Cross Cultural Issues Therapy
“my mother thinks I’m a living proof of cultural appropriation
but aren’t I a foreigner in my own country
an outsider
but only on the inside”
― Xayaat Muhummed
What are cross cultural issues?
Being intimately familiar with two or more cultures is a deeply enriching experience that makes our world more colorful yet determining where - or what - home is a lot more complex.
And while being multicultural - whether through birth, immigration, or spending an extended period of time in a different country - alters us on a fundamental level, it can also pose significant challenges.
The most prominent one is a question of “Where do I belong?” These struggles can present us not feeling enough in our cultural identities (not American enough, not Japanese enough, not French enough, etc.), feeling a sense of loss where we may have missed out on language/food/traditions that our parents have but we don’t, or feeling a sense of guilt for engaging/enjoying activities that are not in line with our cultural heritage or identity.
Holding two or more cultures inside ourselves can become messy and painful, if there is no one to talk through about these experiences.
Cultural issues can show up as:
Not enough-ness
You may struggle feeling enough in your cultural identity (ies), failing to feel like you can fully embody them in an authentic to you way.
Lacking belonging
You may find it hard to feel like you belong, whichever culture you are navigating. This may present as feeling as an outsider both where you currently live and where you came from.
Difficulty connecting with others
It may be hard for you to connect with others about your culture, feeling like there are many gaps or discrepancies between your experience and those of other people.
Code switching
You may feel like you are two people, or that you frequently switch between what is appropriate/acceptable in various cultures. This may look like being one way with your family, and another way with your friends/co-workers/outside world.
Difficulty with acculturation
You may find it difficult to adjust to the culture you are presently in, where many things don’t make sense, seem out of this world, or make you feel like you can never adjust.
Feeling invisible
You may feel invisible in the entirety of your humanity and experience, based on your cultural upbringing or the country you come from. You may feel like others don’t understand or don’t want to get to know your culture and identity.
You deserve to be seen in all of your multiplicity.
How can therapy help?
As a therapist who is also an immigrant, I am closely familiar with the experience of navigating two cultures and two worlds. I would be honored to accompany you on a journey of discovery of all your various identities and parts of self that may have been left behind, forgotten or relegated to the shadows during the immigration/acculturation journey.