Open Paths Counseling Center

10/09/2025

Dr. Shamita Das Dasgupta's early work in domestic violence services within the South Asian community kept surfacing the same problem: women would disclose abuse, receive the standard safety plan, then disappear. They wanted help but the help offered didn’t take into account their realities.

Abusers threatened deportation, hid immigration documents, exploited family pressure and community shame. Standard interventions assumed economic independence was possible and police were safe to call.

Seeking solutions curated to the particulars of South Asian communities, she co-founded Manavi, which still operates today. Dr. Das Dasgupta and her colleagues created safety planning that included immigration status documentation. Support groups where women could speak their languages. Legal advocacy that understood visa abuse. Intervention that treated cultural isolation as seriously as physical violence.

Her work proved that effective intervention requires understanding how systems of oppression compound each other. Manavi became the blueprint for culturally-specific domestic violence organizations nationwide, demonstrating that marginalized communities need services designed with how they live in mind.

10/08/2025

California's overall ranking is 15 - we're not the best but we're doing better than the majority of states.

But we can definitely do better as a state and as a nation. Su***de rates are on the rise. Many communities that already find mental health care inaccessible are experiencing increased rates of trauma over the past few months - on top of already existing ones.

Please be kind to yourselves and be mindful of your friends, family and neighbors. If you or someone close to you is struggling, please seek care. Open Paths offers culturally-affirming care on a sliding scale and most of our services are offered in English and Spanish. If you need services in other languages, we may also be able to point you in the right direction.

Read the full 2025 Mental Health America report: https://lnkd.in/gfzrREBy

10/07/2025

You're not imagining it. You're not the problem.

This Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we want you to know about two tactics used to exert control: Gaslighting and DARVO..

If someone consistently makes you feel confused about a particular chain of events, or turns every conversation from their behavior to what you've done wrong, that's control.

Trust what you experienced. Your feelings are valid.

10/04/2025

10/03/2025

10/01/2025

As a psychiatrist and a physician scientist, Dr. Ruby Castilla-Puentes advocates integrating cultural strengths—like tight family bonds and religious beliefs—as protective factors against suicidality. Championing mental health for Hispanic communities, especially focusing on youth and su***de risk, Castilla-Puentes balances her clinical research with public speaking, aiming to reduce su***de rates by addressing the misunderstanding and stigma that often shroud depression within Latino families. Her outreach, including the book "Saving Olito" on community resilience, emphasizes empowering local leaders and parents to intervene early when young people struggle.

09/30/2025

Hypervigilance - your nervous system's way of surviving unsafe situations - can develop as a protective response to Adverse Childhood Experiences or ACEs.

At Open Paths, we work with individuals and families to understand how trauma responses (like hypervigilance) affect them and provide tools and interventions to help reset their nervous systems.

09/29/2025

09/29/2025

From César Chávez's reminder that "no puedes oprimir a la gente que ya no tiene miedo" to Sandra Cisneros' declaration of self-worth, we are reminded that healing begins with recognizing our own power. We honor the strength it takes to seek therapy.

We honor our ancestors' struggles and create space for future generations to thrive when we prioritize our emotional wellness. We celebrate the profound tenacity and resolve that lives within our communities.

09/26/2025

Each year, Open Paths welcomes multiple cohorts to train with us under the supervision of licensed marriage and family therapists (LMFT), licensed clinical supervisors. Working with a diverse array of clients, trainees learn to implement therapeutic practices through Open Paths' culturally affirming care lens.

Open Paths is a nonprofit counseling center and training agency centering the therapeutic needs of Los Angeles’s historically marginalized communities. We serve those who traditionally lack access due to financial, geographic, and/or cultural barriers.