COEHD professors Derek Robertson and Heather Trepal with Elias Zambrano during a visit to Oaxaca, Mexico in 2016.
(June 6, 2017) -- A group of faculty and students from The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) College of Education and Human Development’s (COEHD) Department of Counseling will travel to Mexico this month to learn how to become better counseling professionals.
For nearly two weeks, the group, which will include both school counseling and clinical mental health counseling students, will immerse themselves in the languages and culture of Oaxaca, Mexico, in order to learn about the different ways that potential future clients might experience the world.
“Through a partnership with the Ollin Tlahtoalli Center for Mexican Languages and Cultures, the students will study the Spanish language and attend lectures and activities to help them learn more about the different cultures that exist in Oaxaca,” said Derek Robertson, assistant professor in the UTSA Department of Counseling.
These lectures, Robertson said, will teach the students about indigenous food, languages and cultures, current issues facing children in Oaxaca, and education in rural indigenous villages.
“I think we are most excited about the opportunities for our students to interact with and learn from some of the Zapotec people that we will be visiting in the villages surrounding Oaxaca,” said Robertson. “Our host has a project to help Zapotec children learn and retain their language and culture, and we will attend one of their groups.”
The COEHD students will also have the opportunity to visit local cultural and archaeological sites, such as the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, Santo Domingo Church, Hierve el Agua and Monte Alban.
“We will also meet with a Zapotec indigenous healer,” said Robertson. “This will help our students appreciate the different ways that people conceptualize health, mental health and healing.”
The trip will take place from June 11-23 and is the first study abroad trip the department has offered.
“We are hoping that by providing an opportunity to immerse themselves in a different culture, our students will begin to see their own culture in ways that they may not have before,” said Robertson. “Hopefully they will begin to see that many of their ideas about ‘the way things work’ or ‘the way things ought to be’ are not universal.”
Learn more about the UTSA Deartment of Counseling.
Learn more about the UTSA M.Ed. in School Counseling program.
Learn more about the UTSA M.S. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program.
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
The UTSA Office of Undergraduate is proud to celebrate National Undergraduate Research with an annual event sponsored by the (OUR) featuring students will showcase undergraduate student research and creative endeavors from all disciplines across campus.
Various LocationsDía en la Sombrilla, formerly Fiesta UTSA, is a festival hosted each spring as a part of Fiesta® San Antonio events. Sponsored by Roadrunner Productions, the event features music, food, confetti, games, event t-shirts, and more.
Sombrilla Plaza and Central Plaza, Main CampusFiesta Arts Fair features contemporary art from more than 100 artists from across the U.S., Fiesta favorite foods, drinks, live music by local and regional performers, and a Young Artists Garden providing opportunities for budding artists to learn, explore and express their creativity.
UTSA Southwest CampusJoin the PEACE Center and Wellbeing Services for Denim Day, a day of learning about the importance of consent and why we wear denim on the last Wednesday of the month each April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Stop by our Denim Day display to take a photo in front of our Denim Wall, spin the "Is It Consent?" Wheel, and get a Concha or goodie.
Student Union Window Lounge, Main CampusLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventCelebrate the accomplishments of College of Education and Human Development, College for Health, Community and Policy, College of Sciences and University College.
AlamodomeCelebrate the accomplishments of Alvarez College of Business, College of Liberal and Fine Arts and Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.
AlamodomeThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.
