Therapy for Cultural and Intercultural Concerns
Introduction
If you want to discuss cultural or intercultural concerns in therapy, it can help to find a therapist who is well-versed in mental health and relational concerns and able to engage in sensitive and experienced conversations involving cultural or intercultural factors. I'll welcome your bringing your particular concerns into our conversations. If it seems relevant, I'll ask proactive questions about the role of culture, too.
Therapy for Cultural Concerns
Cultural concerns may include cultural identity, understanding and/or living out your values, or about improving relationships that have a strong cultural or generational component that may cause conflict within yourself or with others.
Cultural identity concerns come in different forms:
- Multiracial
- Adopted
- Moved (immigrant, Third Culture Kid, due to parent's work, etc.)
- Disconnected from ethnic roots
- Carry two or more cultural worlds within, which might conflict at times
- _____ Insert your own experience(s) here.
I'll help you to clarify the layers of identity and life experiences that make up who you are so that you can see yourself more clearly. You'll be more likely to make decisions that you'll be happy with because they'll be authentic to who you are and aligned with your values.
If necessary, we'll explore generational conflicts and discuss ways to sensitively address them according to your values (if your values conflict, we'll explore that, too).
For instance, you may come from a family or cultural background that values respecting elders and meeting the needs of the family (or group or community). If so, you may also have had one or more of these experiences:
- Dissatisfied because you have not reflected or acted on your own needs, values, and preferences
- Feeling unseen and unknown because people don't understand you or your interests
- In conflict because you are pursuing your own priorities rather than conforming to others' expectations
- Wanting to balance your own needs with those of others.
If desired, I'll help you to make changes to live into your identity and live out your values as you work to build strong, healthy relationships that are meaningful and mutually satisfying while pursuing life goals.
Therapy for Intercultural Concerns
People come to therapy with differing intercultural concerns. Examples:
- Moved to California from a place where the communal culture or lifestyle is different
- Culture shock
- Interpersonal challenges in school, at work, in a spiritual community, etc.
- Racial prejudice
- Anxious about intercultural encounters
- Angry or simply worn out by being misunderstood
- ____ Insert your own experience(s) here.
Therapy for Locational Transitions and Culture Shock
Therapy for Past and/or Anticipated Negative Intercultural Experiences
Therapy for Intercultural Couples (and Families)
You fell in love and then you found out how different you really are...
All couples eventually discover differences and many therapists are equipped to help couples with differences that cause conflicts...
But it can be helpful to work with a therapist with experience with intercultural relationships who can help you and your partner to work through the challenges of loving each other well in a global and local context that can make that even harder.
Are you afraid that your couple or family therapist will do any of the following?
- Be unaware of how their own culture and experiences impact their perspective
- Side with one partner or family member because of the therapist's own culturally informed values
- Be unaware of how a person's individual- or group-orientation may impact their values and decisions
- Assume that a person has either an individual or group orientation (and related values) and that perspective and those values are never in conflict internally.
Unconscious bias and having a unique perspective based on one's own characteristics and history are inevitable, but the negative impact of this can be reduced in therapy if the therapist is engaged in ongoing work to examine ways that their own characteristics and experience might impact their clients and is working to minimize negative impact, and if the therapist can help each therapy participant to reflect on their own expectations or assumptions.
Intercultural relationships may result in complicated (if not conflicted) relationships with family and friends. We'll examine interpersonal patterns and sources of dissatisfaction. We'll also explore possibilities of communicating love, respect, and care for each other without losing sight of your own identity, perspective, and needs.
I'll listen carefully and help you to listen carefully to one another. It's hard to improve relationship if you only know your own perspective.
Together, we'll clarify what's happening and explore ways to navigate your particular challenges while noting your shared values. By clarifying your shared values, you'll have an anchor and a launching point for navigating relational and life challenges successfully. If your values conflict, we'll explore that and ways to move forward together.
Therapy for Couples and Families