The Healing Centre

09/03/2026

Healing Tribe 🌳 We are thrilled to have Claudia Gonzalez, Graduate Student Intern, return to complete her internship at The Healing Centre. A little about her: “Hello, my name is Claudia Gonzalez. I am currently pursuing my Master of Social Work at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. My interest in social work comes from wanting to better understand and support people who are going through difficult experiences, especially children, adolescents, and families. Growing up in the Rio Grande Valley has shaped who I am and has helped me recognize some of the challenges families in our communities experience, including mental health concerns, limited resources and barriers to receiving services.

My work and field experiences have taught me that every person has their own story, strengths, and challenges. I believe it is important to meet people where they are, listen without judgment, and make them feel heard and respected. As I continue my journey toward becoming a licensed social worker, I hope to work with youth and families struggling with mental health and substance use disorders. My goal is not only to help individuals, but also to advocate for positive change in my community. I want to use what I have learned through my education and experiences to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others. I am grateful for this opportunity and look forward to work alongside a great group of professionals.” Help us to welcome her to the Healing Tribe 👏🏼

09/03/2026

Service to our Community is at our Core! 🙏🏼🌱👏🏼

09/02/2026

“Building a Healthier Weslaco Together” 💙

09/02/2026

"September is National Su***de Prevention Month and we are here to tell you that you are not alone.
NAMI South Texas Rio Grande Valley is here to listen, support, and help connect you with resources 💚 You matter. There is hope."
***depreventionmonth ***dePrevention

September is National Su***de Prevention Month and we are here to tell you that you are not alone.
NAMI South Texas Rio Grande Valley is here to listen, support, and help connect you with resources 💚 You matter. There is hope.

***depreventionmonth ***deprevention

09/02/2026

Have you heard these words…”there’s something different about you!” If so, I want to encourage you because that means that your inner change is reflected outwardly and as a matter of fact, ‘something is different about you!’ 🌟👏🏼🪑🌱🙏🏼

09/02/2026

The more you know 🧠

September is Su***de Prevention Month. After being a Psychiatrist for over 40 years, it's clear to me that suicidal thoughts and brains work differently.

Amen Clinics has scanned hundreds of patients who have attempted su***de and many more who have thought about taking their own life. The SPECT scans of these patients revealed abnormalities in the brain, especially in these areas: 
* Temporal Lobes: Brain SPECT imaging shows that people with suicidal thoughts and su***de attempts often have abnormalities in the left temporal lobe. In an Amen Clinics study, we saw left temporal lobe problems in 62 percent of our patients who had serious suicidal thoughts or behaviors. 
* Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): After reviewing nearly 300,000 functional brain scans related to behavior it is clear that head injuries are a leading cause of mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety disorders, panic disorder, PTSD, ADHD/ADD, substance abuse, psychosis, borderline and antisocial personality disorders, dementia, and aggression. Concussions and TBIs also increase the risk of su***de. When the brain has functional damage due to a head injury, it’s critical to heal the brain in order to overcome any mental health problems. At Amen Clinics, 40 percent of our patients have had a significant brain injury.
* Prefrontal Cortex: A large-scale study by researchers at Portland State University found that about 22 percent of people who died by su***de were legally intoxicated at the time of their death. Brain scans show that alcohol lowers function in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region involved in impulse control, judgment, and decision-making.
* Anterior Cingulate Gyrus: People with overactivity in this area of the brain tend to get stuck on negative thoughts, which is one of the traits we see in people with suicidal thoughts and behavior.

09/02/2026

These past two days have been exhilarating! The City of Weslaco, alongside Knapp Community Care Foundation, truly outdid themselves. 💙

I love surrounding myself with visionaries who do not just talk about what is possible, but actually make things happen. That is exactly what these past two days felt like.

Yesterday, we had the opportunity to break bread with Dan Buettner Jr. and Nick Buettner, alongside Chief Lopez; Sandra Charlton, President of the Weslaco EDC; and Ralph Zelno and Christina Yepez with Knapp Community Care Foundation.

The conversation was passion driven because we are purpose led! There is something incredibly energizing about sitting at a table with people who believe in what is possible for our community and are willing to do the work to bring that vision to life.

Today, we welcomed colleagues, friends, family, and community members to the Weslaco Blue Zones Ignite event, followed by a Faith & Health Coalition roundtable.

And I was especially thrilled to see WHS in the house! 💙🐾 Our students were represented by dynamic young leaders and advocates who reminded us that when we talk about building a healthier community, our future generations must have a seat at the table.

A special thank you to my husband, Miguel Cisneros III, for coordinating their participation and ensuring that the voices of our young people are included in this movement. What we build today is ultimately what they will inherit tomorrow.

We are a community that is wealthy in culture, ganas, and a “¡Sí se puede!” attitude. Resilience is part of who we are. With the right commitment, connection, communication, and excellence in delivery, we can take on this challenge and create meaningful, lasting change for our community.

This is what happens when vision meets action, passion meets purpose, and people come together for the greater good.

I cannot wait to see what is next!

I’m ready. Are you? 💙🙏🏼👏🏼

SiSePuede Weslaco

08/28/2026

Save the date you won’t want to miss this one!

ZERA Coaching Leadership Day 2026 Powered by The City of Pharr!

08/27/2026

Therapy tip of the Day 🪑🌱🤓 We often ask about the person who is being cared for.

But how often do we turn to the person beside them, the one coordinating appointments, losing sleep, carrying the worry, holding everything together, and ask:

“How are YOU?”

Research found that older spousal caregivers experiencing significant caregiving strain had a 63% higher risk of mortality than noncaregivers.

Caregiving can also take a profound toll on physical health, mental health, and overall quality of life.

Sometimes the caregiver becomes the invisible patient.

If you know someone caring for a loved one, don’t only ask about the person who is sick.

Ask about them, too.

“How are you?”
“What do you need?”
“How can I help?”

Because the caregiver needs care, too. 🤍

TheHealingCentre

08/27/2026

Tribe 🌳 Today we celebrate Mariel’s birthday. Mariel, you are a blessing to us all. We pray so many blessings over you today and always. 🥳🎉🎂🙏🏼