Lina Kaplan, Psy.D. Los Angeles, CA Psychologist Cultural Transitions "Each of us shines in a different way, but this doesn’t make our light any less bright." -- Albert Einstein When I first got here from the Midwest, I was so excited. I don’t know what changed. Somehow I don’t feel quite like myself. I just don’t "get" LA and its lifestyle. I moved to LA for my career and it’s going great, except I just can’t connect with the people here. I couldn’t wait go back home for a visit. I thought I’d finally feel "at home" again. But, seeing how different things were there, I felt like a stranger all over again. Leaving your home, extended family, culture and country is a major life-changing event. Whether your move is temporary or permanent, a welcome change or one brought on by circumstance, cultural transition is complex and takes time. It doesn’t matter if you’ve visited Los Angeles previously or not, if you’ve moved from another state or another country, if you are just learning English or have spoken it all your life; acculturation is challenging! If you are going through a cultural transition, "culture shock" is a common experience. It is a normal part of the acculturation process and it’s nothing to be ashamed of. You may be feeling: loneliness, isolation, anxiety, anger, sadness out of sync; as if "I don’t belong" fatigue from using a new language difficulty making new friends and "dating" confusion over differences in everyday customs lack of recognition of your previous personal and professional accomplishments disappointment that your family doesn’t understand how you changed since being here stress over your immigration status and naturalization process If you are struggling with these issues and/or others like them, you are not alone. It can be helpful to talk to a professional who understands the struggle you are going through. In culturally sensitive psychotherapy, we can explore your cultural identity, address the meaning of "home" and foster a sense of belonging. Together, we can transform this time of emotional upheaval into an opportunity to build bridges between your culture-of-origin and the culture you have joined, without feeling pressured to choose one or the other. Taking this path of discovery leads to an increased sense of being grounded in your new environment. If you are in a cross-cultural relationship or marriage, you are not alone. In our multicultural society, this is more common now than ever before. If you and your partner come from different cultural backgrounds your relationship is probably enriched by the blending of your diverse experiences. However, over time, obstacles unique to cross-cultural relationships can often arise. In culturally sensitive Individual or Couples Therapy, you can learn to cope more effectively with your cultural differences, and to appreciate each other’s subjective viewpoint from a cross-cultural perspective. home | background | individuals | couples cultural transitions | infertility | pregnancy loss languages | dance psychology | contact Dr. Lina Kaplan, Psychologist 9911 W Pico Blvd, Ste 507 Los Angeles, California 90035 (310) 277-4305 Contact Me