Nopal Kweenz Podcast

The Nopal Kweenz are joined by guest Dr. Jaime Raygoza of Finding The Unicorn in You Podcast to serve up real conversations about mental health, bravely going into a topic that can be difficult to talk about in the Latinx Community- suicide. Join us for an enriching and healing conversation gente!

The Nopal Kweenz explore what it means to be neurodiverse from a Latinx perspective and how to support our comunidad in getting the support and help they need to thrive with neurodiversity.  Ps the vibes were fire, the audio not so much. Gracias for your grace! 

In this episode the Nopal Kweenz explore Mother Work- the process of healing through mother wounds and honoring the duality of this journey.

Nopal Kweenz are back for another season and ready to get into it! Join your co-hosts La Estrella and La Sirena as they talk with guest Gloria De Leon, founder of Cualtura, a space created to identify and overcome workplace barriers presented to many First Generation Professionals. Listen in as they unpack navigating work spaces as a first-generation professional, success strategies, overcoming imposter syndrome and more. Nopal Kweenz also honors and celebrates First-Gen Professional Latinas as they gain more representation in leadership and professional roles. 

Nopal Kweenz wrap up season 2 in true fashion- real, unapologetic conversations from the Latinx perspective. In this episode La Estrella and La Sirena discuss recent events that are having an impact on our community and beyond such as the recent abortion ban and how we are coping through that experience, and the recent string of mass shootings. La Sirena shares her own personal story losing family to the El Paso mass shooting and what it means to truly take a break and prioritize mental health. Alas, not all hope is lost though! The Nopal Kweenz shed light on some great highlights on Latinx community accomplishments and remind us all that we are multi-storied and resilient. We're gonna be alright gente! 

Take a trip around the world with the Nopal Kweenz in this episode. We talk with  Nancy Diaz, of Global Citizen Therapy, a Latina therapist based out of Australia,. We unpack the experiences of daughter of immigrants, the pressures of parent-pleasing, creating our own paths while honoring family roots, and more! Stick around at the end as we also explore Nancy's own journey as a Latina traveling the world, living and practicing as a therapist. 

In this episode Nopal Kweenz get real about their experiences coming out of COVID. La Sirena talks about her experiences as a clinician working in crisis services during the pandemic and struggling through vicarious trauma symptoms. La Estrella shares her experiences with pandemic job loss and finding work again. This episode also explores how our bodies respond to trauma and stress and what we can do to find ourselves again as we are coming out of COVID and returning back to in office work. Tune in to hear how they ended up coping through these and where they are now. COVID has been hard pero we will get through together gente! 

Join your co-hosts La Sirena and La Estrella in an extended conversation about the experiences of being a mujer. Mujeres are amazing, facing double standards, gender roles, patriarchy, etc. and still making moves for a better future! In this episode we get real about what it's like to live in world that always has something to say about what women "should be" or should "look like" and how we handle this like Chingonas. Each of your co-hosts also highlight their own female role models- listen in to find out who they are! We also reveal some big news at the end that we think our listeners will be ecstatic to hear! Grab your ear buds and a snack and let's get into it! 

Join us for part II of First-Gen February as we explore the world of first-gen parents, whose padres immigrated to the US and are the first to raise their children in a country different than their own. We get into the duality of first-gen parenting and unpack the mental health aspects of this journey; we get into what it means to actively break generational trauma cycles, ending chancla culture, addressing toxic masculinity, and choosing to raise bi-lingual children- or not. Your co-hosts La Estrella and La Sirena welcome guest Anabel Raya, a mother of 2 and first-gen parent to share her story. Ponte el seat belt, grab those snacks, you do not want to miss this episode as we celebrate first-gen parents and get real about first-gen parenting! 

It's First-Gen February! Tune into part I of a two-part series this month highlighting the experiences of first-generation gente. In this episode, La Sirena, La Estrella and returning guest Rafa Morales-Ordaz, a college advisor who works with first-gen students, discuss the experiences of first-generation students as they navigate college for the first time, the power of asking for help, the delicate journey of navigating feelings of guilt, balancing family and school obligations and not giving up when times get tough. We honor the challenges and real experiences of first-gen students and how these factors affect mental health, and also celebrate the amazing tenacity and strength of our gente. You don't want to miss out on this conversation! 

Join Nopal Kweenz as we dive deep into our favorite movie Encanto to unpack everything it brought up for so many of us. The impact of historical/colonial trauma, the vicious cycle of trauma responses, how generational trauma gets passed down, and how we can heal our familias. [**Encanto Movie Spoilers in this episode]

In this episode, we tackle how the beginning of a new year always feels like a fresh start to do things differently, and realize that we have the power to do so! Join us as we talk with Michael Lemus @arisewithlemus Life Coach, Strategic Brand Consultant, and Speaker. Michael is a Latino whose mission is to help others find their voice, reclaim their happiness, and align themselves with their life goals. If creating the life you want by aligning your intentions with your mind, body and soul has been on your mind, you don't want to miss this episode!

