Therapist: So what brought you guys into therapy today? 

Couple: We feel like because we come from two different cultural backgrounds we’re just having a lot of issues as far as our blending families and you know, “Well, I do this on the holidays” and “But I do this on the holidays.” 

Therapist: That’s definitely understandable. The holidays can be tough because you’re dealing with family. There may be some complex dynamics. Plus, when you add two different families, especially of different cultures, it can be tough to really blend in a way that really kind of maintains the holiday spirit. The fact that you guys are here and acknowledging that you know there are some cultural differences and things you wanna work on, that’s honestly the first step!

One of the major things that couples struggle with is communication. Oftentimes, not knowing the other person’s communication style can be an issue. We all take in information differently and we all may present information differently. Sometimes it’s a matter of knowing the other person’s communication style and putting forth an effort to try and help communicate in ways they understand and ways that you can communicate as well. Having open and honest conversations about what your concerns are, family dynamics, and maybe sharing with each other like, “this is how my family operates” – these are cultural considerations that need to be taken in into account and can really pave the way to make those kinds of gatherings and blendings of families and cultures easier to deal with for everybody involved.