Specialty • 4 min read
Somatic therapy for First and Second Generation Immigrants in California
Specialty • 4 min read
Somatic therapy for First and Second Generation Immigrants in California
Specialty • 4 min read
Somatic therapy for First and Second Generation Immigrants in California
When it feels hard to fully be yourself, both inside and outside your community
A lot of immigrants know what it is like to feel stuck between keeping things in and not knowing where it feels safe to let them out.
Opening up in your own community can be hard. The people around you may be the same people you love, feel responsible to, and do not want to disappoint. You worry about being met with judgment, unwanted advice, or intimate parts of your experience being shared beyond your control. So you’ve learned to hold things in, stay careful, or keep parts of yourself tucked away.
But talking to people outside your community can feel off too. You might feel like you have to explain every little thing, or that the deeper cultural nuances never fully land. The family pressure, the guilt, the sense of responsibility, the feeling of being pulled in different directions. A lot of that can get missed.
When it feels hard to fully be yourself, both inside and outside your community
A lot of immigrants know what it is like to feel stuck between keeping things in and not knowing where it feels safe to let them out.
Opening up in your own community can be hard. The people around you may be the same people you love, feel responsible to, and do not want to disappoint. You worry about being met with judgment, unwanted advice, or intimate parts of your experience being shared beyond your control. So you’ve learned to hold things in, stay careful, or keep parts of yourself tucked away.
But talking to people outside your community can feel off too. You might feel like you have to explain every little thing, or that the deeper cultural nuances never fully land. The family pressure, the guilt, the sense of responsibility, the feeling of being pulled in different directions. A lot of that can get missed.
When it feels hard to fully be yourself, both inside and outside your community
A lot of immigrants know what it is like to feel stuck between keeping things in and not knowing where it feels safe to let them out.
Opening up in your own community can be hard. The people around you may be the same people you love, feel responsible to, and do not want to disappoint. You worry about being met with judgment, unwanted advice, or intimate parts of your experience being shared beyond your control. So you’ve learned to hold things in, stay careful, or keep parts of yourself tucked away.
But talking to people outside your community can feel off too. You might feel like you have to explain every little thing, or that the deeper cultural nuances never fully land. The family pressure, the guilt, the sense of responsibility, the feeling of being pulled in different directions. A lot of that can get missed.
You may be feeling:
Stifled by how hard it is to express parts of yourself that do not fit neatly within family or cultural expectations
Stretched thin between your family’s needs and your own, or between who you had to be growing up and who you are becoming now
Guilty when you say no, set a boundary, rest, want something different, or make a choice that disappoints other people
Pulled in different directions by values, loyalties, and expectations that do not always fit together cleanly
Stuck because you want support, but do not know where you can be fully honest without feeling exposed or misunderstood
Disconnected from yourself, your needs, your body, your environment, or a clear sense of what you actually want
You may be feeling:
Stifled by how hard it is to express parts of yourself that do not fit neatly within family or cultural expectations
Stretched thin between your family’s needs and your own, or between who you had to be growing up and who you are becoming now
Guilty when you say no, set a boundary, rest, want something different, or make a choice that disappoints other people
Pulled in different directions by values, loyalties, and expectations that do not always fit together cleanly
Stuck because you want support, but do not know where you can be fully honest without feeling exposed or misunderstood
Disconnected from yourself, your needs, your body, your environment, or a clear sense of what you actually want
You may be feeling:
Stifled by how hard it is to express parts of yourself that do not fit neatly within family or cultural expectations
Stretched thin between your family’s needs and your own, or between who you had to be growing up and who you are becoming now
Guilty when you say no, set a boundary, rest, want something different, or make a choice that disappoints other people
Pulled in different directions by values, loyalties, and expectations that do not always fit together cleanly
Stuck because you want support, but do not know where you can be fully honest without feeling exposed or misunderstood
Disconnected from yourself, your needs, your body, your environment, or a clear sense of what you actually want
Therapy can offer a space that feels separate from all that.
A space where you can feel all the things that have been wanting to be expressed, heard, and let out. It can be a place to slow down and hear yourself more clearly. A place to sort through what’s yours, what was passed down to you, and what you’ve outgrown. A place to explore your identity, your relationships, your needs, and your self-expression with more honesty and less outside noise.
