Multicultural Therapy
People from all backgrounds can experience difficulties that lead them to seek therapy. A multicultural approach in therapy means that the challenges you experience are explored from the unique perspective of your culture and community. Our backgrounds and identities shape the way we view our struggles, progress, life goals, relationships, and so on.
Like so many areas of society, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) folx are underrepresented in the field of mental health. But being able to find a therapist who honors your lived experience is core to quality therapy and meaningful growth. It can be transformative to have a safe space where you have the freedom to express and explore all aspects of yourself – even when it’s hard to put into words.
Being able to find a therapist who honors your lived experience is core to quality therapy and meaningful growth. It can be transformative to have a safe space where you have the freedom to express and explore all aspects of yourself.
Signs That You might benefit from multicultural therapy
Do you often experience these or ask yourself these questions?
“Who am I?”
“Am I being loyal to my culture if I believe in ___ ?”
“Why is it so hard to be accepted?”
“How can I be seen for who I really am?”
“Maybe they’re not targeting me for my race? Maybe they just don’t like me as a person.”
“Am I being too Americanized?”
‘How do I hold onto my family values and beliefs while still succeeding and fitting into the corporate world?”
Racism or Discrimination
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Microaggressions
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Overt aggression such as verbal threats or physical violence
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Fear of retaliation
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Racial gaslighting
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Discrimination, harassment, or humiliation
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Flashbacks to any of the above
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Intergenerational trauma
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Racial trauma
Difficulty Acculturating
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Transitioning to a community with different racial-ethnic identities, socioeconomic statuses, immigration histories, sexual identities, gender identities
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You automatically codeswitch in certain scenarios and this distresses you
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Feeling inferior because of aspects of one’s culture
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Difficulties trying to balance cultural identity with the predominant culture
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Feeling like you don’t fully belong to any group
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Manifesting in feelings of loneliness, fear, anger, depression, and anxiety
Cultural Identity
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Hiding your fullest expression of yourself from the world
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Fear, shame, or inadequacy
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Discrepancy, confusion, or conflict between the culture you grew up in and the larger corporate world
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Questioning one's identity
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Stigma about mental health
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Wondering how to balance your personal values with those of your racial or cultural background
Therapy for BIPOC Folx
We – therapists and clients alike- are all socialized beings whose values, beliefs, and worldviews influence the therapeutic relationship. Even if you are unable to find a therapist who looks like you, it’s essential that you feel safe expressing all aspects of your identity.
Our therapists strive to hold space for open and human conversations about identity, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome all of you, even the parts that may not have been welcome in other spaces. With this essential foundation, we can begin to:
𖥸 Work through common themes of shame, anxiety, isolation, trauma, depression, anger, grief and microaggressions
𖥸 Process and make sense of your unique experiences with race, culture, sexuality, gender identity, religion, immigration history, and socioeconomic history
𖥸 Sort through internalized “-isms” that may be impacting your self-esteem and interpersonal relationships
𖥸 Build a more coherent sense of self that integrates all aspects of you