About Us
Founded in September 2021, we are the only nonprofit organization in the country dedicated to increasing Spanish-speaking clinicians through workforce development programming. We are proud to be at the forefront of this work!
The birth of our nonprofit
Our nonprofit was born out of necessity—shaped by personal struggles, a deep awareness of community pain, and the urgent need for culturally responsive mental health care. Our story begins in 2019, when our founder, Bridget Sanchez, was one of only three Spanish-speaking therapists within a 100-mile radius of a rural clinic. The need was overwhelming where she often saw up to 35 clients a week, many carrying the weight of complex trauma and living in isolated, underserved areas where mental health support simply didn’t exist.
Individuals navigating unimaginable hardships with little to no access to culturally or linguistically appropriate care. Yet amid that pain, something powerful happened. The presence of one Spanish-speaking therapist created a ripple of healing and hope. That impact became the spark to help build a movement to inspire more Spanish-speaking community members and Latinos to become mental health clinicians!
From that experience, our nonprofit was created to change the landscape of mental health care by investing in the development and support of future Spanish-speaking mental health professionals. We believe in the power of representation, community, and culturally rooted care—and we’re committed to building a future where mental health support is accessible for all.
Addressing Critical Needs
Our community programming began with hearing community stories from the Latino & Spanish community: mental health clinicians, individuals who were interested in becoming mental health clinicians, community leaders, supervisors of mental health clinicians, and current students pursuing their education to become mental health clinicians. Through this journey we were able to create our programming that is designed to address barriers and increase access to the mental health professional pathway.
Stories of Transformation
“Hearing the countless stories of how lives are transformed when people have access to therapy in their native language or receive culturally attuned care is what fuels our work.
One of the most impactful stories we’ve witnessed involved a person living with PTSD for over 30 years. They endured daily panic attacks and severe sleep deprivation. But through therapy—delivered in a way that honored their culture and language—their symptoms completely resolved. Today, they live a fulfilling life, give back to their community, and enjoy strong, healthy relationships.
It’s stories like this that remind us why our mission matters. Everyone deserves access to therapy that understands and uplifts them.”
Expanding Our Impact
Our headquarters is located in Denver, CO however we do serve all Colorado. Our hope is to create a model that we can replicate nationwide! In 2023, LTP partnered with the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center (CNDC) to become a project under their nonprofit so LTP could focus on our mission and outcomes.
Click headshots for bios!
Our team
Bridget Sanchez
Executive Director & Founder
Bridget Sanchez:
Bridget Sanchez is a visionary leader, mental health therapist (Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist), and advocate dedicated to addressing mental health disparities within underserved communities. As the Executive Director and Founder of the Latinx Therapist Project, she leads efforts to increase the number of Latinx and Spanish-speaking mental health providers, ensuring culturally responsive and accessible care. This journey was inspired by her own and her community’s lack of access to culturally competent care as a first generation Mexican-American as daughter of Mexican immigrants. Through strategic program development, mentorship, and advocacy, she is committed to fostering a mental health workforce that reflects and serves its community.
Bridget brings over a decade of experience in clinical practice, program leadership, and higher education. Previously, she served as the Director of Behavioral Health & Wellness where she led mental health services at a federally qualified health center. She played a key role in securing funding, establishing a robust clinical program, and hiring/retaining a full team of bilingual clinicians. She brings over 10 years of experience working with adults, children, families, and couples, specializing in the treatment of mood dxs, psychotic dxs, anxiety dx, trauma, complex trauma, dissociation, and substance use dxs. Bridget blends a mix of western, eastern and indigenous approaches to therapy grounding in her therapy work is the belief that one’s authentic self in the room is the best tool to create change while also incorporating client’s culture, values, and spiritual self.
