What Do South Asian Clients Talk About in Therapy?
At Space to Reflect, we have the privilege to sit across from countless individuals, each with their own stories, struggles, and successes. Among them, many South Asian clients have trusted us to work together to process and understand their unique experiences and challenges.
What are some common topics brought up in therapy?
Family Dynamics: Family is a big deal in South Asian cultures. Many clients discuss the pressure of upholding family honor and the challenges of balancing individual desires with family expectations. Whether it's about choosing a particular career or marrying someone of one's choice, the pull and push between individual desires and family expectations is a recurring theme.
Complicated Relationship with Parents: Many SA clients discuss either having parents who were overly loving (selfless) or abusive making them feel like they were burden to the family. Now as adults, clients are faced with caring for their aging parents which brings up many complicated feelings.
In Law Dynamics: Many SA clients often feel caught between their own parents and spouse leading to conflict and split loyalties ( showing loyalty to one person at the cost of betraying another person). In other situations, daughter in laws feel an unrealistic and outdated expectation put on them by their in laws thus causing conflict.
Fear of speaking up: Many SA clients, especially those who identify as women, struggle to speak up if they are uncomfortable. It is common in South Asian cultures to power through rather than speak up. Whether in a family setting, romantic relationship, or workplace setting, we help SA clients find their voices.
Learning to parent differently: Many SA clients choosing to have kids are recognizing the impact of how they were parented and they want to parent differently. They learn how to stay emotionally regulated, ask for help from others, and build distress tolerance. These are some ways to break generational cycles.
Relationship Struggles: Love, arranged marriages, inter-faith and inter-caste relationships, these topics pop up quite often. There's also the aspect of navigating dating and relationships in a culture that traditionally doesn't discuss these matters openly. We help clients learn to embrace their choices while also remaining respectful to their family and culture.
Career Pressures: The classic stereotype of being a doctor, engineer, or lawyer? Yep, it's real. Many discuss the weight of these expectations and the journey of finding personal fulfillment in their chosen careers.
Mental Health Stigma: Unfortunately, mental health remains a taboo topic in many South Asian communities. Clients often share their feelings of isolation or misunderstanding from their families when they try to discuss their struggles. Many clients will choose not to disclose that they are in therapy, and that’s ok!
Discrimination & Stereotypes: Whether it's dealing with racism, microaggressions, or more overt forms of discrimination, many South Asian clients share experiences of feeling 'othered' or misunderstood because of their cultural background.
Spirituality & Religion: Many clients grew up in religious homes but are now questioning their relationship to religion.
No two therapy sessions are the same. Each client, whether South Asian or not, brings their own unique narratives. But it's these common themes among South Asian clients that highlight the beauty, complexity, and resilience of their experiences.
To anyone from the South Asian community reading this: Your stories matter. Your challenges are valid. Therapy is a safe space for you to be heard, understood, and supported.
Interested in starting therapy? Schedule a free 15 minute phone consultation today.