Welcome to the re-launch of season 2! In this episode Nopal Kweenz get real about money and mental health. Join us as we talk with Luzy D. King, found of Viva La Budget and Finance. She is a Latina whose mission is to help Latinx folks break through beliefs that limit us in our journey to financial success. Also joining us is the fabulous new co-host, La Estrella. If building generational wealth has been on your mind, you don't want to miss this convo! 

Nopal Kweenz started as an Idea in a parking lot three years ago. We had no idea that we would still be here in the community three years later with all of you! We are excited to enter a new season and invite y'all to check out this episode to learn more about what we are doing and where Nopal Kweenz is headed. We have so many sueñitos for this podcast and are looking forward to bringing them to life. Thank you for Supporting this Latina Driven podcast. We could not do this without you, our community. We have a seat waiting for you at the table; see you soon. Much Love, Nopal Kweenz

Hola, listeners!  We know it has been a while since we dropped an episode. You all know this past year has been rough AF, but we made it...barley  Nopal Kweenz is bringing you this episode to celebrate the end of a season.  Join us for an hour-long special dedicated to La Rosa. In this episode, we dive into friendships, growth, and life transitions.  We cry we laugh, and we reflect on life this past year.  Stay tuned. We have exciting things in store for you all, and we will be announcing them soon! We hope you enjoy this episode and help us celebrate season 1 of Nopal Kweenz.  It's a good one. You don't want to miss it *Cries in Spanish.

Hola Gente, 2020 is coming to an end, and it's been quite the year *cries in Spanish*. We are still living through a pandemic, and this year the Holidays are looking different. In this episode, we want to validate all of the feels that this pandemic has brought us, especially during the Holiday season. We cry and we laugh. We get a little frustrated because let's be real, we miss our families, friends, and life outdoors. We explore opportunities to create some new traditions with our loved ones in quarantine while still holding onto childhood traditions.  We have no idea what 2021 will bring, but we are in it together. We will continue to invite you all to have a seat at our table and chat with us. Feliz Ano Nuevo! -Nopal Kweenz 

And we are back with a fresh new episode for you all. Episode 19 is here! We don't know how Nopal Kweenz did it, but we survived the election. *Cries in Spanish*  Like many of you, we went through so many feels, and we are happy to be on the other side. We recognize that we have a lot of work to do in the Latinx community. We will continue to raise our voice, organize, and remind folks that Latinos are not homogenous. We are beautifully diverse and come in all shades. Join us at our table as we talk about our post-election feels, division in the Latinx community, our thoughts, what we learned during this time, our takeaways, and what we hope to accomplish as a community moving forward.  #NopalKweenz #postelectionvibes #Unidos #thefightisnotover #LatinaPodcasters #SaludMental #Mentalhealth #Latinx

Hola Gente! We missed you all! This Pandemic has us all going through it. This episode is dedicated to all of you, our listeners. In this episode, we catch up and get real about life during a pandemic. We are all adjusting to life in quarantine (cuarentena), and this episode is more of a chit chat where we bring on all the validation and healing vibes. We appreciate you all for the love and support you have shown us throughout the podcast. You are not alone in this struggle. We see you, and we are in this together.  Grab a snack, snag your seat, and get ready to chat with us. Much love, Nopal Kweenz

