Ana Ponciano
Research Interest
- Mexican origin Men’s Mental Health
- Decolonizing Mental Health
- Hispanic/ Latin Couples Mental Health and family dynamics
- Decision making processes surrounding return migration to Mexico
- Machismo vs Caballerismo vs Marianismo
- Religion in Hispanic/ Latin families and mental health
Teaching Interest
- Policy
- Social Work Professionalism
- Clinical Social Work Practice
- Intro to Social Work
Ana Liseth Ponciano, LMSW, is a doctoral candidate in Social Work at The University of Texas at Arlington, where she also earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s of Social Work degrees. Born in Dallas, Texas, Ana is an Indigenous woman with family roots in southern Mexico, and her lived experience with migration and family separation informs both her clinical practice and research.
Ana has extensive experience providing bilingual (English and Spanish) clinical mental health services to Hispanic/Latino individuals, couples, and families in community-based settings, addressing complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and family relationships through strengths-based approaches. She incorporates Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) into trauma-informed care to support clients' psychological healing.
Her research examines migration, mental health, and family systems among Mexican-origin communities, with a specific focus on the decision-making processes surrounding return migration to Mexico, the mental health of Mexican-origin fathers, and the application of decolonizing approaches to mental health research and practice. She is particularly interested in how culture, historical context, and family dynamics shape mental health outcomes and access to care.
Ana has experience in qualitative research, including participant recruitment, in-depth interviewing, transcription, thematic analysis, and coding. She is committed to methodologies that center participants' lived experiences and generate knowledge that informs practice, policy, and advocacy. Through her scholarship, clinical practice, and teaching, Ana works toward equitable mental health services and improved outcomes for Hispanic/Latino and Indigenous communities.