Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

6-2026

Document Type

Doctoral Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Program

Social Welfare

Advisor

Martha Bragin

Committee Members

Luis Barrios

Anahí Viladrich

Subject Categories

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Keywords

Ancestral wisdom, psychotherapy, Latines, social work, mental health, decoloniality

Abstract

At a time when the United States is rolling back protections to vulnerable communities, this dissertation investigates experiences of Latine clinical social workers in New York and New Jersey as it relates to the intersection of ancestral wisdom and their profession. It addresses how Latine clinical social workers, who incorporate ancestral wisdom in their practice determine when, with which clients and with which methods to do so. This work advances current scholarship on how clinical social workers can combat racism and white supremacy. It highlights resistance practices that have been critical in keeping people indigenous to colonized lands alive and that have ensured the continuation of their ways of being.

This is the first US study specifically documenting how Latine clinical social workers integrate ancestral wisdom into psychotherapy. It explores the diverse healing traditions and practices from African, Indigenous, and Mestizaje traditions that the study participants integrated into their work. It is influenced by the theoretical lens of decoloniality and borderlands theory to bring about a deeper understanding of how ancestral wisdom shows up in the lives and work of Latine clinical social workers in the New York tristate area. Findings suggest that these practitioners inhabit nepantla, a borderland space that allows them to hold and translate multiple epistemologies, using ancestral wisdom to decolonize clinical practice while still meeting professional and ethical standards, including NASW commitments to social justice and competence.

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