Nopal Kweenz Episode 17 is here. We dedicate this episode to our Spanish Speaking Latinx gente! Grab your tias, tios, Abuelos, Primos, primas, Madres y padres. You do not want them to miss out on the Nopal Kweenz Spanish episode! We have two fantastic guest speakers, LaToya Jackson-Laínez and Norma Mendoza. LaToya Jackson-Laínez identifies herself as an Afro-Latina (her mother being Mexican and her father African-American). LaToya is Director of Human Resources with a focus on issues of equality and inclusion for communities of color and is also a professor of Communications. Norma Mendoza is a public policy and administration professional. She currently works as a policy analyst regarding the care of foster youth in California.  Her experience and interests encompass immigrant rights issues, racial justice and environmental sustainability, and education policy.  Together, They will lead us in a conversation about Racism, White Privilege, and Anti blackness in the Latino Community!  This episode is raw and authentic. We throw in some Spanglish; we struggle to find the words to express ourselves, but here we are.  We hope this episode will inspire you to bring these conversations into your homes. Change starts with all of us. We can no longer remain silent as our Black Brothers, and Sisters' lives are taken. This fight is our fight too! Nopal Kweenz Episode 17 ya está aquí. Dedicamos este episodio a los miembros de la comunidad que hablan español. Agarra tus tías, tíos, Abuelos, Primos, primas, Madres y padres. ¡No dejes que se pierdan el episodio en español de Nopal Kweenz! Tenemos dos oradores invitados fantásticos, LaToya Jackson-Laínez y Norma Mendoza. LaToya Jackson-Laínez se identifica como una Afro-Latina (su madre siendo Mexicana y su padre Afro-Americano). LaToya es Directora de Recursos Humanos con un enfoque en temas de igualdad e inclusión para comunidades de gente de color, y también es profesora de Comunicaciones.  Norma Mendoza es una profesional en administración y políticas públicas. Actualmente trabaja como analista de políticas con respecto al cuidado de jóvenes de crianza temporal en California. Sus intereses y experiencia incluyen temas sobre derechos de los inmigrantes, justicia racial y sostenibilidad ambiental, y políticas educativas. ¡Juntas Nos guiarán en una conversación sobre el racismo, el privilegio de ser blanco y la lucha contra la Anti-negritud en la comunidad Latinx! Este episodio es crudo y auténtico. Agregamos algo de spanglish; luchamos por encontrar las palabras para expresarnos, pero aquí estamos. Esperamos que este episodio los inspire a llevar estas conversaciones a sus hogares. El cambio comienza con todos nosotros. Cuando una comunidad sufre, todos sufrimos. Ya no podemos permanecer en silencio mientras nuestra comunidad negra sufre a manos de la supremacía blanca. ¡Esta pelea es nuestra pelea también!

In this episode, Nopal Kweenz celebrate the graduating class of 2020 with a special focus on the mental health impact that the COVID-19 crisis has had on graduating seniors. From K-12 to Universities, graduates from all over are grieving the loss of their last months of school. For the Latinx community, graduation symbolizes a family's strength, resilience, and promise for a better tomorrow. Losing this tradition has been devastating for some of our gente. We explore these feelings, highlight and lift up our seniors, honor their hard work, and offer ways to cope through this time. Graduates and their loved ones don't want to miss out on this very special episode! ¡Felicidades!

Hola Communidad! Episode 15 is here and we are dropping it Quarantine Style! Like all of you, Nopal Kweenz are staying in our casitas and doing our part to keep ourselves and others safe. This episode is all about learning how to Cope Through a National Crisis. We decided to create space for this conversation because we are all impacted by the current COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, we honor the genuine feelings that people are experiencing, discuss how stress shows up in our bodies, and share how to take care of ourselves when things are uncertain. You all need to know... We are in this together!   Here are some Mental Health Websites and Hotlines to check out: COVID19.CA.GOV Virusanxiety.com NAMI.org The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline - 800-273-TALK (8255)  Crisis Text Line - text HOME to 741-741  SAMHSA Disaster Distress Line - 800-985-5990 The National Domestic Violence Hotline - 800-799-SAFE (7233) The National Sexual Assault Hotline - 800-656-HOPE (4673)

In this episode, the Nopal Kweenz explore the many layers of Latinidad from a holistic lens. We get into the racial identity model, acculturation, and hear from listeners about their own experiences defining Latinidad. We explore the impact it has on how we build identity as Latinx individuals living in the United States and how this ties into our mental health. Our intention for this episode is to provide rich dialogue so that you walk away feeling validated and free to identify however you want! After all, there's no right way to be Latina, Latino, or Latinx. Do you, boo!

We are ending the year with 13 episodes in the books! Thank you all for the love and support. We have had a great year and truly enjoyed producing episodes for you all. To wrap it up we are ending the year with a fun episode focused on how to Thrive during the holiday season. We share some of our favorite memories, we honor our loved ones and we create a space to talk about mental health during this time. Grab a snack, some headphones o ponte el seatbelt this one is a fun one yall!

In this capítulo, we honor life and talk about the ways that we celebrate our loved ones who have passed away, from our perspectives in Salvadorian and Mexican culture. We share some personal stories about our experiences with life and loss, as well as discuss bereavement and the stages of grief.

Hola Gente, We are officially back! We are bringing you our 11th episode and we are so excited to share it with all of you! If you are curious as to why we have been MIA, then you don't want to miss out on this episode. In this episode, we get raw and real about the transitions we have been going through as a team. This episode is genuine and real. It is essential for all of you, our listeners, to know that we are human and just like you, and we go through heavy stuff too. It was not easy to be vulnerable, but we felt that you all deserved to see this part of us. We hope you all enjoy this episode! Con mucho Amor, Nopal Kweenz

Can you believe it! We made it to episode 10! Nopal Kweenz would like to thank all of our listeners for the love and support that you have shown us this far. To show you all a token of our gratitude we have chosen to dedicate this episode to you! Tune in to hear us answer some of the questions that you all submitted. This was a super fun episode. We definitely enjoyed reading and answering your questions! Thank you all for participating.  Con mucho amor,  Nopal Kweenz

What are ACE’s? Adverse Childhood Experiences are events or circumstances that are present in the first 18 years of life such as abuse, neglect, and household challenges. ACE’s can have a significant impact on future outcomes of health, violence, victimization, and traumatization. In this episode, Nopal Kweenz provide insight into the ACE’s study that was done by Kaiser, the potential impact that ACE’s can have on our Latinx community, as well as take a deeper dive into PTSD, which is one of the potential negative outcomes of having adverse childhood experiences. Knowledge is power gente! Nopal Kweenz are here to educate our gente and put you up on some important game about ACE’s and PTSD!

