Florida therapist for first & second generation immigrants
You can honor your family AND honor yourself. It’s not either, or.
Are You Tired Of Constantly Feeling Guilty And Insufficient?
First, I would like to go ahead and define first-generation immigrants. When I use this term, I refer to those who were born elsewhere and immigrated at a very young age or those who were the first to be born in the US.
Do Any Of The Following Resonate With You?
Your self-worth is closely tied to your family and being “worthy” of the sacrifice your parents made for you.
You know your family wants the best for you, but boy wouldn’t it be nice to decide that for yourself?
“It’s complicated” describes your family dynamics.
You feel guilty whenever you prioritize your own wants or needs.
You worry about having to take care of your parents in the future while you’re still figuring out how to take care of yourself.
You’re tired of the machismo and the gender roles you are expected to fall neatly into.
Maybe You Vacillate Between One Of 2 extremes.
In the first extreme, you know that your chosen field will never be acceptable to your parents and therefore you work your butt off day and night to prove that you CAN make money, because, of course, that is the measure of success. The other extreme is where you did choose an acceptable career, you’re burned out and exhausted and you wonder each day if this is truly what you wanted for yourself. Are you succeeding “enough” to make them proud?
Do you over-prepare or work much harder than necessary to “make sure” that nobody finds out you are a fraud?
You know very well that your work/career are an integral part of your identity and worth as a human being.
You measure your worth based on “how many” roles you can both juggle and excel in. Falling short in any role evokes shame because you feel you should be able to handle it all — perfectly and easily. After all, your parents had it worse and still managed to do it all, right?
Having a child as a bicultural individual is another test you have not been sufficiently prepared for. How do you instill in them both cultures? How are you true to your roots while also understanding that this is the country they are growing up in? Above all, how do you make sure they speak Spanish so they can communicate with the rest of the family?!
Imagine if you could:
Understand how your history and your family’s history impact your current life.
Reconcile the intersections of your identity.
Learn how to create and maintain healthy boundaries with your family and in your personal and professional life.
Find balance between your family’s expectations and your personal desires.
Put your impostor syndrome and perfectionism in check.
Explore all the corners of who you are in a confidential, inclusive, non-judgmental way.
Investigate how you show up for yourself and others.
I Will Create A Space For You To Practice Radical Self-Acceptance And Self-Compassion While Building Up Your Toolbox Of Coping Skills.
Therapy builds a bridge between what you’ve been TOLD to believe and what you WANT to believe.
I will help you discover how YOU would like to live your life. I will help you analyze your core beliefs about yourself. Including how you view the world. I will also teach you how to take control of your emotions and how to communicate effectively with others.
what we’ll work on
Therapy For First & Second Generation Immigrants Can Help You:
Improve the constant feelings of guilt and pressure and find the inner peace you deserve
Reconnect with your family and your bicultural identity in an authentic way that feels right for you
Identify your values and priorities and align your life accordingly
It’s possible to embrace family & community while being true to yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
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I work with a wide variety of clients. They tell me that they've met with other therapists who were "fine," but that they didn't really get it. One of the trickiest things about getting help is making sure the person "gets" you. Regardless of your particular situation, if the above examples and situations resonate, then I get it!
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Absolutely! Empower with Esperanza is a queer and trans affirming therapy practice. Affirming therapy means more than taking a positive approach to people's identities, respecting pronouns, or simply being "LGBT-friendly." Affirming therapy considers the effects of internalized and institutionalized homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia as well as heterosexism on a person's psychology and relationships.
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Being bicultural means having or combining the cultural attitudes and customs of two nations, peoples, or ethnic groups. For example, my parents are Cuban, yet I was born and raised in the U.S., and therefore I am a part of both cultures.
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