Therapy for Racial and Multicultural Identities In California

Identity and belonging can mean so many different things. Touching upon aspects such as race, culture, and more. For example, I Identify as Mexican-American born to first generation immigrant parents. I was raised and spent most of my adult life in San Diego and was part of a latinx community. However, as I ventured beyond my community for education and work, I encountered instances of racial discrimination. Particularly in my pursuit of higher education, I often found myself feeling like I didn't belong or wasn't welcomed in some spaces that were predominantly white. This marked the beginning of my heightened awareness regarding stressors related to my racial identity, and the realization that I didn't always feel a sense of belonging or welcome outside of my community.

Feelings of strong identity are inseparably connected with belonging, community, and safety. But what if you don’t feel connected to a strong sense of identity? Or you feel you have to choose an identity to fit in? Maybe you're not quite sure where you fit in. Or you feel like some parts of yourself just don't measure up. You want to embrace and celebrate all of you, but it seems like you don't have the support or tools to make it happen.

Experiencing this can trigger emotions like shame, confusion, a sense of not belonging, internalized racism, and even facing rejection from members of your family or community. Whether you see yourself as one race or a mix of races, not feeling at home in your community or other places can stir up some big and complicated feelings.

Given my personal experiences with not always feeling welcome I am passionate about helping individuals navigate their struggles with not fitting in culturally and/or racially. I can hold space with compassion for the impact of these unconscious dynamics on you. I can assist you in exploring challenging and often uncomfortable questions. The burden of having to clarify or confidently express your background, cultural context, and the challenges of navigating potentially hostile spaces can be mentally, emotionally, and physically draining. In therapy, you can find a healing space where you feel acknowledged, listened to, and understood. If any of these experiences resonate with you or you have any follow-up questions I encourage you to contact me for more information.