In addition to her leadership roles, Bridget is an Affiliate Faculty Member at Regis University, teaching in the Marriage & Family Therapy graduate program. She is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (LMFT) and a Clinical Addiction Specialist (LCAS), with extensive training in trauma-focused therapies, mindfulness-based interventions learned at a residential stay at the Plum Village Monastery in France, and integrated behavioral health. Her academic and research contributions include work on mindfulness in Latinx immigrant communities, acculturative family distancing, and culturally responsive therapy.
Through her leadership, advocacy, and dedication to social impact, she continues to build pathways for Latinx individuals to thrive in the mental health field while expanding access to care for underserved communities.
Bridget is a first generation college and graduate student that holds a Master of Science in Marriage & Family Therapy from Purdue University Northwest and a Graduate Certificate in Addictions Counseling. She has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Graduate Student Research Award from the American Association for Marriage & Family Therapy. She also earned her bachelors in psychology from Eastern Illinois University where she also was an All-Academic NCAA Track & Field athlete who specialized in 400 meters and currently holds a school record.
Fluent in Spanish and English, Bridget is deeply invested in mentorship, community-building, and systemic change to make mental health services more equitable. She is an advocate for culturally affirming therapy, workforce development, immigrant mental health, and making the world a better a place. Bridget also is a philanthropist who regularly supports organizations that support change in their community.
On her free time, she enjoys spending time with her beautiful husband, two cats, and loved ones while also enjoying working out, singing karaoke, solving sudokus, and admiring animals. Bridget’s retirement plans include owning a donkey sanctuary and owning a lot of dogs
Karina Carrillo
Program & Outreach Coordinator
Karina Carrillo:
Karina is a University of Colorado Boulder graduate and a driven nonprofit professional with four years of experience in volunteer engagement and program coordination. As a first‑generation college graduate, she brings deep personal understanding to her work: she is passionate about supporting and empowering her community. Karina has helped design and manage volunteer programs that foster connection, development, and lasting community impact. She has overseen volunteer recruitment and retention, built partnerships with community organizations, and coordinated events and programs aimed at social empowerment. Her first‑generation identity motivates her commitment to equity and civic leadership in every aspect of her work. Outside of her professional life, Karina can be found at the movie theater or in the dance studio!
Mariam Lara
Program Support Specialist
Mariam Lara:
Hi, I’m Mariam Lara, I’m a bilingual, first-generation college graduate from CU Boulder who’s worked hard and stayed passionate about creating my own pathway— graduating with honors, moving abroad to teach, and building experience in nonprofit work, education, and admin support. Growing up, I helped my dad behind the scenes with his small landscaping business, which taught me a lot about the value of hard work, organization, and what it takes to build something meaningful from the ground up.
Over the years, I’ve worked with youth as an educator in the U.S. and Spain, and supported immigrant and refugee communities through direct service and case management. In college, I dove deep into Latinx community advocacy and leadership through programs like INVST and Public Achievement. I have been fortunate enough that in these spaces I found some amazing mentors who helped me grow both personally and professionally.
Mental health is something I’m deeply passionate about and I believe our culture should embrace it fully, creating spaces where people feel seen, heard, and supported. That’s why I connect so strongly with the Latinx Therapy Project’s mission around equity and healing. I strive every day to be the kind of leader and person I sought out while growing up as a young Latina who wanted to see herself represented in leadership and feel empowered.
Outside of work, I care for my own mental well-being through travel, creative writing, reading, and Pilates. I’m so excited to support our work in Adams County and continue growing with the team!
Volunteers
Mirella Jasso
Western Slope Advocate
Mirella Jasso:
As a first generation latina I know first-hand the difficulty of being the trailblazer in your family navigating the education system and then joining the workforce of mental health professionals. Our challenges are very unique and nuanced, therefore having personalized supports and resources are so important. I was lucky enough to attend a diverse campus with plenty of resources that helped me navigate my bachelor’s and then later my masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Saturating myself with support such as mentors, internship experiences, and building community with student body who are also first-generation and had similar goals to me were truly my saving graces and led to my success in college. Once i joined the mental health professional workforce i recognized a whole new set of challenges of working with the Latinx community. Those challenges included often being the only bilingual Spanish speaker to serve this community in my workplaces, little support to help me navigate the unique cultural nuances to my client’s concerns, and having little access to resources such as Spanish materials or Spanish serving community partners to help support my clients.
