Racial Identity Therapy
Hi, my name is Amalia Miralrío, and I’m a therapist specializing in racial identity, therapy for Latinx, and biracial mental health.
I provide online counseling in Michigan and Pennsylvania, and in person counseling services in downtown Detroit.
You may be feeling exhausted by fielding microaggressions, unsure of your place in a racialized world, or absolute rage over racial inequity. I understand, and I’m here to help you process this.
I help people make sense of their racialized experiences and cope with continued injustices.
If you’re ready to start processing, schedule a complimentary consultation with me today.
My approach to Racial Identity Therapy
Let’s be very clear about two things:
First, that therapy cannot eradicate racism or racial trauma. An individual approach cannot solve a global issue.
Secondly, that I benefit from an immense amount of racial privilege as a light skinned, mixed race Latina. I will not pretend to know what it’s like to live without these privileges. You can read more here.
My approach to racial identity therapy is to assume that the way the world around you places you racially and ethnically impacts the way you date, the way you view yourself, and the way you interact in the workplace. We do not live in a post-racial society, and the power dynamics globally impact your life. I believe there’s no such thing as apolitical therapy, and there’s no such thing as ignoring race in therapeutic relationships.
It matters that you have a therapist who is comfortable discussing how your identity impacts all areas of your life and will believe you when you share vulnerable, intimate details of this nuance. Your main issue that brings you to therapy might not be about race or ethnicity, but you still need to feel safe enough to bring it up when it matters.
Sometimes your experiences with your racial and ethnic identity are exactly what bring you into therapy. Even if therapy can’t solve racism, xenophobia, and colorism, it can be healing to have a space to process your experiences and feel as resourced as possible as you move through the world.
Some of the issues I help people with include processing a lack of cultural home, navigating multiracial and multiethnic family dynamics, internalized racism, racism in dating, and transracial & transcultural adoption.
How Racial Identity Therapy Works
The first step is to schedule a free consultation where we can meet via video and talk about what’s bringing you into therapy at this point in your life.
During our first three sessions, I’ll ask you to share as much as you can about your life. We can begin wherever you like, and I’ll ask follow up questions.
After we’ve met a few times, I’ll be able to share some initial themes I’m hearing and make a recommendation of what I think could best help you.
We will pick consistent times to meet and I will continue supporting your journey, encouraging honest processing, and highlighting themes I’m hearing.
Racial Identity Therapy FAQs
+ Do you only provide therapy for Latinx, or do you work with clients of other backgrounds?
I work with clients of all racial and ethnic backgrounds. For some clients, it’s important to have a therapist with a similar background. My lived experience and cultural knowledge is specific to being the child of a Mexican immigrant. It’s important for me to be transparent about my own lived subjectivity. If you are from a different background or have a different lived experience and are interested in working together, please know that you are welcome.
+ Can you help me cope with microaggressions in the workplace?
Yes. Together, we can talk through what you’re experiencing. It can be so hard to put words to microaggressions in the workplace, and it can be so painful to acknowledge the mistreatment. We can name what you’re experiencing and help you recognize its emotional impact without minimizing or excusing the behavior. This kind of clarity can help you feel confident about making whatever choices you need to make to move forward — whether that mean making a formal complaint or beginning to think of an exit plan. There isn’t one right way of dealing with racism at work because it’s something you shouldn’t have to deal with in the first place.
+ How do you work with mixed race issues?
Everyone experiences a biracial or mixed race identity differently. Some common struggles are racial imposter syndrome, family conflict, and identity confusion. I recognize that in a racialized, segregated world, growing up without a clear cultural identity can impact development. You might not have any pain around this part of yourself, and that’s great! Not everyone does. But if you do feel pain or confusion, this is a space that supports your journey of reconciling your multiple identities. This is a therapy space that allows for confusion and doesn’t rush your process of developing confidence in your layered identities.
+ What does racial identity have to do with dating and relationships?
Race matters in dating in many ways. We do not live in an apolitical or post-racial society. You might be facing discrimination in the dating process. You might be dating someone of a different background. You could be navigating nuanced, complicated dynamics of power and systemic oppression within an intimate relationship. Of course you might need some extra support when you’re navigating such important and complex topics.
Get help from a racial identity therapist.
It’s hard to make sense of how to navigate the world as a nuanced, layered person with a particularly racialized experience. I’m here to help you make sense of it.
Request a free consult today to talk about how I can help.