“I Never Feel Like Enough”: How Culturally Sensitive Therapy in Falls Church, VA Supports Children of Immigrants During the Holidays
It Doesn’t Matter if This is *Your* Holiday or Not…
The holidays that the US breaks for may not have been part of your family’s original holiday celebration plan, but they sure are now. It’s an opportunity to get together, to cook food together, and to just be together.
But you dread it.
You’re the eldest daughter, straddling the cultural line between not being “American enough” and not being “enough” of your own culture. And then come the criticisms from your own parents. No matter how much you try to do for them, you’re still not the perfect, good enough daughter. With each family gathering, you get angrier, but that anger gets swallowed up by guilt. You want to be grateful for your parents and everything they have done. But that frustration? It just keeps creeping in. This is where culturally sensitive trauma therapy comes in.
The Goal Posts are Always Moving, the Comparisons Never Stop, and the “When Are Yous?” Never End!
Every gathering, you gear up and guard yourself, preparing for the moving targets. No one is proud of you as things stand (of course not). Instead, they are looking ahead. When are you buying that house? When are you getting married? What about babies? Will you stay close? When is the next time you’ll be visiting? Why can’t you be more like this or that cousin???
If you come from a culture with a collective context, comparisons are familiar, and they can still hurt and affect you. It means that at family gatherings, holidays, weddings, etc, you are always bracing yourself against the waves of aunties and uncles and cousins who are ready with their questions and remarks.
You have accomplished so much, but at the end of your family time together, you are left feeling picked apart, wounded, exhausted, and as if, regardless of how far you have come, it just does not matter. It’s still not enough. You’re crushed. These are themes we explore in culturally sensitive therapy in Falls Church, VA.
You are Always Enough. And Trauma Therapy (with a Fellow Daughter of Immigrants) Can Help You Navigate the Communication Challenges
Even as a trauma therapist, I was there too. I had the never-ending expectations placed on me, and no matter how many times I visited or what I helped with, it didn’t fill the cup of the “good enough daughter.” I wanted to respect my parents’ needs and challenges, but I got frustrated, too. As a fellow eldest daughter of immigrants, I get it. However, between the extremes of people-pleasing and rage, there is a way to exist genuinely with your families, to learn how to communicate with them that is culturally aligned with and authentic to YOU.
You had a different assimilation experience from your parents, and so often, you may understand them, but you don’t really know each other, or empathize with each other. Hell, you may even have a language barrier. Exploring and tuning into compassion for your hurt, anger, fear, and sadness (without someone invalidating it), making space for grief, cultural grief, and then building in communication tools for you and your family is what trauma therapy rooted in knowledge of your cultural experiences brings to the table.
Get Started with Culturally Sensitive Therapy in Falls Church, VA
Alice Zic, MPH, LCSW | Trauma Therapist & Founder of Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy
At Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy, we provide gentle, trauma-informed care designed to help you restore a sense of safety, reconnect with your inner strength, and come back to yourself.
Here’s how to get started:
Schedule your complimentary 15-minute consultation call using the link below.
Complete a short pre-consultation form so we can better understand your needs.
Connect with trauma therapist Alice Zic to talk through what you’re experiencing and what support could look like.
Begin healing childhood trauma through thoughtful, personalized childhood trauma therapy.
In-Person Therapy in New Orleans at Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy
Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy offers in-person therapy sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in New Orleans, Louisiana. If you live in the Greater New Orleans area and are seeking support for childhood trauma, healing from the impact of parentification, or anxiety therapy for your teen, our Mid-City office provides a calm, welcoming space to begin your healing work.
We offer an accessible, supportive environment where you can slow down, feel safe, and take meaningful steps toward emotional recovery and growth.
Online Childhood Trauma Therapy Across Virginia
Online therapy can be a gentle, accessible way to begin healing from childhood trauma. As a therapist licensed in Virginia, I offer virtual therapy to clients located anywhere in the state. All you need is a private space, a reliable internet connection, and your device to get started.
No commuting, no added stress. Just supportive care that fits into your life. If you’re ready to explore whether online childhood trauma therapy is right for you, you can begin with a complimentary consultation call below.
Additional Online Therapy Services at Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy
In addition to childhood trauma therapy, Nurturing Willow Psychotherapy offers virtual counseling for teen anxiety in Connecticut, Virginia, and Louisiana, along with in-person sessions in New Orleans. We support individuals and families navigating the effects of parentification, emotional overwhelm in teens, and the lasting impact of childhood neglect.
Our work is grounded in compassion and free of judgment, offering a supportive space for healing, whether you’re joining us online or in person, and wherever you’re located in CT, VA, or LA.
Begin Culturally Sensitive Trauma Therapy with Alice Zic, LCSW
Alice Zic is a licensed clinical social worker based in New Orleans, Louisiana. She offers online therapy to clients across Louisiana, Connecticut, and Virginia, and provides in-person sessions in New Orleans. Alice specializes in working with perfectionist, eldest daughters of immigrants who are healing from childhood trauma and striving to become grounded, confident, and self-trusting adults.
Her work is rooted in attachment-based care, and she is trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy. IFS is a trauma-informed, evidence-based approach that supports healing both mind and body while allowing space to reparent wounded, critical, and protective parts that developed to help you survive.
If you’d like to learn more about Alice, please click here. If you’re interested in working together, you can schedule a complimentary consultation call here.