This is when I found Latinx Therapist Project and I found a community who recognizes these same challenges and works to close that gap. I wholeheartedly believe in LTP’s goals and values, not only to serve my community on the rural, Western Slope of Colorado but to support other aspiring Latinx mental health professionals who have faced similar challenges as me
Our Board
Lena Saurez-Angelino
Vice President, Founding Board Member
Founder & Owner Light Collective & Co.
Lena Suarez-Angelino
Lena Suarez-Angelino is a licensed clinical social worker, international mental health speaker, and burnout consultant passionate about supporting caregivers, helping professionals, and marginalized communities. As a proud Afro-Latina and special needs parent, Lena brings a realworld, heart-centered perspective to healing, inclusion, and advocacy.
She is also the Vice President of the Latinx Therapist Project, a Colorado-based organization dedicated to increasing the presence and support of Latinx therapists in mental health fields. Lena is the author of The Anger Management Workbook for Moms, a practical guide to help moms manage stress, guilt, and burnout with compassion.
Whether in therapy, in community, or in conversation, Lena leads with heart, humor, and deep respect for lived experience.
Dianna Flamenco
Secretary
Bilingual Mental health Therapist Hope’s Street/Voluntad
Dianna Flamenco
Dianna Flamenco is Latina of Mexican and Salvadorean heritage. She is a Spanish-speaking Licensed Clinical Social Worker dedicated to providing culturally responsive mental health care to diverse communities. With a warm and inclusive approach, Dianna supports individuals, families, and groups through a trauma-informed lens that honors cultural identity and lived experience.
Since earning her master’s in social work from the University of Denver in 2019, Dianna has worked across multiple settings to uplift underrepresented voices in healing spaces. She currently serves as a Mental Health Therapist with Hope’s Street Voluntad, an organization devoted to supporting survivors of human trafficking, and as a Social Worker with the Denver Research Institute, where she contributes to research that helps improve the lives of veterans. Group therapy holds a special place in Dianna’s work. She enjoys creating spaces where collective healing can happen and has facilitated groups like Cafecito, a supportive circle for meaningful connection and conversation, and Emociones en Movimiento, which integrates movement and emotional awareness to promote wellness.
Whether working one-on-one or in a community, Dianna is passionate about supporting others as they navigate trauma, transition, and growth. Her therapeutic style is grounded, compassionate, and rooted in liberation and social justice. Outside of her work, Dianna finds joy in snowboarding, yoga, long walks with her sister and her dog Tober, and spending time with loved ones. Dianna joined Latinx Therapist Project Fall of 2024. She feels deeply honored and excited to support a mission that aligns closely with her heart and her roots
Lilia Adame
Interim Treasurer
Asset Manager at Mercy Community Capital
Lilia Adame
Lilly Adame, Asset Manager, Mercy Community Capital – Lilly joined Mercy Community Capital (“MCC”, Mercy Housing’s CDFI lending arm), in July 2022 after spending almost five years with its parent company, Mercy Housing – first as a Staff Accountant in the Real Estate Accounting Department, and then as a Senior Accountant in the Corporate Accounting Department. She manages MCC’s portfolio risk by evaluating loan renewals and extensions, tracking loan monitoring information, analyzing status reports and borrower financials, and maintaining databases containing all information relating to loans in her $74MM portfolio. Before moving to Denver, she worked at a public accounting firm in El Paso, TX, specializing in corporate tax returns for parties that had businesses on both sides of the border. There are many statistics that show the connection between housing and mental health, and she hopes to contribute her experience from the accounting and finance side and to gain more knowledge in how therapy and mental health is a necessity that helps build up communities. Lilly holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree from Ferris State University located in Big Rapids, Michigan.
