At One Life Counseling Center, the Una Vida program is doing more than offering support groups, it is reshaping how mental health care looks and feels for Latinx families in San Mateo County. 

The program was born from a simple belief: you can’t focus on your emotional health when you’re worried about having enough food, diapers or support. That’s why Una Vida weaves together mental health, basic needs and community into one trusted, Spanish-speaking space. 

When Elena* arrived from Sonora with no English, no local family, and two young children to care for, a neighbor pointed her to Una Vida. She came first for food and diapers at the weekly Monday Market program, Lunes de Mercado, and soon joined a therapist-led mothers’ group. There, in Spanish, she found women who understood her fears, her memories of violence, and her hopes for her children. She felt less alone. She learned about mental health. She found the confidence to become a weekly volunteer. When she recently welcomed her newborn, Sofia*, her Una Vida community threw her an epic baby shower and made sure food, diapers, and support arrived every week. Today, she calls the Una Vida team her Familia de Una Vida, a chosen family. 

Her story is not unique. Led by Program Director Cony Fuentes, Una Vida serves nearly 240 Latino families through 10-week groups for mothers and fathers, bi-monthly community workshops, and monthly music gatherings for older adults facing isolation. For many, Una Vida is their first connection to care at One Life and the bridge that makes it possible. By meeting families where they are, with culturally grounded support and real-world resources, the program helps break down the stigma and practical barriers that so often keep people from accessing mental health treatment. What begins at the Monday Market or in a mothers’ circle frequently becomes the first step toward individual counseling and lasting care. 

By pairing emotional support with real-world resources and deep cultural understanding, Una Vida is closing longstanding gaps in care and helping Latinx families build stronger, healthier futures together. 

To refer a client or learn more about Una Vida and One Life Counseling Center’s services, visit onelifecounselingcenter.org, call 650-394-5155, or email info@onelifecounselingservices.com.  

*Names changed for privacy. 

By Pardis Khosravi, PsyD, Senior Clinical Director, One Life Counseling Center.