Mental Health, Intergenerational Trauma and Teens

In this episode, I wanted to explore what Manjeet, as a culturally sensitive therapist, is seeing in her industry and with her clients, ranging from teens to adults and how some issues can emerge for immigrants and children of immigrants. I’ve added the time location to some of the areas below.Firstly, we explored why having a therapist with a similar background is not a prerequisite, but it can help women feel more comfortable and reduce the need for explanation as to why certain situations occur. (3:54)We also discussed how we balance between a Western individualistic culture and a South Asian collectivist culture, where the values often differ. Our roles as women can be conditioned from a young age to serve others, and we may need to unpack what our own needs are and how we can fulfil them. As Manjeet mentions from her own experience, she embraces the parts of her culture that she enjoys, like cooking for her family. (5:42)Manjeet highlights how parents raise their children has a significant impact on them, and she has had to be very sensitive around the topic of parenting because it can impart blame. Still, in most cases, parents are doing the best they can, especially when you layer their experiences of immigration and survival (12:49). And it reminds me of something Maya Angelou said in terms of do the best you can, But when you know better, Do better.As a woman who has had more freedom than my mother had after marriage, I feel a sense of privilege in how I want to live and raise my children, however I was interested to know from Manjeet about Intergenerational trauma, which she went on to explain (16:01). Manjeet also works extensively with teens, where we see an impact of social media on mental health, and we discussed the Netflix show Adolescence. (20:29)About Manjeet:Originally from Coventry, she has been in Scotland for 17 years now and has been working as a Psychotherapist for 4 years. Having worked in schools, Manjeet realised that she wanted to support young people differently. She could see that young people were suffering due to their environments and conditioning, and more recently, the effects of social media and Covid. Her work with adults involves an empathic relational approach where they explore their struggles and childhood conditioning with a lot of focus on their cultural background.Here’s how you can follow Manjeet on social media: Thanks for reading How Round Is Your Roti?! This post is public, so feel free to share it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit priyamohalcoaching.substack.com