She grew up the oldest of six kids and was born in Mexico and raised in McAllen, Texas (right on the Mexico/Texas border) which made her realize that it is really one culture shared among two countries. Latinx Therapists Project’s mission statement hits close to home since her mother fled Nicaragua as a result of the war there in the eighties, and her father sold everything in Mexico to give her siblings and her a shot at a better life with more opportunities here in the US. She is happily married to her husband, Jesus and they have a 14-year-old spoiled orange cat who will soon be a “big brother” to their first child due in August 2025. In her free time, you can find her playing disc golf, checking out new art exhibits, or searching for the best breakfast burrito in Denver.
David Aragon
Board Member
Principal Community Engagement Consultant for Colorado Access
David Aragon
David “Dave” Aragon serves as Principal Community Engagement Consultant for Colorado Access, a local nonprofit health care company that’s been caring for the health of Coloradans for 30 years. He has deep experience driving equity-oriented approaches in educational, health care, and nonprofit settings. Previously Dave provided inclusive leadership at the University of Colorado Boulder where he led effective learning and development initiatives in support of student success.
He incorporates strategic leadership and collaboration across organizational functions central to achieving the mission in areas such as talent development, employee engagement and belonging, workforce solutions, and business innovation and has collaborated with corporate, foundation, education, and government entities statewide and nationally. Dave grew up in a large Hispanic/Latino family with a multi-generational history in Colorado and Northern New Mexico. Dave earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at the University of Colorado Boulder and is a proud father of 4 young adult children.
Monica Acosta
Board Member
Program Director for The Village Institute’s Village Futures
Monica Acosta
Monica Acosta brings over two decades of non-profit experience developing youth and community programs that are deeply rooted in self-empowerment, holistic health, and social justice. Monica is a proud team member of the Village Institute, a comprehensive family development center and leadership incubator in Northwest Aurora.
As Program Director for The Village Institute’s Village Futures (Teen and Young Adult) and C.A.R.E. (Community, Advocacy, Resources, Education) services, she serves newcomer youth and their families as they navigate the challenges of the integration process.
A proud first-generation college student and daughter of Mexican immigrants, Monica profoundly understands the multicultural experience and is passionate about guiding youth toward their educational and career aspirations. Monica holds a Bachelor of Science from California Polytechnic University Pomona and a Master of Social Work from Metropolitan State University, Denver. When not spending time with her husband, two sons, and their two dogs, you can find her gardening or teaching Zumba and Aqua Zumba!
Maureen Maycheco
Board Member
Vice President of Strategic Growth and Partnership at COLOR and Founder & Owner of Loop and Honey, LLC
Maureen Maycheco
Maureen Maycheco (she/they/ella) is a strategic communications leader, storyteller, and community advocate with over 15 years of experience amplifying the voices of historically excluded communities. A proud Mexican-American and longtime mental health champion, Maureen brings deep expertise in marketing, public affairs, and organizational growth. As the founder of Loop and Honey, she supports mission-driven organizations in building authentic, equity-centered campaigns.
She currently serves as Vice President of Strategic Growth and Partnerships at COLOR (Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights). She is honored to support the Latinx Therapist Project’s mission to cultivate healing, access, and belonging.
Champions of our Mission
Become Part of Latinx
LTP CO works to increase Latinx representation in Colorado’s mental health field through recruitment, education, specialization support, an employment database, and mentorship. Our seven-member Board of Directors oversees these initiatives, meeting monthly with a 2-3 hour commitment. We welcome passionate individuals from diverse backgrounds for various volunteer roles, offering personal fulfillment and community impact. Join us to help expand our statewide impact.
Latinx Therapist Project
We are a fiscally sponsored project of the Colorado Nonprofit Development Center (CNDC).
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Contact
303-335-0866
2900 Welton St.
Denver, CO 80205
contactus@latinxtherapistproject.org