Culture Meets Care: The Bold Mental Health Vision of Dr. Leti Cavazos
- Tyzza Macias
- Apr 4
- 4 min read
Updated: Apr 7
In North Texas, where cultural stigma and systemic barriers still keep many Hispanic families from seeking therapy, one woman is building a new model for mental health care, starting with trust.
Dr. Leti Cavazos, a Latina social worker and daughter of immigrants, is the founder and CEO of the Cannenta Center for Healing and Empowerment. Her mission is clear: transform how care is delivered to communities that have long been excluded from traditional mental health systems.
“Our communities deserve more than band-aids,” Cavazos says. “They deserve care that speaks their language, understands their culture, and honors their experiences.”
Meeting People Where They Already Are
Cavazos isn’t waiting for people to find therapy; she’s bringing therapy to them. Through partnerships with four primary care clinics in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Cannenta embeds bilingual therapists directly into the environments where Hispanic patients are already seeking medical help.
“Roughly 60% of Hispanics seek mental health care through their primary physician,” she explains. “That’s where we meet them.”
This approach recognizes that, for many, trust begins in the doctor’s office. By integrating mental health services into familiar, bilingual settings, Cannenta reduces stigma and makes care accessible in ways traditional systems have not.
Culture as the Starting Point
Cannenta’s approach is trauma-informed, but it also goes further: it’s culturally grounded. Clients aren’t asked to leave their identity at the door.
“We don’t ask people to check their culture at the door,” Cavazos says. “We bring it into the room.”
That includes addressing the cultural norms that shape how people view and cope with trauma. In many Hispanic households, women are expected to endure silently. Men are expected to be strong and emotionless.
“By understanding and naming these cultural patterns,” she says, “we help people break free from them.”
Healing, at Cannenta, is often a family process. “We emphasize family,” she adds, “because in our culture, healing rarely happens alone.”
Reimagining the Mental Health Workplace
The innovation doesn’t stop with client care. Cannenta’s model also rethinks how clinicians are treated.
Instead of contract-based, fee-for-service roles, Cannenta offers salaried positions with benefits, flexibility, and continued training. Therapists aren’t pushed to meet quotas. They’re supported in doing their best work.
“You can’t help others if you’re running on empty,” Cavazos says.
That philosophy creates a healthier workplace and better outcomes. Clinicians stay longer, collaborate more, and invest in the community they serve.
Making Space for the Unseen
Cavazos’s career has long been about filling gaps others have ignored. Before founding Cannenta, she helped lead the creation of Texas’s first domestic violence shelter for men.
“There were no resources,” she says. “In many cases, men were arrested even when they were the ones being abused.”
The project didn’t just provide beds, it sparked new conversations about who deserves to be seen and supported.
That spirit drives Cannenta’s community work, including the annual Hispanic Mental Health Conference, which blends education, storytelling, and action. Each year’s event centers on a different theme, this year’s is Hombres, Healing & Hope, aimed at breaking the silence around men’s mental health.
“When men heal, families change. Communities change,” Cavazos says.
All proceeds from the conference go to the Cannenta Foundation Fund, which provides therapy scholarships, subsidizes services for low-income families, and supports the training of bilingual, culturally competent clinicians.
“For many individuals in underserved communities, financial barriers are a significant obstacle to receiving the care they need,” Cavazos says. “The contributions we receive through this conference allow us to directly fund services for those who lack insurance, have limited income, or face other socio-economic challenges.”
A Bilingual Blueprint
Cavazos’s advocacy doesn’t stop at clinics or conferences. In 2023, she published Self-Care for Chingonas, a bilingual guide for Latinas navigating trauma, caregiving, and cultural pressure.
“Chingona’ is often seen as bold, brash, or even offensive by some, she says. “We reclaimed it. We made it a symbol of strength.”
The book blends practical tools with cultural pride, another piece of Cavazos’s broader mission to make mental wellness both accessible and culturally relevant.
Building the Future of Care
Cavazos isn’t patching up a broken system, she’s building a new one from scratch. Her vision is national: a model where culturally competent, bilingual mental health care is embedded in primary care across the country.
“Therapy should be a right, not a privilege,” she says. “It shouldn’t depend on your income, your ZIP code, or your ability to speak English.”
She’s urging others to help expand the mission:
Support bilingual clinicians. Advocate for policy change. Donate if you can. But most importantly, talk about mental health like it matters—because it does.
“Healing is personal,” Cavazos says. “But access should be public.”
And in one quiet corner of Texas, that belief is already rewriting the future of care for a community that’s waited long enough.