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Interracial Couples Counseling

in Miami, FL, Virginia Beach, VA, Los Angeles, CA

and throughout Florida, Virginia, and California

 

Navigate differences and grow together

Do you feel misunderstood even when you’re speaking the same language?

Interracial and intercultural relationships have all the normal couple challenges and some extras that sometimes you don’t even recognize as a clash of cultures. It sometimes feels like you keep trying but like nothing you do will ever be good enough. It makes you angry or build resentment towards your partner. You find yourself turning into someone you don’t want to be in your relationship. You need help to overcome the challenges and misunderstandings, because when you do, not only will your relationship be better, but you’ll also open yourself up to more of the richness and beauty of the culture of your partner.

Maybe you’re noticing:

  • You fight over being on time?

    • You know some cultures value time while others value events so when you are in a relationship with someone who has a different value it can sometimes cause a lot of hurt feelings.

    • If you are time oriented, and don’t understand your event oriented partner and they show up two hours late you feel disrespected, that your time was wasted and that you’ve been waiting for them.

    • If you are event oriented and you take your partner to a good friends party and they seem rushed to get to their next appointment you feel like they don’t value the people that are important to you. 

  • You prioritize finances and supporting extended family members differently?

    • Some cultures really value interdependence and will see their extended family as an interconnected system of support and rely on each other to get through difficult times.

    • Other cultures value independence and planning for your future on your own and making sure to take care of your partner and children’s wants even before the needs of extended family members. 

    • When there is conflict both can feel hurt, and misunderstood.

  • Do you ever find yourself feeling disrespected, unheard or misunderstood and wonder if your partner really doesn’t care about you?

    • You know in cross-cultural relationships sometimes we see the same situation in a different way and when we don’t seek understanding it can result in hurt, resentment, or fights.

Create understanding to honor differences and enrich your lives

 

Does this sound familiar?

When things are not right in your relationship, it can leave you feeling angry, hurt, and resentful.

It sometimes makes you frustrated with your partner or your own family and friends too.

It can be easy to get stuck thinking they are wrong and you are right, and sometimes that may be true, but sometimes it’s just different.

You know you need some help, from somebody who is culturally competent, and has had some lived experience of being in an interracial and intercultural relationship.

You know that this relationship is worth fighting for if the two of you can just stop fighting against each other.

You feel like some of the things your partner does or says just doesn’t make sense to you or that they just don’t understand some things that just seem normal to you.

Sometimes you have a clash of cultures and you’re not sure how to navigate things.

Couples counseling can help you to learn new ways to communicate, connect and build the relationship that you want to have.

My approach to working with interracial and intercultural couples

My approach helps couples to  learn to communicate more effectively and create deeper understanding of each other even when you disagree. My expertise in understanding cultural nuances around the world also helps me to act as a cultural translator to help you see each other's world view in a different way.  I also will give you assignments that are meant to help you build connection, start to play together again and build intimacy. To know more about my approach click on my couples page.

Couples counseling can help you to:

  • Communicate effectively with your partner

  • Understand the differences in your cultures, family backgrounds, and upbringing that may be influencing the way you do things now. 

  • Be honest with each other

  • Feel supported and understood

  • Reconnect with your best friend

  • Reignite your sex life

  • Identify your needs and your partner’s needs

  • Create space to honor and value both cultures and decide together values you want to incorporate into your relationship or family and which you may want to rethink.

Together let’s celebrate your differences, build on your strengths and rediscover the reasons you first fell in love.

FAQS

Common questions about therapy for interracial and intercultural couples

  • There is a whole lot that is the same. However for those areas where you really need someone who can understand both cultures and help you and your partner to see things a little different this is where having someone with cultural competency is invaluable. The difference can be the areas that create conflict and might be missed by someone who doesn’t have cultural training and life experience being exposed to many diverse cultures and communities.

  • The first few sessions will be spent getting to know each other as I find out about each of you as individuals as well as about your relationship and you ask me any questions that may have not been answered yet. Then we look at establishing some goals and we will discuss some different ways that can help you to get there. Then we work and adjust the plan as needed.

  • I value using strategies that have had some research in their effectiveness and continually invest in my own growth as a therapist to ensure that I am able to provide a variety of interventions that have been shown to be effective with many other couples. You also have a role to play and I want you to have the transformation that you are looking for. I ask that couples commit to being open, honest and doing some work in between sessions because I know this is what will help you get results.

  • This is really dependent on the challenges that you are facing as well as the frequency in which we are working together. I generally see couples weekly or every other week to start and find most couples will see some significant changes in about 10-12 sessions, for some that is enough others may need significantly more.

  • My fee is $250/session and sessions are generally 45-60 mins.

  • Maybe, I am licensed in California and Florida and currently the law requires that any person that I am providing treatment for needs to be in a location I am permitted to practice in at the time of the service. So if both you and your partner are in California or Florida I am able to see you while you are in different locations. Unfortunately if one or both of you are outside of these areas I will not be able to see you at this time.