COUNSELING FOR IDENTITY
ONLINE ACROSS Arizona, COLORADO, Florida, Iowa, New Mexico, and TEXAS.
You’re tangled up in the questions… who am I and where do I belong?
From as long as you can remember, you’ve straddled at least two different cultural worlds. There was never a roadmap laid out for you to follow, and it can feel disorientating constantly moving in and out of different worlds at home, work, and with your extended family and friends. The disconnect and tensions between the expectations of the different cultures inhabiting your life often feel unbridgeable, like you’ll never be ‘enough’ for anyone, and you find yourself feeling alone in the space in-between that nobody from any ‘side’ seems to understand.
When you’re out and about, people are intrigued by you and you’re tired of their comments on your appearance, name, and that question: ‘where are you really from’? These signals that you don’t fully belong have existed since you were a kid from your classmates and neighbors growing up, and now pepper your interactions with colleagues and people you meet out and about. As hard as you’ve tried not to shrug them off, over time they’ve taken their toll, and now you’re asking yourself if there’s anywhere you really belong.
No matter how hard you try to fit in and mould yourself to be accepted, you still feel an underlying sense of rejection by both or all cultural groups. In fact, you’ve been so preoccupied trying to fit in and please anyone and everyone that you realise you’ve lost your sense of self in the process. Or perhaps you’re not sure you even knew who you were to begin with.
how i can help
Counseling can help you find a more solid anchoring within.
Finding a secure sense of identity and belonging for those of us who are bicultural, multicultural, dual/mixed heritage, third culture, biracial, bilingual, or mutlilingual - however you identify - can feel disorientating.
In therapy we won’t be able to ‘figure out’ where you belong exactly. There can never be a single answer. But away from the noise of society and all the voices that people your external world, counseling offers you a non-judgemental space where you can look at the identities you hold and sit with the possibilities that could emerge from this meeting place within.
Being Spanish-English bilingual, you can feel safe in the knowledge that you have the choice to move between languages if you need so you can be truly seen and heard. In this space, all the parts of you have a place.
imagine if you…
Felt confident that you knew yourself
In therapy, you can get to know yourself afresh and play around with identity in a no-risk, non-judgemental environment. You can get to know your true self, and develop a more solid sense of yourself.
Didn’t feel torn between ‘sides’
We can unpack the different cultural dynamics you’re navigating in your world, and build your resilience moving between spaces so that your identity doesn’t feel fragmented in this process.
Could confidently bring your full authentic self into your relationships
Perhaps you habitually mask parts of yourself to adapt and fit in depending on which cultural group you find yourself in. In therapy, you can work to shed any patterns that no longer serve you and unlock new ways of being that feel more true to you.
I want you to know:
You belong here.
You’re in the right place. Let’s work together to help you become more yourself and feel secure in your sense of self so that you feel anchored from within.
faqs
Commonly Asked Questions
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This really varies from person to person; there's no one-size-fits-all when it comes to counseling around issues of identity and belonging.
While some people feel a more solid sense of self after just a few sessions, others find they want to go deeper, and find it beneficial to explore these questions over several months or longer. This will be a collaborative process and we can keep touching base on this to decide what's best for you.
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It's essential that you can speak your truth in this space and feel genuinely heard. Being fluently Spanish-English bilingual, I can hold space for you to move between languages as and when you wish. If you have a different language that you'd like to speak in, just let me know and we can arrange for an experienced interpreter to assist us.
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Schedule a free 10-minute consultation where we can discuss what had led you to seek counseling, and you can ask any questions you may have. If you feel ready, we will schedule your first session and set out on the path of empowering you to feel more anchored from within.
"You only are free when you realize you belong no place - you belong every place - no place at all. The price is high. The reward is great.''
Maya Angelou
Ready to get started?