COME HOME TO YOURSELF.
Therapy for Asian Americans & BIPOC
Culturally responsive online therapy for first-generation, 1.5 gen, and second-generation adults who are ready to break negative intergenerational patterns.
Have you ever thought to yourself:
If these words resonate, you’re not alone. Whether you identify as Asian American, Pacific Islander, Black, Latinx, or part of a multicultural background, therapy that understands the complexity of your lived experience can be a powerful, healing space.
As a 1.5 generation Vietnamese-American therapist, I know how important it is to feel seen—not just as a set of symptoms, but as a whole person navigating intergenerational expectations, identity, and the pressures of being high-achieving in a world that often doesn’t reflect us.
“I was taught to stay quiet, work hard, and not cause trouble.”
“I can’t tell people what’s really going on.”
“I don’t want to be a burden”
“No one in my family talks about mental health. I don’t even know where to start.””
“I’m not good enough.”
“It’s not that hard. Other people do it. I’m just lazy.”
“I never do anything right.”
Why Therapy for Asian Americans and BIPOC Needs to Be Different
Too often, BIPOC clients enter therapy and end up educating their therapist about their culture. Or worse—have their values, upbringing, or family structure misunderstood or pathologized.
The truth is: healing looks different when you’re carrying intergenerational pain, cultural expectations, racism, and the pressure to succeed for your family.
It looks different when:
You were raised to put family before self—and now you’re burned out or resentful.
You feel like you don’t fit neatly into any identity: not “Asian enough,” not “American enough.”
You’ve internalized the belief that rest, softness, or vulnerability is weakness.
Your trauma includes both what happened to you and what your family never got to process.
Your success is praised, but your mental health is invisible.
DOES THIS RESONATE?
Intellectualizer
If you tend to analyze your emotions instead of feel them, you might be what therapists call an intellectualizer. You rely on logic, problem-solving, and overthinking to manage stress or discomfort. While this has likely helped you succeed in high-stakes environments, it can also block emotional intimacy and leave you feeling disconnected from your needs. Therapy can help you move from overanalyzing to actually processing your feelings—so you can feel more present, authentic, and connected.
Eldest Daughter Syndrome
As the eldest daughter—especially in immigrant or collectivist families—you were probably “the responsible one” from a young age. You may carry the emotional and practical labor of your family, often putting others first while silencing your own needs. This invisible burden can lead to chronic anxiety, resentment, and burnout. Therapy offers a space to untangle your role, reconnect with your own voice, and learn how to care for yourself without guilt.
Avoiding Conflict
Conflict avoidant adults often grew up in environments where disagreement felt unsafe—or where harmony was prioritized at any cost. You might freeze up during tension, keep your thoughts to yourself, or become passive-aggressive instead of assertive. In therapy, you’ll learn to build emotional safety from within, have difficult conversations without fear, and start showing up more authentically in your relationships.
People-Pleasing
If you say yes when you want to say no, apologize even when you haven’t done anything wrong, or avoid conflict to “keep the peace,” you may be stuck in a people-pleasing pattern. While this trait often stems from trauma, cultural expectations, or a desire to be liked, it can leave you feeling exhausted and unseen. Therapy can help you set healthy boundaries, honor your own needs, and stop shrinking yourself to make others comfortable.
Online Therapy for Asian Americans and BIPOC Across California
EVEN AFTER HEARING THEM A MILLION TIMES, THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS HURT. YOU ARE RESENTFUL, FRUSTRATED, AND SAD THAT YOUR FAMILY CANNOT BE MORE THAN WHO THEY ARE. YOU FEEL GUILTY, ASHAMED, AND ANXIOUS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT DISTANCING YOURSELF FROM THEM.
When we hear ongoing negative criticism from our loved ones, we can internalize the hurtful messages and start telling ourselves that we will never be good enough. There is a lot of stigma and shame regarding mental health in the AAPI community. While the narrative around mental health is shifting to a more positive light, personally believing that we are worthy and learning how to prioritize our needs can be an ongoing struggle.
Going to therapy can provide a safe space to unpack the burden and shame without judgement or retaliation. My clients are often high-achieving, creative, thoughtful, and deeply committed to their growth. Many are first- or second-generation immigrants, queer folks, and professionals who are looking for something more than surface-level therapy.
If you’re tired of shrinking, hiding, or hustling for worthiness—I see you. And you don’t have to do this alone. Whether we’re processing childhood wounds, setting boundaries in your relationships, or unlearning internalized racism and perfectionism—we’ll do it at your pace, with care and curiosity. If you are ready to live the life that you want, not the one that others want for you, then reach out now to schedule a free consultation together.
What You Might Be Struggling With:
You’re the “strong one” everyone relies on, but you feel emotionally exhausted
You’re navigating anxiety, people-pleasing, and imposter syndrome, especially in high-pressure environments
You have a complicated relationship with your parents—deep love mixed with deep hurt
You feel caught between cultures, always code-switching or performing different versions of yourself
You want to break harmful cycles in your relationships—but don’t want to lose your connection to your roots
Struggles are seen as personal failures - but they’re not. They’re often the result of trying to carry generations of survival, silence, and strength—all on your own.
Culturally Responsive Therapy Can Help You:
Understand your story—and how your identity, upbringing, and culture shape your present struggles
Feel less alone in your experience, especially when friends or family “don’t get it”
Navigate guilt, loyalty, and boundaries in a way that feels aligned with both your culture and your healing
Move from survival mode to intentional living—with more ease, joy, and self-trust
Develop deeper, more authentic relationships, including with yourself