Alshina Kannai
MASTER IN SOCIAL WORK Intern
Sometimes, it’s hard to decide if therapy is the right choice for you. You might ask yourself, “Do I really need it? Am I being dramatic?”. You might have even heard someone tell you, “Other people have it a lot harder than you.”. And now, you’re second guessing yourself, which is not the first time. You’re used to listening to others on how they think you should act or feel, instead of listening to your own body and mind.
But those feelings that initially made you think about therapy, don’t just go away. Maybe it feels like a swirl of anxiety, sadness, anger, irritation, and even fear that just won’t leave you. And you start procrastinating on things you need to do because you’re just too tired and too anxious. You try to cope but lately, you’ve found yourself stuck in a mindless loop, constantly scrolling on your phone until you realize how much time has passed. Then you have to deal with the guilt settling in because you know all the things you could have done in that time. But most importantly, you’ve always struggled with the idea of self-care. You have a need to be constantly productive, even when your body is telling you to rest.
Or maybe you thought about therapy for cultural reasons. You’ve always wanted to be the one to break generational curses in your family and practice boundary settings. But therapy and even just talking about your feelings, has never really been an option in your family or culture. You’re the first one in your family to want to go to therapy. And maybe you don’t feel supported by your family, peers, or culture. You feel isolated, different from the people around you, just wishing they would understand. But you don’t feel safe opening up in that environment. In the past, your emotions and feelings have been dismissed. You might have even been told not to express a specific emotion. Or you’ve been labelled as “too sensitive”. And now you have trouble expressing your emotions or regulating them and it’s affecting your relationships.
If you have had any of these thoughts above, you’re taking the first steps towards healing. Introspection is vital to awareness and growth. And if you relate to any of these situations above, you’re on the right page. Hi, my name is Alshina Kannai, I’m currently getting my master’s in social work, and I am an intern at Harper Therapy. The situations I’ve described, I’ve been there, I’ve gone through it. I understand how our childhood, our relationship with our families, our friends, and our culture can influence the relationship we have with ourselves and the ones that we hold currently and in the future. It shapes how we view the world, especially the issues surrounding it. And because of this, I understand how we can struggle to validate and trust our own experiences.
I’m here to foster a safe space for you, where you are supported, listened to, and validated, all while providing the tools you need to achieve your goals. I’d like to bring to life the version of yourself you’d like to be.
