A few days ago, I was talking to a friend and mentor from Central Africa whom I have known for 13 years and who has read a few of my blog posts. From our conversation, he just now understood what I do for a living. “You mean to tell me you are one of those people on TV to whom people come and tell their problems?”…
It’s almost 2020, the beginning of a new year and a new decade. New beginnings can be refreshing, they instill hope for the future and give us a chance to dream about what is possible. Think about various new beginnings you’ve had, moving to a new place, starting a new job, starting a new relationship. I’m sure they gave you a chance to start afresh. This…
The holiday season can bring up a lot of emotions, making it difficult to communicate, and increasing stress. You may need to make some tough decisions that could affect your relationships with others. On the other hand, some situations can be easily rectified and your reactions to them could make things worse. How do you regulate your emotions so you are not over-reacting or lashing out at…
Music and dance are great tools to de-stress, boost mood, and they have positive benefits to mental health. So here's a treat for you. Take some time to dance, sing, and have fun this holidays. I trust you will... we Africans know how to enjoy music so go ahead! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7ZIfABig58
Before you read this post, I would recommend reading the first one on how to handle difficult conversations.Broken relationships can be a real challenge and sometimes for good reason. Working with clients in psychotherapy, some people have presented some truly difficult circumstances. For example, I’ve spoken to different young women from collectivistic cultures who have experienced sexual abuse from a relative who has shown no remorse…
While the holidays can be a time of rest and relaxation for many Africans, it can also be stressful (read what I wrote for stress management tips). One of the reasons why some people might dread family gatherings during the holidays is because of the difficult or anxiety-provoking conversations with family or friends. For some, the holidays can be a reminder of broken relationships causing them…
The holidays are fast approaching. When I was a child in Cameroon, I looked forward to December. It was one of my favorite periods because people came together to celebrate. There was always a lot of food and merriment. As an adult, although I enjoy spending the holidays with my family, I realize that there is more to this one-sided story of cheerful holidays. This season…
I often hear African immigrants say that they have never had a reason to seek professional counseling. (Read this post for common reasons they give). I believe counseling is even more important for African immigrants because traditional practices geared toward mental health in many parts of Africa are no longer common and are definitely not available in the U.S. African history lesson First off, I am not…
I’ve been in the U.S. as an adult for about 15 years now. The longer I am here, the easier it has become to make the U.S. my home. I have an Americanish accent (depending on whom I’m talking to), I have adopted different things from American culture. I probably understand the U.S. system more than Cameroonian system. I know more references to American movies, music,…
But I pray, why do I still need counseling? You’ve probably heard someone say this or you’ve thought it yourself. I get it, I used to think so too. But it is not accurate. If all we needed were prayers without action, then we wouldn’t need medical doctors, dentists, scientists, how far do you want to go? It would be unwise not to go to the…