Therapy can offer a space that feels separate from all that.
A space where you can feel all the things that have been wanting to be expressed, heard, and let out. It can be a place to slow down and hear yourself more clearly. A place to sort through what’s yours, what was passed down to you, and what you’ve outgrown. A place to explore your identity, your relationships, your needs, and your self-expression with more honesty and less outside noise.
Therapy can offer a space that feels separate from all that.
A space where you can feel all the things that have been wanting to be expressed, heard, and let out. It can be a place to slow down and hear yourself more clearly. A place to sort through what’s yours, what was passed down to you, and what you’ve outgrown. A place to explore your identity, your relationships, your needs, and your self-expression with more honesty and less outside noise.
Therapy can support you in:
Learning how to heal and find closure after being harmed in relationships, or how to navigate repair after conflict or mistakes with others
Making sense of guilt, obligation, or shame that show up when your needs or choices do not match what others expected of you
Exploring who you are beyond survival, responsibility, and other people’s ideas of who you should be
Understanding patterns like caretaking, perfectionism, or self-silencing that may have helped you adapt but now leave you feeling depleted
Building a more grounded relationship with yourself, your voice, and your body
Finding ways to honor your history and relationships without disappearing in the process
Therapy can support you in:
Learning how to heal and find closure after being harmed in relationships, or how to navigate repair after conflict or mistakes with others
Making sense of guilt, obligation, or shame that show up when your needs or choices do not match what others expected of you
Exploring who you are beyond survival, responsibility, and other people’s ideas of who you should be
Understanding patterns like caretaking, perfectionism, or self-silencing that may have helped you adapt but now leave you feeling depleted
Building a more grounded relationship with yourself, your voice, and your body
Finding ways to honor your history and relationships without disappearing in the process
Therapy can support you in:
Learning how to heal and find closure after being harmed in relationships, or how to navigate repair after conflict or mistakes with others
Making sense of guilt, obligation, or shame that show up when your needs or choices do not match what others expected of you
Exploring who you are beyond survival, responsibility, and other people’s ideas of who you should be
Understanding patterns like caretaking, perfectionism, or self-silencing that may have helped you adapt but now leave you feeling depleted
Building a more grounded relationship with yourself, your voice, and your body
Finding ways to honor your history and relationships without disappearing in the process
My approach is culturally responsive and makes room for the complexity of living between cultures. I believe therapy can be a place where more of your experience gets to exist, not less.
My approach is culturally responsive and makes room for the complexity of living between cultures. I believe therapy can be a place where more of your experience gets to exist, not less.
My approach is culturally responsive and makes room for the complexity of living between cultures. I believe therapy can be a place where more of your experience gets to exist, not less.
You do not have to choose between being understood and protecting yourself. Therapy can be a place where both matter.
You do not have to choose between being understood and protecting yourself. Therapy can be a place where both matter.
Common Reasons People Reach Out
People come to therapy for many reasons, but certain themes come up often.
Common Reasons People Reach Out
People come to therapy for many reasons, but certain themes come up often.
Common Reasons People Reach Out
People come to therapy for many reasons, but certain themes come up often.
Identity and belonging
Trying to understand who you are when you have been shaped by more than one culture, more than one value system, or more than one version of what a good life is supposed to look like.
Family pressure and obligation
Feeling responsible for other people’s feelings, expectations, stability, or approval. Struggling to know where care ends and self-abandonment begins.
Guilt and boundaries
Feeling guilty when you say no, ask for space, make a different choice, or want a life that does not fully match what was imagined for you.
Relationships and dating
Wanting to talk honestly about family, dating, partnership, conflict, or choosing differently without feeling like you are betraying the people you love.
Self-expression
Wanting more room to be yourself, whether that means speaking more openly, changing how you live, setting boundaries, exploring identity, or no longer shrinking to stay acceptable.
Anxiety, pressure, and emotional exhaustion
Carrying so much for so long that your mind and body begin to show the cost through overthinking, numbness, burnout, tension, or a constant sense of being on edge.
Identity and belonging
Trying to understand who you are when you have been shaped by more than one culture, more than one value system, or more than one version of what a good life is supposed to look like.
