Culturally Sensitive Therapy

Dr. Galega-Sabum combines her clinical expertise and advanced education to offer compassionate, evidence-based psychiatric care for adults teenagers and adolescents.

I have special expertise in bilingual assessment and multicultural competence in both graduate school and internship training. I have extensive clinical experience working with culturally diverse clients and continue to stay current in culturally sensitive therapy through workshops. I have published, conducted workshops, and served as an expert consultant in several states in the area of bilingual assessment.

My counseling approach is warm, supportive, and encourages clients to connect with their inner child to unlearn the internalized oppressive messages that result from life, on a micro and macro level; with the belief that unlearning these messages can empower folx into moving forward and reclaiming their lives.

John has extensive education and clinical experience working with diverse populations.

I have extensive experience working with Asian-identifying clients, including those who are 1st, 1.5, and 2nd generation immigrants. I have experience with those who are adopted into transracial families, individuals in interracial relationships, or identify as multi-racial. All of our work at InnerWoven Therapy is filtered through a lens of cultural sensitivity.

We strive to provide culturally responsive and affirming services that are sensitive to the unique needs and challenges faced by marginalized communities, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) and to gender, sexuality or relationship minorities. In our clinical work, we utilize an intersectional, culturally-grounded approach to understand dynamics of power, privilege, and oppression that have shaped our clients identities and lived experiences.

In a culturally responsive and humble approach, I work to bring all aspects of your identity as strengths in the counseling environment. I believe that when we are in touch with all aspects of our identity, we are better able to proactively address the challenges that are facing us.

This is the lens that I view therapy through.

Much of my graduate school training was in cross-cultural psychology, including understanding how culture is important in helping clients who struggle with various mental health problems. I use a cultural lens to view each of my clients and consider how culture has shaped them over time.

My approach centers on recognizing and validating the unique mental health struggles that LGBTQ+ individuals and family members encounter, exploring and processing the underlying sources of distress, and empowering you to live your most authentic life in a world that does not always feel safe. We will explore the cultural/social/political issues that are impacting you Our work will focus on building resilience and preparing you for a world that is not prepared for you.

We are a diverse group of therapists, social workers, and counselors from various walks of life. Our collective experiences enable us to offer telemental health online therapy services and individualized treatment in a kind and compassionate manner.

Social justice and advocacy are core pieces to a therapist's identity. They have to be able to navigate complex cultural issues that transcend race and cultural identity. These issues are often the source of a lot of the issues our clients are struggling, and a therapist must be able to identify the impact of culture and identity on the presenting issue.

Having lived in different countries and engaged in my own self-growth with a therapist, I’ve grown to see the world through various different lenses. I believe this makes me uniquely equipped to help individuals navigate their journey in therapy, especially the LGBTQ+ community. Every person deserves to live a full, authentic life without fear of judgment or exclusion, and that’s what I’m focused on with my clients.

Since most of my clients are BIPOC, being culturally sensitive and utilizing culturally sensitive thearpy is important in helping my clients feel safe, heard, and build trust with me. A large part of my practice is explaining the processes of therapy to my clients as it is their first time becoming vulnerable with a mental healthcare provide and trusting them.

I encourage clients to share how their cultural experiences shape their identity and challenges. I'm open to discussing cultural issues and how they affect the client's mental health. In our sessions, it's important to foster a safe, inclusive space where clients feel comfortable expressing their cultural identity without fear of judgment or misunderstanding.

Our clinic prides itself on uplifting clients who come from under-served communities. We respect the intersectionality inherent in all of us and treat the whole client in context. In addition, we mindfully employ clinicians from multiple gender, cultural, and disability backgrounds.

To be culturally sensitive is to practice cultural humility with respect and genuine interest. I love learning about the many different cultures and subcultures of people I meet, including my clients, but I do not expect my clients to have to explain who they are or where they come from. I offer a safe space to be vulnerable and to share experiences, feelings, hopes, and dreams for people from all backgrounds and identities.

Well-researched treatments aren't enough. Your therapist requires the right attitude for diversity-affirmative care. I make an effort to practice cultural humility, which is a lifelong commitment to learning and respecting clients' identities and experiences. Labels don't help here - I try to neither over-inflate nor under-estimate the role of your identity in your life. I work to foster safety, trust, transparency, collaboration, and empowerment.