Training Course

1. To gain an in-depth and comprehensive knowledge and awareness of the cultural/societal issues that the Hmong community in the United States has, which also impacts their mental health.
2. To be able recognize the significant differences of the Hmong culture compared to the greater Asian population and how this impacts their  sense of identity and mental health. 
3.  To be able to recognize how does Hmong and Asian culture differ from other cultures in general.  
4. To be able to differentiate how different generations of  Hmong specifically struggle with mental health / cultural issues that may also be reflected through their daily life practices. 
5. To be able to differentiate how mental health impacts the Hmong between the genders.
6. To be able to identify strengths in the Hmong      community with regards to addressing mental health concerns. 
7. To be able to have a general understanding of the concept of Confucianism and how it can be an appropriate treatment for Hmong patients and families. 
8. To understand what culture is, its functions, the value of appreciating the strengths in other cultures, and knowing how to utilize these strengths in the appropriate context so as to aim for healthy and respectful collaboration across all race, ethnicities and nationalities. 
9. To be able to understand the nature of social diversity and oppression.
10. To understand what does cultural humility look like and how one can practice it in there profession.
11. To be able to have effective and culturally-competent strategies in helping the Hmong and their families to appropriately deal with mental health issues.

 Maria Moua is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a Master’s Degree from Bethel Seminary, St. Paul, MN. She is also a certified perinatal/postpartum counselor. Being a first-generation born in the United States, a daughter of Hmong refugee immigrants, she is passionate about working in the community, helping people strive and grow into becoming their best potential. She has been practicing in the mental health field for over 13 years, with a foundation of her work being in intensive in-home family-systems therapy, multisystemic therapy, and in Children’s Crisis. 

In addition, Ms. Moua has dedicated several years of volunteer service mentoring youth and young adults.  In college, Ms Moua was the president of the Asian-focus group, as well as the Vice President for the student-based Race, Ethnicity, Diversity On Campus (REDOC) Group. She was also a part of the task force for cultural competency with college staff and faculty. 

Ms. Moua is recruited to public speak at several college campuses and other event-functions with regards to her expertise in mental health, parenting and family relationship dynamics, understanding and treating Hmong mental health, perinatal/postpartum issues, as well as other topics. Ms. Moua is the co-founder and coordinator for the Hmong MFT Support Group, active in the community since 2011, which can be found on Facebook. 

Ms. Moua is also a student of Karate (currently a green belt) and is dedicated into implementing the foundations of martial arts into both her professional and personal life. Outside of work, Ms. Moua enjoys cooking, spending quality with her family, and loves being a wife and mom to her husband and their two sons.   

Ms. Moua currently runs her own private practice, Maria Moua Therapy LLC. For further information, you may visit: https://mariamouatherapy.com