Immigration & Acculturation

I’ve had the honor and pleasure of working in therapy with many individuals who have immigrated to the U.S. from all over the globe, including from Asia, Africa, Australia, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Britain, and Scandinavia.

Each person has his or her own distinctive experience of the process of coming to this country and making a new home here, but for most the reality of adjusting to the American culture and economy is substantially more challenging than depictions in the popular media often make it seem, especially in the current political climate. For many individuals, life in America can feel relatively cold and isolating, especially in contrast to the more communal cultures they were raised in. And legal immigration issues are often a big chronic stressor for years on end. In addition, dealing with both overt and covert instances of racism and cultural ignorance, still all-too-common, can be deeply injuring and enraging.

At the same time, Los Angeles provides a new kind of personal and sexual liberation, especially for LGBT folk, that may not have been possible in their culture-of-origin, but that can provide its own challenges to navigate successfully.

If we work together in therapy, I will be interested to hear about your own unique experience, and make space for any and all negative or positive feelings about living in the U.S., and do my best to help you navigate the struggles involved in being here.