Culture shock. Xenophobia. Immigration and bureaucratic systems. Racism. Navigating the realities of living in the United States–all while trying to figure out your life in a brand new environment—is overwhelming. Whether you personally experienced this or if your parents or grandparents did, you understand what it feels like to be an immigrant, what it’s like to feel different in a foreign country.

Navigating these complexities can evoke complicated emotions like grief, homesickness, and a longing for home. For second-generation immigrants, the struggle to reconcile their family's cultural identity with the culture outside their home can be constant. This experience is often described as ambiguous loss, an experience where it’s difficult to name and process what we have lost or to feel a sense of closure around it. 

With all the complexities, it can be difficult to find places where you can show up in the fullness of you,  and your history.  Immigration often stems from a desire for a better life, but this pursuit can lead immigrants to downplay their struggles and sacrifices or set them aside insearch of this dreamy “better life.” Children of immigrants can internalize guilt and responsibility to live a life that their parents desired for them, but that doesn’t feel authentic to them. You shouldn’t have to compartmentalize parts of yourself to survive or attend therapy. We want to help support you in building connections to your culture that feel genuine.  

You don't have to face these feelings on your own.

Many people find it deeply healing to share space with a therapist who understands and shares the experience of immigration. While all our therapists are trained in intersectional feminism and multicultural counseling, we recognize the significance of a therapist's own background and identity–especially for first or second-generation immigrants. 

We understand these struggles because we have lived them. Through therapy, we create a supportive space where you can openly discuss and process these often complicated emotions which may include a mix of joy, pressure, pride and heaviness. Your immigrant experience interacts with your other identities to create a unique and distinct life that deserves to be seen, heard and accepted. 

We invite and encourage conversations about how marginalization and systems of oppression impact your individual experiences. Even how and when it inevitably shows up in the room between us. We espeically welcome first, second, and third-generation immigrants who may also face other forms of marginalization based on sexual identity, gender identity, race, class, or caste. Our goal is to provide a supportive and comfortable space for therapeutic healing. We recognize that seeking mental health support may be seen as taboo in some cultures, and we are ready to discuss this aspect in consultation and throughout the therapeutic process.

Everyone deserves access to quality, supportive, non-judgmental, inclusive and culturally relevant care. 

If this sounds like the kind of therapy you need, you are welcome to contact us vial e-mail or the form below to set up a free 30-minute consultation or to discuss other ways our practice can support you. If we do not have a clinician on staff that is the best fit, we will do our best to offer referrals to other providers outside of our team. Throughout the process your privacy, autonomy, and individual needs will be respected.