One College, One Exhibition Highlights Interconnections of Immigration, Trauma and Mental Health Advocacy

On Wednesday, October 15, the College of Human Development, Culture and Media (CHDCM) welcomed Seton Hall alumnus Enmanuel Mercedes, Ph.D., a Latino psychologist and mental health advocate, to speak on campus as part of the College’s One College, One Exhibition (OCOE) initiative.  

Students, faculty and local members from community-based organizations filled the presentation room as Mercedes shared his personal and professional experiences supporting historically underserved communities and addressing complex mental health challenges. Through discussions on the intersections of immigrant experiences, trauma and mental health, Mercedes highlighted the importance of collective engagement and community support, a throughline reflected in all OCOE events.  

Through his talk, Mercedes shared his journey growing up in the Dominican Republic and moving to Newark, New Jersey, as a child, and reflected upon how challenges from immigration are tied to trauma and mental health for diverse individuals and families. Mercedes also shared the clinical and advocacy work he has engaged in through his practice and his community-oriented projects. “Everyone is interconnected and no one does it alone,” said Mercedes, encouraging every attendee to participate in promoting well-being in their own communities on campus and beyond. 

“[Mercedes’] family's story is one that resonates with that of many others in New Jersey and the nation, and his address demonstrated the power of truth-telling about a pressing social issue,” said CHDCM Founding Dean Bryan Crable, Ph.D. “Not only is [Mercedes] skilled at addressing the contemporary mental health crisis, but by sharing his own family's journey, he was able to talk specifically to our community about the traumas associated with migration.” 

The audience also engaged with members from La Casa de Don Pedro, Inc., the largest Latinx-led community-based organization in New Jersey, which provides comprehensive services aimed at fostering self-sufficiency, empowerment and neighborhood revitalization in greater Newark, New Jersey, for the past 45 years.  

Mercedes graduated from Seton Hall with a B.A. in Psychology ('02), an M.A. in Psychological Studies ('05) and a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology ('13). He is the founder of Your Wellness Space™, a mental health practice focused on helping optimize emotional wellbeing and addressing challenges negatively impacting personal and workplace mental health.

Categories: Education, Health and Medicine