Multicultural Couples Counselling
Love Knows No Boundary
Does This Sound Familiar?
Have you ever felt like talking to a counsellor is the right move, but your family disagrees? How do you handle the stigma?
Pressure from our families creates a strain on our relationship.
We have different views on gender roles & marital expectations because of our cultural backgrounds; we can’t stop arguing!
My in-laws interfere in all our life decisions, and I feel very frustrated because my partner doesn’t stand up for us.
I often feel undervalued because my in-laws treat my sister-in-law differently than they treat me.
I want to raise my child my way. Our families often criticize and shame me for my choices.
I wish my partner understood my cultural beliefs & values.
Canada is a land of diversity that welcomes millions of people on its land to call it “HOME”, interracial couples are a good mix of them. An intercultural relationship consists of a union between partners from different racial, ethnic, national, or religious backgrounds.
Sakshi, our founder, recognizes herself as a multicultural therapist based in Etobicoke as she brings with her experience of working in different countries, different settings, various cultures, and ethnicities.
She believes that over the years of working with different populations, she has learned that a basic human need is "being emotionally connected to one another," which supports her work with couples.
She has a deep commitment to empowering and nurturing the development of South Asian couples, drawing from her own experiences as a part of that community. Her primary goal is to challenge and overcome the stigma associated with seeking relationship counselling within the Desi community.
Her mission is to assist couples in achieving the dream life they rightfully deserve.
Clients most commonly experience
Difficulty with navigating cultural barriers (religious practices, rituals & faith) to connection
Lack of boundaries with “In-laws”: impact of their involvement on marriage
Inability to differentiate between their individual needs & desires from “cultural expectations” regarding roles in marriage
The impact of “childhood upbringing” on marriage is seen through the breakdown of communication, lack of conflict management & unequal roles.
Challenges with amalgamation into “new culture” & differentiating from older cultural norms
Gender-based role expectations
Issues stemming from settlement challenges for new immigrant couples (difficulty with securing employment & financial challenges; lack of family support; readaptation to local cultural norms & practices)
Common Challenges We Help With
Reflective listening techniques: Listening to understand than to respond
Integrate “individual beliefs about relationship” to create their own bubble.
Gain an understanding of each other’s norms, values & expectations derived from cultural expectations & childhood upbringing.
Re-negotiating roles in marriage & what does support look for them?
Navigating complexities of maintaining cultural ties while adapting to new environments.
Greater cohesion & harmony with extended family by creating boundaries (extended family like in-laws)
Couples Therapy with South Asian Couples
Marriage in south asian cultures is not just a union of a couple but a union of two families. This puts a lot of pressure on a couple.
Based on research by Dr. Saunia Ahmad in York University “South Asians represent Canada’s largest visible minority and constitute about 10% of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) population. Despite their significant presence in the GTA and Western countries in general, South Asians are one of the most underrepresented ethnic groups in psychological services and research, particularly couple therapy research.
Keeping cultural expectations & values systems in mind we offer a culturally sensitive lens to our approach to help you create a more connecting interpersonal relationship within a joint family system (when living with in-laws), support & assistance from extended family unit for roles in family (child rearing or household duties), role of immigration & challenges with assimilation to new country & culture on your partnership.
Why Choose Voyage Couples Therapy?
We at Voyage Couples Therapy pride ourselves on being not just culturally sensitive but specifically skilled in multicultural couples therapy. Our lived experiences of cultural norms & practices, as well as our professional expertise, allow us to offer tailored therapy solutions for interracial and multicultural couples facing unique relationship challenges.
Through our multicultural lens, we explore systemic oppression dysfunctional cultural beliefs, and celebrate your unique identity, providing a safe space to explore your emotional journey one step at a time.
Book Your Free Consultation to discover how our multicultural couples therapy services can help your relationship embrace diversity, overcome cultural barriers, and build a stronger, more understanding partnership.
I am ready but I have some questions. What do I do?
We at “Voyage Couples Therapy” understand the importance of having a connection with your therapist before you commit to the process. We offer a Free 20-minute consultation so that you feel completely confident in finding the right fit, understand our outcome-driven model & get started with building the dream life that you deserve.
Ready to take the next steps toward your healing expedition?
Explore Specialities
We encourage you to learn more about how can we offer support, and our modalities & identify services aligning with your needs.
Book a 20min Consultation
During our call, we explore your needs & goals, answer your questions & explain our process to therapy.
Attend First Session
After the consultation, attend your first session where we dive deeper into your objectives and begin our collaborative journey.