Culture, Belonging, and Identity
We all have to adapt and adjust to our surroundings as we grow up, but if we constantly force ourselves to fit a mold, eventually we lose ourselves. For people experiencing bicultural stress (that feeling of between stuck between two worlds), generational differences, or acclimating to a new society, the demands to adapt, achieve, conform or fulfill expectations can be overwhelming. The pressure to play different roles at the same time can make you feel like you’re being torn apart; you don’t know how to act, what to do, or what you want.
This constant stress can lead to a range of emotional and social challenges, such as imposter syndrome, perfectionism, persistent guilt, shame, loneliness, anger, grief, intense pressure to succeed, constantly comparing yourself to others, internalized racism, discrimination, fatigue, anxiety, feeling lost and more.
I offer a culturally responsive approach that seeks to validate and make sense of those experiences, explore your roles, help you identify your values, define boundaries, break unhelpful patterns, and embrace your identity without rejecting your family or culture. I strive to provide culturally inclusive care that recognizes intergenerational trauma, racial and gender disparities, and the challenges faced by LGBTQIA and BIPOC communities.
My approach to therapy is also strengths-based and draws heavily on CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), especially ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and DBT skills (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), mindfulness, and parts work.
Therapy could be for you if you:
are balancing a bicultural or multicultural identity
are adapting to a new culture
wonder what it would be like if you stopped living according to everyone else’s expectations
feel “out of place” or pulled between two or more worlds
don’t know what you really want
are afraid of what would happen if started acted like “yourself”
feel like you have to be exceptional to be respected or loved
feel rejected or othered by the society you grew up in.
are recovering from racial or religious trauma
don’t feel accepted by your family because of who you are
identify as an immigrant, second or third generation immigrant, third-culture kid, foreign student, bicultural, expat, or lost generation
Contact me to schedule a session now or schedule a free 15 min consultation to see if we’re a good fit!