For many people, the idea of therapy can feel foreign, not just unfamiliar, but at odds with how they were raised to think about struggle, family, and asking for help. In
some cultures, mental health difficulties aren’t discussed openly, are seen as a
private matter, or carry a stigma that makes reaching out feel like an admission of
weakness. Understanding this is where good therapy with clients from non-Western
backgrounds begins.
As someone who immigrated to Australia from an Indian background myself, this
isn’t something I only understand in theory. I know what it’s like to sit between two
cultures and to carry expectations from one and try to make sense of another. That
experience doesn’t mean I assume I understand every client’s journey; everyone’s
story is different.
I don’t walk into a session assuming I know what someone’s culture means to them.
Two people from the same background can have completely different relationships
with their heritage, their family expectations, or their faith. So rather than relying on
assumptions, I ask. What role does family play in how you make decisions? Are
there beliefs or values that matter to you here? What would support look like in a
way that fits your life, not just a textbook version of therapy?
Language matters too. For someone unfamiliar with therapy, or wary of it, I try not to
lead with clinical terms like “diagnosis” or “treatment.” Instead, I talk about it as a
space to be supported and to work through what’s getting in the way of them living
the life they want. That reframing alone can make therapy feel less intimidating and
more like something that belongs to them.
Therapy shouldn’t require someone to leave their culture at the door. My job is to
make sure it doesn’t