Family pressure and obligation
Feeling responsible for other people’s feelings, expectations, stability, or approval. Struggling to know where care ends and self-abandonment begins.
Guilt and boundaries
Feeling guilty when you say no, ask for space, make a different choice, or want a life that does not fully match what was imagined for you.
Relationships and dating
Wanting to talk honestly about family, dating, partnership, conflict, or choosing differently without feeling like you are betraying the people you love.
Self-expression
Wanting more room to be yourself, whether that means speaking more openly, changing how you live, setting boundaries, exploring identity, or no longer shrinking to stay acceptable.
Anxiety, pressure, and emotional exhaustion
Carrying so much for so long that your mind and body begin to show the cost through overthinking, numbness, burnout, tension, or a constant sense of being on edge.
Identity and belonging
Trying to understand who you are when you have been shaped by more than one culture, more than one value system, or more than one version of what a good life is supposed to look like.
Family pressure and obligation
Feeling responsible for other people’s feelings, expectations, stability, or approval. Struggling to know where care ends and self-abandonment begins.
Guilt and boundaries
Feeling guilty when you say no, ask for space, make a different choice, or want a life that does not fully match what was imagined for you.
Relationships and dating
Wanting to talk honestly about family, dating, partnership, conflict, or choosing differently without feeling like you are betraying the people you love.
Self-expression
Wanting more room to be yourself, whether that means speaking more openly, changing how you live, setting boundaries, exploring identity, or no longer shrinking to stay acceptable.
Anxiety, pressure, and emotional exhaustion
Carrying so much for so long that your mind and body begin to show the cost through overthinking, numbness, burnout, tension, or a constant sense of being on edge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are sessions like?
Some people like to start with an arrival practice (a few deep breaths, a grounding practice, or silence) to help transition into the space. Then, we can talk through a feeling or topic that feels important to talk about, or explore an aspect of what’s coming up through a somatic exercise. Each meeting is an opportunity for us to co-create the work: seeing what emerges and trying different things when it feels right. You get to shape the structure and flow of sessions.
Do I have to be an immigrant to work with you?
What if I feel guilty talking about my family?
Do you offer online therapy in California?
Do you take insurance?
What are sessions like?
Some people like to start with an arrival practice (a few deep breaths, a grounding practice, or silence) to help transition into the space. Then, we can talk through a feeling or topic that feels important to talk about, or explore an aspect of what’s coming up through a somatic exercise. Each meeting is an opportunity for us to co-create the work: seeing what emerges and trying different things when it feels right. You get to shape the structure and flow of sessions.
Do I have to be an immigrant to work with you?
What if I feel guilty talking about my family?
Do you offer online therapy in California?
Do you take insurance?
What are sessions like?
Some people like to start with an arrival practice (a few deep breaths, a grounding practice, or silence) to help transition into the space. Then, we can talk through a feeling or topic that feels important to talk about, or explore an aspect of what’s coming up through a somatic exercise. Each meeting is an opportunity for us to co-create the work: seeing what emerges and trying different things when it feels right. You get to shape the structure and flow of sessions.
Do I have to be an immigrant to work with you?
What if I feel guilty talking about my family?
Do you offer online therapy in California?
Do you take insurance?
When you feel more at home in yourself, you can meet the world differently
Support for people whose lives don't fit neatly into one category, one culture, or one story.
laya psychotherapy
Online therapy · California
Gabrielle Lopez, Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #162141 at Big Life Change Therapy
Supervised by Ali Vogt, LMFT #47693
© 2026 Laya Psychotherapy. All rights reserved.
When you feel more at home in yourself, you can meet the world differently
Support for people whose lives don't fit neatly into one category, one culture, or one story.
laya psychotherapy
Online therapy · California
Gabrielle Lopez, Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #162141 at Big Life Change Therapy
Supervised by Ali Vogt, LMFT #47693
© 2026 Laya Psychotherapy. All rights reserved.
When you feel more at home in yourself, you can meet the world differently
Support for people whose lives don't fit neatly into one category, one culture, or one story.
laya psychotherapy
Online therapy · California
Gabrielle Lopez, Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #162141 at Big Life Change Therapy
Supervised by Ali Vogt, LMFT #47693
© 2026 Laya Psychotherapy. All rights reserved.