Episode 8 is here! We can’t believe we have made it this far! Grab a snack, some headphones or put on your seatbelt and take a ride with us. In this episode, we get into the pressures of living in a culture of “What’s next?”. We share our experiences and talk about how the “What’s next?” culture in the US impacts our own culture, as well as our relationships with our family, ourselves and our mental health.  

Episode 7 is here! Y’all ready? Our mission is to empower Latinx communities to take charge of their Mental Health, by spreading knowledge and awareness to topics that historically have been and are still taboo. In this episode, we break down Mental Health disorders that are not talked about enough. We focus on Major Depression, Schizophrenia and Bipolar disorder. If you are interested in gaining some insight and awareness on these topics, we invite you to grab your headphones and/or jump in our car and press play! Let’s get into it!

In this episode, we discuss how to emotionally de-clutter, inspired by the foundations of Netflix’s Tidying Up with Marie Kondo. Get ready to tidy up your mental health as we explore defense mechanisms and distorted thinking patterns that can negatively impact our family, social and work relationships. If you've been feeling an urge to do some cleansing of old habits to make room for a new you, join us in episode 6 to explore ways to increase your mental health and wellness!

For episode 5, we partnered with La Gente Podcast! La Gente started with 1 goal in mind, to create a platform where all POCs could have a voice and where all POCs could find a community. Ashley & Edgar aim to bring on guests of all colors, of all races, and of all genders to share THEIR narrative on La Gente Podcast. They discuss topics that concern POC communities, women, the LGBTQ community and have explored topics such as immigration, young mothers, education, rape culture and so much more! In this episode, Nopal Kweenz and La Gente Podcast answer questions from the listeners, unpacking issues such as toxic masculinity, the impact of mental health on the Latinx community, unique experiences of first-generation college students, and more! Tune in and join the conversation as we continue to increase awareness and empowerment of our gente around the topic of salud mental. #podssupportingeachother #nopalkweenz #lagentepodcast #saludmental #mentalhealth #podsincolor #supportbrownpodcasts #supportlatinxpodcasts

Hola Comunidad! Episode numero cuatro is finally here! We are excited to introduce our very first Nopal Kweenz guest and tackle an issue that was influenced by our listener feedback. In this episode, we talk about Latinos y Mental Health with a focus on the psychological wellness of our male identified folx. Tune in as we break down misconceptions, gender norms and stigmas. This episode is a safe space for males to embrace their emotions. Vulnerability is strength and we are here for it!

Pongansen “El seatbelt”, pop in your headphones, or prop your feet up porque Nopal Kweenz are here rolling out episode Numero 3: Traditions and Transitions. In this discussion, we highlight the importance of weaving in traditional healing approaches such as faith, spirituality and family acceptance into therapy when serving our Latinx Communities. We also reflect on the challenges of setting boundaries in a Latinx familia during our own journeys of self-discovery. The Nopal Kweenz get real and talk about managing life when things are overwhelming and how we allow ourselves to take breaks to recharge. As always, we sign off with affirmations for our gente out there sharing in the struggles of balancing self-identity with family traditions and expectations.

Ponte el seatbelt and join us as we begin to break down barriers in Mental Health. In this episode, you will hear us talk about Taraji’s P. Hensons Foundation, The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation and the importance of representation in the mental health field. We get real in this episode #chillonas; We shed light on the semillas that rooted us into the mental health field. Don’t miss out as we sign off with some affirmations and validations! We are here for you! You are not alone and together we can dismantle the stigmas in Mental Health. Con mucho amor, Nopal Kweenz; La Luna, La Rosa y La Sirena #NopalKweenz #supportlatinxpodcasts #supportbrownpodcasts #latinx #podsincolor #mentalhealth #saludmental #representationmatters #lloronasandproud

Hola amores! The wait is over! Nopal Kweenz episode one has officially dropped. We are beyond excited to share this project with you all! In this episode, you will learn who the heck we are, what we do, and how we became Nopal Kweenz. We are unapologetically ourselves and together we are creating a much needed dialogue about Mental Health in the Latinx community. So, grab a snack or if you’re driving ponte el seat belt and let us roll with you. Con Mucho Amor, Nopal Kweenz