In Treatment. Meet Mexican Psychologist, Angelina Martinez.
By Shaila Madsen
Angelina Martinez has been practicing
psychology for more than 11 years: in Mexico City, Cuernavaca, and most recently, in Mazatlán. She charges between 250 and 450 pesos per hour, works four hours daily, and most of her clientele are Mexicans.
If the patient works hard, Angelina believes she can give them control over his or her life within four months. If they are not willing to examine their lives, or do their “homework” or take ownership of their challenges, then she does not drag out the sessions. She implements a “strength mantra” in which you repeat your strengths and how you will choose to change a particular situation.
Her patients are evenly split between men and women. Many are dealing with family problems, the most common being how to cope with rebellious teenagers. She has individual sessions, and then family sessions, all with the goal to get each family member to take responsibility for their behavior and to change it – now. Low self esteem is at the root of many issues.
The Barbie Doll Syndrome is instilled here at a very early age, according to Angelina. “The Sinaloa culture strongly pushes women to wear tight clothes and gobs of makeup, striving to be attractive while they search for rich men. Society encourages men to drink, drive fancy cars, and seek the most beautiful women,” she says. As a result, beauty and booze issues plague many marriages in which violence is a serious problem. “Some young women who wear stilettos and have long painted nails use them for a duel purpose: as weapons – to scratch, hit or kick.”
What appears to be uncomplicated for Mazatlecos is the work place. Office stress does not reach her couch because Mazatlecos seem contently employed, unlike Mexico City where many
Couples in the midst of a divorce seek treatment. She sees individuals but does not offer marriage counseling - she refers them to a specialist; similarly, she refers clients suffering from paranoia, severe depression, or schizophrenia to a psychiatrist. With Mazatlán daily newspapers displaying executions and photos of dead bodies, I ask if this has any impact on society, particularly with children. “No, the kids are used it; they know it’s between the drug lords, it doesn’t affect them at all,” she says. “They never see themselves as part of the collateral damage.” A mother or a child could have some degree of apprehension, she says, but no patient suffering from “street fear” has ever sought her services.
Angelina’s prescription for anxiety, or for more happiness, is what she subscribes to in her own life. Excessive worry is best managed with tried and true methods: yoga, walking, exercising, healthy diet, massage and dancing. With two teenagers and her own practice, she knows how to juggle, meditate and find the right balance. She believes these skills are available to everyone, once you stop making excuses and begin to take control. Every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Angelina donates her time to a radio show, Radio Cultura, on station 90.5 FM. She selects themes concerning Mexican families, and discusses the topic with another expert in that field. A family can tune in and obtain an hour’s worth of her advice—her way of giving back.
Sheila Madsen lives full time in Mazatlan. Her fees from the Pacific Pearl are donated to Hospice Mazatlán, which provides compassionate, specialized care and support for people whose illness cannot be cured.
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