Balancing Two Worlds: Mental Health Challenges of South Asian Immigrants - The Meeting Matters

Balancing Two Worlds: Mental Health Challenges of South Asian Immigrants

(Peer Review by Ms. Lamiah Munaf)

 

Immigrating from South Asia to the Western world often brings profound cultural challenges and adjustments. South Asian culture, celebrated for its diversity and deeply rooted traditions, is vastly different from Western norms. For many immigrants, the language barrier, unfamiliar foods, social norms, and lifestyle changes come as a cultural shock. Adapting to a new environment where everything values, customs, and societal expectations, differs from their homeland is an uphill battle. This transition often requires individuals to rebuild their lives from scratch, including finding housing, jobs, and social networks, all while navigating feelings of alienation and homesickness. Adding to this struggle is a pervasive fear among many parents of losing their children to Western values and lifestyles. In an attempt to preserve their cultural heritage, some parents may adopt rigid and authoritarian parenting styles, striving to enforce traditional values. Unfortunately, this approach can create significant friction within families. Children, who are exposed to Western norms at school and in social settings, may find the contrasting environment at home stifling. This clash of cultures can lead to identity crises, where children feel torn between two worlds, struggling to balance their parents’ expectations with their own experiences and desires. Over time, such unresolved tension can foster feelings of frustration, irritability, and even rebellion in children, creating emotional and relational rifts. In these circumstances, therapy can offer a lifeline. (Bhugra & Becker, 2005).

 

 

As a therapist working with immigrant families, I often witness the profound challenges they face when transitioning from South Asian cultural contexts to Western environments. One case that stands out in my practice is that of a South Asian mother, and her teenage daughter. The mother sought therapy because her relationship with her daughter had become increasingly strained. The mother, deeply committed to preserving her cultural values, struggled to accept daughter’s embrace of Western practices, such as her choice of clothing and participation in social activities that she considered inappropriate. The daughter, feeling suffocated by her mother’s rules and judgment, reacted with defiance and emotional outbursts.

In therapy, we worked on unpacking the mother’s fears and understanding the cultural and emotional roots of her parenting approach. At the same time, I helped the daughter articulate her need for independence in a way that fostered empathy rather than conflict. Through open communication and mutual respect, they reached compromises that honored both their values and personal needs.

Counseling provides a safe and neutral space for families to navigate their struggles. For parents, therapy can foster a deeper understanding of their children’s perspectives, helping them learn to balance the preservation of cultural values with adaptability to their new environment (Sam & Berry, 2010). For children, therapy offers a platform to voice their emotions and clarify their identity without fear of judgment. Therapeutic interventions can guide families in improving communication, resolving conflicts, and fostering mutual respect. Techniques like family therapy, cultural sensitivity training, and individual counseling can address underlying fears and frustrations, helping families build stronger, more empathetic relationships. With professional support, immigrants can better adapt to their new environment while preserving their cultural identity, reducing the psychological toll of the migration process and fostering healthier dynamics within the family. This holistic approach helps bridge cultural divides, creating a more harmonious and resilient family unit in a foreign land.

In our opinion at The Meeting Matters, physical and mental health are equally vital. We provide a variety of services and advice on topics such as individual therapy, couple counseling, child psychology, etc. Our psychologist in Manchester speaks multiple languages including English, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi etc.

References

Sam, D. L., & Berry, J. W. (2010). Acculturation: When individuals and groups of different cultural backgrounds meet. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 5(4), 472–481.

Bhugra, D., & Becker, M. A. (2005). Migration, cultural bereavement, and cultural identity. World Psychiatry, 4(1), 18–24.