Where identity meets healing.
Therapy for South Asian & Cultural Identity
in person Echo Park & Beverly Hills, LA
remote across CA & NY
Being part of a minority group feels conflicting. You may feel deep connection, pride, and integration with your cultural identity, while simultaneously noticing the discomfort, stigma, and lack of belonging in some spaces. You might even feel disconnected from the values your culture, family or surroundings hold and it’s confusing. It feels difficult to address because there’s no “solution” that will change your identity.
South Asian identities also bring unique challenges that come from familial and cultural expectations that are deeply embedded in value systems, even if they don’t quite align for you.
Sound like you?
Stress, confusion, or guilt over holding values that conflict with your family and/or cultural norms
Trauma, generational trauma & emotional distress from discrimination, injustice and constant microaggressions
Navigated mixed identities or a lack of belonging to one specific group
Stress and pressure related to being an immigrant or child of immigrants
Your intersectionality matters.
our process
how we’ll work on cultural identity in therapy
Making sense of cultural, racial and intersectional stress
We’ll gently uncover how feelings of isolation, hypervigilance, self-doubt manifest from experiences of marginalization and discrimination and how to heal and ove forward.
1Understanding how culture has shaped you and your values.
We’ll take time to understand how your cultural background and family have influenced the way you see yourself, others, and the world. Together, we’ll explore what values still feel aligned and which do not, creating your own value system while still owning your identity.
2Navigating belong, self-compassion and boundaries.
We’ll build inner compassion for parts of you that carry pain or feel caught between worlds. You’ll learn to set boundaries that honor your needs, while still respecting your family, culture and the complexity of being a bridge between identities.
3Building grounding, coping and response tools.
You’ll learn to calm your body and mind when cultural stress feels overwhelming. We’ll also develop ways to respond to microaggressions and stigma safely.
4Curious about the therapy frameworks we’ll use? Learn more here.
what you can expect
Imagine a life where…
You can fully embrace and accept all parts of yourself.
You feel clarity on your own personal values and how to live by them.
Releasing generational trauma feels possible.
You can release guilt coming from society and/or your parents.
Connection to others feels more accessible.
You have a toolbox to regulate the nervous system when dealing the emotional distress that comes from being in a minority group.
You connect to holistic and ancestral healing practices.
Feel fully seen.
FAQ
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Intersectionality is a key aspect of our work together, which means all parts of your identity will be taken into account with addressing your distress and creating a plan that works for you. Because some therapy models were created from a Euro-Centric view, I adapt these frameworks to account for the unique challenges that folks in marginalized groups face.
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The reality is that “boundaries” are not always possible and this is a very Western perspective. However, we can discuss how you can feel regulated, create emotional boundaries, and remain grounded during moments of family, cultural, and society distress. While you can’t change these circumstances, you can shift how your inner world responds, to develop more resilience and not get so overwhelmed by these challenges
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Mindfulness and self-compassion are at the core of much of our therapy work, which has deep roots in Buddhist and Eastern traditions. We will access these through mind-body work that feels accessible to practice outside of session. Any spiritual interest or practices are welcome in the therapy space; our goal is to find what you will connect with.