We had a 60-minute virtual session today. Amara logged in and said she's been feeling on edge all the time, like she can't relax even when things are okay. She said quote 'I feel like I'm always waiting for something bad to happen' unquote. She's been in the U.S. for three years now, but the hypervigilance hasn't gone away. She talked about the chronic stress of the immigration process, the fear around her legal status, and how hard it's been to feel safe or settled when everything still feels so uncertain.
We talked about immigration trauma and how it's layered, it's not just one event, it's the relocation, the loss of community and family, the constant worry about legal and cultural stability, the discrimination and the feeling of not fully belonging anywhere. She said she misses home so much, but she also can't go back, and that grief is always with her. She said she feels like she lost a whole part of herself when she left.
We started with some grounding practices to help with the hypervigilance. I taught her a simple breathing exercise, breathe in for four, hold for four, out for six, to help calm her nervous system when the anxiety spikes. We also did some orienting, where she looked around her space and named things she could see and touch, just to help her body register that she's safe in this moment.
Right, and then we moved into some identity and belonging exploration. I asked her what parts of her culture and identity she's been able to hold onto here, and what she's had to let go of. We talked about finding small ways to reconnect with her roots, cooking traditional food, connecting with other people from her country, celebrating holidays in her own way, so she doesn't feel like she's lost all of it. Her homework is to practice the grounding and breathing exercises daily, and to pick one way to reconnect with her culture this week. She seemed a little more hopeful by the end. We'll meet again next week to keep building those supports.
