First of Its Kind Mental Health Festival Comes to Pico Rivera

The 2023 Conscious Culture Mental Health Festival is set to take place each Saturday in May, with the aim of encouraging the community to seek mental health resources and embrace indigenous practices for overall well-being. The free event, developed by the Conscious Culture Psychology Clinic in partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s (LACDMH) Take Action for Mental Health LA County campaign, is the first of its kind in the area.

“I started my psychology practice six years ago with the mission of integrating indigenous sacred wisdom with mental health services,” said Anita Mihecoby, Ph.D., founder of Conscious Culture Psychology Clinic, co-creator of the festival and an El Rancho High alumna. “My goal is to build a community that is open to discussing mental health and feels empowered to embrace indigenous practices as a way to heal themselves.”

Each week, this all-ages festival begins at 9 a.m. with a Native American drum and song welcome, a mindfulness breakfast (registration required) and a sage cleansing by an indigenous healer. After breakfast, participants are invited to join one of four mental health sessions: parents and children, adults, teens, or Spanish speakers. Attendees who pre-register and participate in the workshops are entered into a drawing for prizes.

“We have a strong community advisory board who have shared their talents and experiences to ensure this event is beneficial to the families we want to support,” said Monique Macalinao, the event producer and another El Rancho High School alumna. “The community response has been overwhelmingly positive with people sharing they wished there were events like this beyond Mental Health Awareness Month.”

From 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. the community is invited to enjoy a mental health fair featuring a mix of BIPOC small business owners and different healing practices such as reiki, yoga, sound baths and reflexology. Scheduled musical performances include Burritos the Band (tribute to Sublime and Bradley’s House Foundation) and DAN KELLY (of Fortunate Youth) and ZEB (of tribal seeds). On the final day of the event, May 27, the Seven Generations Award will be presented to long-time El Rancho Unified School District educator Herb Ortiz.

“Our vision was to expose the community to different types of healing and show them the variety of resources available to them,” said Avril Cordova (Taos Pueblo and Oglala Lakota) a community engagement specialist who has been a key leader in the planning of the festival. “We want participants to walk away with the sense that they can work together to bring healing to themselves, their families and future generations.”

The festival will take place at El Rancho High School, located at 6501 Passons Blvd., Pico Rivera, CA.

For the full schedule or to register for the 2023 Conscious Culture Mental Health Festival, visit consciouscultureclinic.com/events

About Conscious Culture Psychology Clinic Inc.

Conscious Culture Psychology Clinic Inc. is a mental health clinic that aims to provide conscious-centered, comprehensive services to address the mental health needs of our communities. Our team of doctoral trained clinicians target individual needs while prioritizing respect and kindness throughout their healing journey. In addition, we strive to incorporate an integrated theoretical philosophy that draws upon both scientific principles and the wisdom of indigenous ways of knowing health and well-being. By sharing this sacred wisdom, we hope to inspire our clinicians and customers to live a balanced and harmonious life with all aspects of life, while also promoting sustainability for future generations.

About Take Action For Mental Health LA County

The Take Action Initiative by LACDMH aims to facilitate access to mental health services and resources and unite communities in LA to prioritize mental health and empower individuals to seek support. To learn more, visit takeactionlac.com.