Got a “hard” name to pronounce? Have you ever changed your name to make it easier for others? Or ever been stuck pronouncing a name yourself? In this episode, we touch on the eye-opening conclusion that our names mean so much more.  In fact, names play a big role in respecting your self-identity.

Being an immigrant, when did you first feel “different”? How did you notice it? Here’s us sharing our personal stories and how we made sense of it.

As children of the diaspora, finding stories or media that we could relate to growing up was a challenge. It was often difficult to know where we fit. Can you relate? In this episode and the next few weeks, we're touching on our own personal experiences with being immigrants. We're largely here as therapists but, we're also here as humans. We feel the need to start introducing a different narrative for others who may relate; an alternative representation to what's our there today.

This was recorded before the lockdown announcement in our area. Making sense of what this announcement means for our time off has been challenging. It feels like our plans have been derailed, and now we need to adjust. Let's be real, this is really hard.  After our discussion this morning we thought these points might be helpful: 1. Acknowledge how you're feeling 2. Connection is key during these times and can look different for different people. For some it's connecting to friends, their faith or what's most important to them. 3. Be aware of your sleep patterns and nutritional intake. These things often fall off the wagon when we are struggling and have a great impact on our well being. 4. MOVE. Go for a walk, do some morning stretches, join a yoga class, dance to your favorite song, whatever works for you. 5. Practice self-compassion. Remember, it's been a VERY tough year. Be kind to yourself during these times.

Healthy boundaries are important to recognize because they allow for us to practice self-care. In this episode, we share a way on how you start understanding your boundaries using the "house" metaphor.

Trauma: an overwhelming experience that is out of our control and we perceive as life threatening. Who feels this way about this pandemic?