Find a Therapist Who Will Speak Farsi to You with Shadia Sepehrnia – Therapy Roulette (103)

Michele discusses race and ethnicity as it relates to therapy. She recommends therapy professionals bring up the subject of racial identity with their clients. She mentions a few things white therapists can do to help BIPOC clients especially. This week’s guest, Shadia Sepehrnia, tells us the comfort in finding a therapist who is Persian like her. She explains the ease of being able to describe things in Farsi. She discusses how her mother, who’s from Iran, doesn’t understand therapy. Shadia tells us what it’s like to return to therapy after a hiatus from it. She reveals that she is grateful to the pandemic for letting her catch a break from work, so she can figure out how she truly wants to spend her time. Shadia recommends the screenwriting book, Story by Robert McKee, which may be a type of therapy in and of itself!
Shadia talks about getting caught up in the hustle of Hollywood, and how it’s been nice to have the time to read SEVEN books since we entered quarantine! She also says that she watches zero network television these days, unless it’s 90 Day Fiancé. They also discuss whether staying on Facebook during election season is worth it. Michele asks where Shadia last traveled to before the pandemic. Michele then asks Shadia how her writing/directing career is going.

Talking Points:

• Race and Ethnicity
• Therapy
• Free Time & Books
• Popular Reality Television
• Facebook
• Traveling
• Writing
• Hollywood & Directing

Top 3 Quotes

1. “What I thought was really interesting, the article says, ‘As you begin to address race-based experiences in therapy, explore not just cross culturally, which means learning about a culture different from yours, but also multiculturally, which means learning about systems of power, privilege and oppression and their impact related to social group identity. This will also be important to do for your clients’ reference group identities, such as ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, immigration status, veteran status, religion, and other identities that might be important to that individual.’” (4:23)
2. “…when you talk to family, you're almost in a way, at least I am. I'm worried like, I don't want to hurt their feelings. I don't want to change how they feel about me or see me. And so a lot of times you lose yourself. And I think therapy, and that's why it's, you know, it's part of self-care is like, well, this is just for me, and nobody else and no one else can take it away.” (19:59)
3. “It's very brutal. And part of me is like, oh, maybe I shouldn't challenge myself and like, try to like, no, push myself to do this. But it just seems very exposing. Because when you're in a room with your therapist, you are exposed, but like with your mother, that's another level.” (30:50)

Motivation

• "I think everything right now is taking on a different form. That’s what pandemic is, like everything like, I would have never like done half the things I’ve done. If it wasn't for the pandemic, like all the stuff that I've baked, the books that I've read, the things that I've written, like, these are things that have never would have happened.” (22:33)

Listen to the episode: www.podpage.com/therapyroulette/find-a-therapist-who-will-speak-farsi-to-you-with-shadia-sepehrnia/
 
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Twitter: @evenstar263

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Twitter: @michelebaci
 
Theme music by @hannahvsthemany
Listen to Hannah Vs. The Many:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/5rlyuj1AOlLdLCV5MRFc9P?si=muDK4Rr3RXWMGhBCP0fQaw
 
Books Mentioned:
Story by Robert McKee
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/story-robert-mckee/1100538146
 
Articles Mentioned:
“Addressing Race in Therapy” by Naomi Torres-Mackie
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/underdog-psychology/202006/addressing-race-in-therapy