"A lot of people sacrificed everything for me to have this life. I don't want to be ungrateful, but that's a lot of pressure."

"I feel like one person with my family, and a different person out in the world. Why do I have to hide parts of myself?"

"I know they want the best for me, but I wish I could decide that for myself."

Are you the "black sheep" of your family?

As a child of immigrants, or an immigrant yourself, you may feel conflicting feelings of gratitude and obligation for the sacrifices your parents made.

Typical American rites of passage into adulthood may start to feel like disloyalty to your family, your culture, and somehow, your entire country.

College. Career. Dating. Marriage. Independence. Tradition. These hold specific meanings for you.

You start to feel like a foreigner to your family. And are reminded of your otherness among your peers.

Bicultural communities don't see themselves represented in mainstream America. What effect does this have on your mental and emotional health, or how you relate to others? Could it be part of the reason you struggle with feeling heard, understood, and fitting in?

Why a culturally affirming therapist?

We work with a wide variety of clients, but many of our clients are of Asian or Latino descent. They tell us that they've met with other therapists who were "fine," but that they didn't really get it.

We understand that you can't just say, "Tell your mom to get out of your business!" or "Hmm, that sounds like a co-dependent relationship," and call it a day.

That doesn't fly with moms from the old country!

There may have been a time in your past when you just wished for a family that wasn't so different. But you're done erasing your heritage, and you want a therapist who understands that.

You don't want aspects of your culture to be "diagnosed" as the reason for your depression. You don't want to spend your therapy sessions explaining "how your family does things" to your therapist. You just need to vent about how you feel like no matter what you do, it's not right. 

One of the trickiest things about getting help is making sure the person "gets" you. That's why we go to our friends and family first - we don't have to explain everything!

But if you need more help than they can give, you want a therapist who understands where you're coming from (literally). 

FAMILY THERAPY

We specialize in helping individuals and couples negotiate boundaries between their original family and their chosen family. This is even more complex for  inter-cultural and interracial couples.

Are you one of the only people in your family to be openly LGBTQ+, or to partner with someone outside of your culture? Do your parents deny your sexual orientation or gender identity? 

Did you decide on a "forbidden" career path?

Is this just one more way you have "disappointed" your parents? 

Do you decide to follow your own choices or meet your parents' expectations? Do you have to choose?

Therapy for First-Generation and Immigrant Americans

For those interested, we have familiarity with Islam and Muslim cultures, Catholicism + Christianity, but are not religious therapists. Our therapists identify with SWANA and Southeast Asian cultures.

If you're feeling like you're a constant "disappointment" to your family, even though you're actually doing pretty well, let's talk about it! 

Prospect Therapy is a queer + trans affirming therapy practice based in Long Beach, CA, with a focus on mental health for first-generation, immigrant, and bicultural communities. We continue to provide online therapy for a variety of mental wellness and relationship concerns to clients throughout the state of California. Learn more about how we bring lived experience to our work with people of all ages in our communities by requesting a consultation below.