Why do South Asian Women need Culturally Focused Therapy?
Moonlight Marriage & Family Therapy
Beautiful festivals, henna, glass bangles, and bright colors may come to mind when visualizing the South Asian female identity. South Asian culture has a rich history, with years of tradition, spirituality, and healing rituals. The vibrant colors associated with South Asia are also tainted with the painful history of wars, famine, and colonialism. South Asian females may struggle silently with intergenerational trauma passed down to them from their ancestors. Stigma against mental health has historically silenced women from acknowledging and seeking care for their mental health needs, domestic violence, trauma, and gender-based violence. Research shows that South Asian women are no strangers to mental health challenges which may manifest as body aches, sleep disturbance, and gastrointestinal issues.
South Asian women who are currently struggling with their mental health may have experienced situations such as:
Intergenerational Trauma
Intimacy issues
Gender Biases
Emotional Labor
Acculturation Stress
Struggles with Child Rearing
Depression
Anxiety
Family Conflict
Body Image Challenges/ Colorism
And many more
Incorporating resources such as journaling, religion, spirituality, and community support can be excellent tools in your mental health journey. Therapy can help too! Therapy support can be a resource for South Asian women to identify, process, and explore solutions to their challenges.
At Moonlight Marriage and Family Therapy, you can work with me, a South Asian woman, who is open to learning about you from a culturally sensitive focus. I understand that your challenges, family structures, and family dynamics are unique to your cultural background. I will partner with you in identifying the support and solutions that will work for you.
In my therapy sessions with you, we can work on processing past traumas, getting community support, and practicing communication skills. By establishing these skills we can practice clear boundaries and communication strategies with your family/spouse/peers for you to live your most authentic life.