MARCH 10, 2025
Navigating Mental Health as BIPOC and First-Generation Migrants
Being a first-generation migrant or a BIPOC individual, navigating mental health can feel like walking a tightrope. We hold our ancestors’ resilience while carrying the weight of expectations, cultural shifts, and the unspoken struggles often accompanying our identities. Therapy may feel foreign or even unnecessary when we have been taught to “just keep going.” But the truth is that healing is not a betrayal of our culture but an act of reclamation.
February 10, 2025
The Pressure of Love Across Cultures
As we entered the new year, many of us felt a surge of possibilities, hope, and excitement. Yet alongside these opportunities, and with the familiar cycle of holidays such as Valentine’s Day fast approaching, we can face subtle (or not-so-subtle) societal and family pressures.
January 10, 2025
Finding Hope Amid Challenging Times
We find ourselves in a world that feels increasingly heavy. Trauma reaches us from every corner, whether through the media we consume, or the divisions we sense running ever deeper through our communities. Political tensions, power struggles, and conflicting beliefs seem to dominate, leaving many of us carrying a burden we’re not meant to bear alone.
December 10, 2024
Navigating Work Stress During the Holidays as a Latino or Migrant
The holiday season can be a beautiful time for celebration, connection, and tradition. But for many Latinos and migrants, it also brings unique stresses, especially at work. You're not alone if you've ever felt caught between meeting job expectations and preserving family traditions. Let's unpack some of these challenges and explore ways to carefully navigate them.
November 10, 2024
Falling in Love with Someone from a Different Cultural Background
Falling in love is an exhilarating experience, but when your partner comes from a different cultural background, it can bring excitement and challenges. Finding someone to share your life with is hard enough in a world that sells us ideals of romance through movies, novels, and social media. Yet, when you meet someone whose culture differs from your own, it can feel like you’ve added another layer of complexity to your relationship.
October 10, 2024
Feeling Guilty About Pursuing Your Own Dreams?
Have you ever questioned whether it's okay to chase your dreams? If you're a child of migrants, chances are, you're no stranger to this feeling. You grew up hearing stories of your parents' struggles, perhaps a single mother or both parents sacrificing their well-being so you could have a shot at a better life. These stories are impossible to forget; sometimes, they're used to steer you in a direction that serves the family rather than yourself. This dilemma is something I often hear in therapy sessions…
September 11, 2024
Bilingual Identity: From Accent to Superpower?
Being bilingual often means navigating a world where your language skills are both a STRENGTH and, sometimes, a SOURCE OF INSECURITY. Whether your family moved to a new country for better opportunities or out of necessity, learning a new language became a vital part of your journey. Yet, with this new language often comes an accent that makes you stand out. Comments like, "Where is your accent from?" or "Wow, your English is good," can evoke mixed feelings of pride in your language skills and a sense of being different.
August 14, 2024
Navigating Dual Worlds: A Journey Many Know Well
Are you a child of newcomers, navigating the delicate balance between your family's culture and the new culture around you? You might find yourself acting as a cultural broker, bridging the gap between your family's traditions and the broader society's norms. While this experience can be enriching, it often feels like a heavy burden to carry, making you feel torn between two worlds. Balancing the expectations from both your family's culture and the surrounding society can be exhausting. You may feel that you are never "enough" for either world—neither fully belonging to your cultural heritage nor entirely fitting into the new environment. This duality can lead to feelings of inadequacy and alienation, but it also fosters resilience, empathy, and adaptability…
July 16, 2024
The Journey of the Eldest Immigrant Child.
In the tapestry of life, each thread tells a unique story of resilience and strength. Being the eldest child and an immigrant has woven narrative rich with challenges and growth for many of us. Navigating a world where guidance is scarce, we have learned to foster self-reliance and independence as our trusted companions on this ever-evolving journey. Our path is only sometimes smooth; it is lined with obstacles that test our resolve and push us to our limits. Yet, through these trials, we have unearthed a treasure trove of invaluable qualities that define us - courage, perseverance, and a steadfast commitment to excellence. As we strive to forge our own way, we have often grappled with feelings of inadequacy, a shadow that looms large in the face of our aspirations.