Therapy for South Asians

South Asian families have social agreements and rules that can be different from mainstream Western culture. It is important to understand the expectations that your family has coming from a collectivist culture, and how they can conflict with the messages heard in Western culture. This can create tension and internal conflict. There's also a lot of beauty in South Asian culture and families. It's important to be able to tease out what parts are helpful and what is causing suffering. 

Some common themes that can be addressed during therapy includes:

• Creating respectful boundaries
• Understanding what goals and values are yours, and which ones were created by familial expectations
• Navigating communication conflicts
• Understanding and naming your needs in relationships: familial, romantic and friendships.
• Building a positive self image