most comfortable. That is also the case with many of our clients.”

Buckley, of Cuban decent, said she and Beers, who is of Brazilian decent, chose to cater to minorities in the tri-county area to ensure that people, no matter their race or ethnicity, could find help when struggling with life’s challenges.

The center’s staff of 12 is made up of licensed clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists and mental health counselors. Each professional boasts more than 10 years of experience. They provide individual, couples and family counseling with specializations in depression, anxiety, addictions and recovery, ADHD, parenting support, grief and loss, work and career concerns, lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) issues, chronic pain and stress management. The counseling center also offers bi-monthly support groups including an ADHD parent support group and “The Healing Circle,” which is for those affected by life-altering illness.

The professionals do not prescribe medications, though they will refer clients to doctors as needed.

“Our therapists focus on addressing the cause of the distress and the behavior patterns that curb progress to greater mental health,” said Buckley. “Sometimes just talking with an unbiased, but understanding, person can make a difference.”

And talking they do – in six languages! Among the staff members, they speak Spanish, Portuguese, French, Haitian-Creole, Hindi and English.

“Most of our clients find themselves caught between two worlds. They have trouble assimilating into American culture while still holding on to the traditions of where they came from,” Buckley said. “Many of our clients are first generation Americans. Their children are very Americanized, but they fight feelings of guilt for losing touch with their heritage. The stress of family and work can be overwhelming.”

Though most of their clients are middle to upper class working professionals according to Buckley, the center also serves children five years and older, adolescents and seniors.

“American schools are a huge culture shock for our younger clients. The rules and dynamics are much different from schools in the countries where they came from. This transition can be difficult on the child and their parents. We try to help them make sense of the changes,” she said.

To reduce stress, Buckley said the center encourages comfort. “It is very homey with couches and pillows. It’s very casual and relaxed. We want our clients to feel at home. We know seeking outside help for problems can be frowned upon in some cultures, so we take many steps to make our clients feel comfortable.”

The center also accepts 40 types of insurance in hopes the cost of therapy won’t keep people from seeking help.

“We are one-of-a-kind in Orange County,” Buckley stressed. “The tourism industry brings so many people here from all over the world. We just want to serve those families the best we can. Our staff truly understands the struggles that minorities face because we also face those same issues. We sometimes still feel stuck between the new and old worlds.”

Bridging the divide between those two worlds is a struggle that could last a lifetime for many first generation Americans and their families, but Positive Paths counseling center is helping clients face happier and healthier futures without losing the rich and life-shaping traditions of their pasts.

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