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Natural Beauty Models

1st/2nd/3rd Gen Immigrants of Color 

Breaking generational trauma cycles

If you identify as a (an):

You struggle with straddling multiple identities....

Life can sometimes feel overwhelming when you are trying to navigate adulting. Adulting as a 1st/2nd/3rd Gen person is different than your white counterparts. Your white counterparts may have the loving support of emotionally present family plus a trust fund. You, on the other hand, might of had a different experience with your family. You might of felt like an outsider in your family of origin. Or there might be feelings of tension and conflict when you think of your parents. Your choice to seek help is remarkable and brave. 

Family and Cultural Conflicts

  • Conflicting priorities: Struggling to meet the expectations of your family and culture while trying to pave your own path

  • Generational differences: Difficulty with deciding between your family values and personal growth 

  • Parental pressure: The clash of values differences between you and your elders can lead to feeling misunderstood and othered, even in your own family. 

  • Cultural/Family Guilt: The guilt with not following family expectations can be paralyzing and guilt inducing, preventing you from exploring your identity and desires. 

  • Code Switching- adapting your language, mannerisms, behavior, routines depending on your environment and feelings of safety can leave you feeling disconnected from your true self. 

  • Cultural Identity Crisis- Confusion and self doubt that comes from trying to define your cultural identity in the midst of social and family pressures/expectations. 

  • Fear of disapproval- Worrying that going public with your desires and or asserting your boundaries can lead to family disappointment/rejection

  • Internalized stereotypes:  adopting stereotypes can result in self criticism and reluctance to embrace your unique differences

  • Lost connections- You might feel like you're losing connection with your cultural roots, which can impact your sense of identity and belonging

  • Emotional exhaustion- Constantly navigating conflicting family expectations can leave you burned out, affecting your wellbeing. 

Personal Reflection Questions:

  • How have you had to choose between belonging and authenticity?

  • What cultural/family norms have you felt the most pressure to conform to? How do they conflict/jive with your personal dreams/hopes?​

  • In what ways have these family conflicts impacted your current platonic and romantic relationships?

  • How can you start advocating for your own needs/desires, while respecting your family's culture?

You struggle with....

  • Codependency- You might of been raised to feel responsible for others feelings so much so that you might not be able to tell what is yours and what is not yours. You might feel a sense of obligation to fix or help others at the cost of your own agency. 

  • Ultra Independence- Being raised by busy Immigrant parents might lead to you being familiar with "fending for yourself" as a protective mechanism. 

  • Disconnect from your body- Experiencing racial trauma, intense cultural and family pressures, 1st/2nd/3rd Gen Immigrants of color might learn to disconnect from the sensations that come from our bodies as a coping mechanism. This can result in difficulty recognizing and expressing emotions leading to confusion and isolation. 

  • Overfunctioning- Being a child of Immigrants has taught you to become a cultural broker for your parents at an early age. Managing your family's needs first has taught you to juggle many things from an early age, leading to burnout being your baseline and you might find it extremely difficult to play, relax and have fun. 

  • Avoidance- Coping from unresolved trauma from an early age, you might resort to avoidance as a protective mechanism. This can cause difficulty in your ability to have hard conversations with yourself and others. 
     

Healing is Within Reach... For YOU. 
 

I am a Seattle based virtual therapist specializing in working with 1st/2nd/3rd Gen Immigrants of Color. 
 

It is important to have someone that "gets you". Where you don't have to fill in ALL of the blanks with educational background material. Someone who has a lived experience of growing up with immigration trauma and knows about the cultural pressures placed on them from their parents and society. Someone who you don't have to explain EVERYTHING to. Someone who has a shared identity and shared experiences. 

Maybe I won't understand all of your experiences. Maybe some of my experiences are vastly different than yours. I am committed to working hard to understand myself, my identities and my biases so that you can have space to be YOU, without my projecting my pain, story and biases onto you. 

You deserve to feel utterly at home. fully. 

You deserve to have someone witness you fully and accept you fully for you who are. 

Reach out for a consultation today. 

Mother and Son

Therapy Can Help

  • Connect with suppressed emotions in a safe way

  • Listen to your body's wisdom and involve your body in your decision making​

  • Organize your chaotic experiences and childhood upbringing

  • Partially stop intergenerational trauma from being passed on to your children and/or spiritual descendants. 

  • Understand how your history informs your present roles and responsibilities. 

  • Break free from harsh criticism and judgment 

  • Create a whole new relationship with work and friends/romantic partners by redefining your success criteria 

  • Learn how to manage conflict with yourself and others by creating more self awareness and self advocacy

  • Foster a sense of critical awareness: Recognize inaccurate narratives formed by systemic oppression and write a new narrative

  • Create a lifestyle of self love, acceptance and compassion resulting from a stronger sense of self across all facets of your identity

  • Acquire the skills to effectively communicate your needs, boundaries and limits. 

  • Embrace emotional closeness by enriching your emotional vocabulary and body awareness

 

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