Mental Health Talent Pipeline spotlight: Meet Adilene Hernandez Perez

Adilene Hernandez Perez was born in Santa Rosa and grew up in Windsor. Her interest in psychology developed early thanks to a class offered by her high school when she was still a freshman.

“I was in a phase in my life where I was very much trying to find something that I was passionate about,” she remembers. “And I gravitated towards psychology.”

Adilene, who went on to receive her bachelor’s in psychology from Sonoma State University, is one of three new Mental Health Talent Pipeline scholarship awardees in 2024 who begin graduate studies in counseling psychology at USF Santa Rosa this fall. 

The Healthcare Foundation’s scholarship program aims at closing the gap in access to mental health services for Latine residents by supporting aspiring bilingual and bicultural MFTs (Marriage and Family Therapists) with an intention of serving Spanish-speaking and bicultural communities here in northern Sonoma County.

We spoke with Adilene recently about her motivations for pursuing a career locally as a bilingual and bicultural mental health professional.

What first drew you to the study of psychology?

Growing up in a Mexican household, mental health wasn’t ever a topic of conversation. So I never knew what it was. I knew that I myself struggled with mental health challenges but I never knew how to help myself, who to look for, or who to see. Learning about psychology at my high school, I was able to connect a lot of dots. It was very interesting. I was learning more about myself and about what other people are going through, and I discovered that I’m not the only one who doesn’t know about this huge topic.

What drew you to the graduate program at USF?

I had taken a class at USF when I was doing my undergrad. It was part of a mental health curriculum and it was taught by Dra. Daniela Domínguez. I loved the class. It motivated me to look into graduate school, which was something that I didn’t think I would ever do.

“Many organizations or clinics don’t have Spanish speakers or staff who speak Native languages. It’s very hard for people to connect with their therapist if they don’t have that cultural and linguistic common ground.”

Adilene Hernandez Perez

Why didn’t you think you’d ever go to graduate school?

Because of financial circumstances, and because I didn’t know how to get there. At the time I didn’t know anyone who was in graduate school or anyone who had gone through that journey. It was a very scary path for me to take. I’m used to having others lead the way. But after graduating college I took a year off — just because I had never known my life without school — and during my year off I realized I did want to go back to school, that I love learning about other people and also about myself and what I can do in realizing my full potential. I looked into the University of San Francisco program because I had previously taken that class and already had connections there, including Dra. Domínguez and another professor I had come to know who teaches there. I saw it as a sign for me to apply.

What support did you have in managing the process of getting into the program?

My therapist was a huge support in my journey into the MFT program. When I first met her, she was a counselor-in-training, and working with her really opened my eyes to a new perspective on therapy. Growing up, I never believed in the power of therapy. I had gone through it before, but it never resonated with me the way it did with her. She had a unique ability to connect with me through my cultural and personal struggles, which was incredibly meaningful. Our sessions became my favorite day of the week, something I always looked forward to. 

Going to therapy before starting my master’s program was a decision I made intentionally. I wanted to experience the client’s perspective firsthand. My connection with her grew beautifully; not only was she helping me work through my own issues, but she was also preparing me for graduate school. Reflecting on our time together, I realize how much her guidance has helped shape my approach to therapy and my future career. I now carry with me a profound empathy and understanding that will influence how I practice. Her influence was truly transformative, and I’m deeply grateful for the role she played in my journey.I was fortunate to also have support through two internships I had done. For these last four years I had an internship with Latino Service Providers. They are connected to a lot of the staff at USF and also at the Healthcare Foundation. They told me about the scholarship opportunity through the Healthcare Foundation and thought I should apply since I met all the requirements. Some of my mentors from that internship had gone to USF. They thought that I would be a good fit because of all the work I had done around mental health as a Youth Promotora with Latino Service Providers. So they really encouraged me and supported me to get into this program, writing me letters of rec, for example. I also interned with the Sonoma County Office of Education. They supported me through this process as well. One of the USF professors also works for the Sonoma County Office of Education. She encouraged me and wanted to see me thrive. Without all this support I don’t think I would have applied. I’m very grateful for these mentors.

“It takes strength for someone to know they need help, or need someone to talk to, and to take that step.”

Adilene Hernandez Perez

What do you see as the challenges you will be addressing as an MFT?

Even though Sonoma County offers various mental health resources, we still face a significant problem: there simply aren’t enough of them. The demand for therapy far surpasses the available supply, resulting in long waitlists that can stretch out for months or even years.

I’ve personally experienced the frustration of being on these waitlists. Waiting for months to see a therapist can be incredibly disheartening, especially when you’re already in a vulnerable place. For many people, these extended delays can lead to them abandoning the idea of therapy altogether, feeling like it’s just not an option.These challenges highlight a critical gap in our mental health system. To improve access, we need more mental health professionals and better systems to reduce wait times and ensure timely, effective care. Without these changes, many individuals will continue to face significant barriers to getting the help they need.

I also see how the stigma of mental health is a barrier. It’s an uncomfortable topic for many Latinos. Going to see a therapist can be seen as being weak or being “crazy.” Those stigmas prevent people from going to therapy. But far from being weak, I think it’s the complete opposite: it takes strength for someone to know they need help, or need someone to talk to, and to take that step. 

Of course, another great challenge facing people in the community is the fact that there are not enough bilingual and bicultural healthcare providers available when they do decide to take that step. Many organizations or clinics don’t have Spanish speakers or staff who speak Native languages. It’s very hard for people to connect with their therapist if they don’t have that cultural and linguistic common ground. That was one of the main reasons that I never reached out for therapy when I was younger. I never saw someone like me or someone who spoke Spanish who could understand my family dynamic.

What is it that makes you want to pursue your career here in northern Sonoma County?

The one thing that really makes me want to stay here, and grow my roots here, is the community. I didn’t realize how strong my community was until the wildfires, and then the pandemic. I was a teenager when all of those things happened. Only then did I realize how close my community was, how much we all cared about each other. To see us supporting each other through very difficult times, to learn what resources were out there, including support for minorities or those on the margins, was a great discovery. I know that we still have so much to work on, but at the time it was something that I didn’t realize that we had: a strong community. I didn’t see that when I was younger. But these crisis years opened my eyes to what we could do. And it made me want to be a part of that. It inspired me to stay here, work here, and learn more about the people in the community and what I can do to serve them.