Experience Belonging From The Inside Out

Identity & belonging coaching for multiracial and multicultural people

A holistic and embodied approach

Do any of the following sound like you?
 

  • You don’t feel like you have a strong racial or cultural identity

  • Questions like 'who are you?' or 'what are you?' send you into a panic

  • You feel racial imposter syndrome big time

  • Social anxiety stops you from seeking out the kinds of friendships you're craving

  • You constantly have to defend yourself against family members who question your identity


When you carry multiple lineages of ancestry (or even just identities that are culturally considered "contrasting") it can feel like you have to prove who you are or pick and choose elements of who you are in order to belong and receive care.

But it doesn't have to be that way. 

You can own and embody every aspect of your identity and experience. It’s both/and/all, not/either or, baby!

It's from that place that you'll be able to build relationships - and a whole ass life - that feel actually, truly, good.

What’s possible when we work together?

Tend to your belonging wounds

Together, we’ll seek to understand your emotional and relational patterns. The goal is to be a compassionate witness. To understand what these patterns are protecting. When we can do that, these patterns often soften opening the way to trying new approaches.

Build resilience

Look, our narrow world is not always kind to us mixed folks. We’ll build up your confidence so it’s not so shaken when you are othered, and will also embrace the grief that comes with being mixed race. Accepting grief as part of an ongoing process will help keep things flowing and will prove to you that you can handle hard emotions.

Identify what’s authentic for you

You've rewritten your narrative a million times. So often as mixed people we fall into people pleasing and shape shifting. Imagine feeling more comfortable talking about your identity, and feeling capable of handling people who question it. Imagine embracing the ways your identity evolves over time.

Feel more connected to others

You want to feel a sense of community. I’ll help you get clear on what you value in friendship so you can suss out the right people, and take actions to make new friends and get closer to your existing friends. Imagine having relationships where you can just be yourself.

What are sessions like?

Sessions are experiential. While we do a lot of talking, I will also draw our attention to your physical experience. Beyond what you’re thinking, what are you feeling? What are you sensing? And we open up a conversation with whatever is happening in the present moment.

I often facilitate somatic exercises so you have tools you can take with you, as well as somatic experiments that may help us uncover interesting and helpful information.

I use this approach because part of our wounding (both as humans in a trauma-filled world and as mixed race humans in particular) severs the relationship between our minds and bodies, keeping us out of touch with what we long for underneath all our survival patterns. Reestablishing their interconnection (and not-so-separateness) will help you identify what you really want and develop a relationship with your emotions so that you’re not afraid of them anymore. Yes, even the rage. Even the grief. Even the despair. Because once you aren’t afraid of feeling, that’s freedom.

My clients describe me as warm, approachable, and having a sense of humor. ​I view our work as a collaboration and myself as a guide who walks alongside you. As much as I will support you in feeling the things that have been difficult to feel, there may also be times when I invite you to play or be silly in our sessions.

I am very intentional not to project any "shoulds" or shame on you. Our bodies are wise. There’s always a reason for whatever they are feeling, thinking, or doing. My job is to help you understand what’s going on. I've had many clients express that they have learned more about themselves in one session with me than months/years of working with other providers.

How do we get started?

  1. Schedule a free 20-minute consultation. We’ll meet and make sure it feels like a good fit! We can discuss any goals or questions you have during this call.

  2. We’ll find a consistent time for us to meet on a weekly or every-other-week basis to start.

  3. During the first call we’ll talk a bunch about what you’re bringing into coaching, you’re hopes and concerns.

  4. During the second call we’ll explore some reflection questions on the relationship between your mind and body.

  5. In the third call and beyond we’ll pick a focus each session related to your larger goals.

“I am not ‘Half Japanese’ and ‘Half Lithuanian Jewish.’ When I’m singing a Japanese folk song, I don’t sing with half my voice, but with my whole voice. When I’m taping together my grandparents’ Jewish marriage contract, worn by time but still resilient, it’s not half of my heart that is moved, but my whole heart. I am complete, and I embody layers of identities that belong together. I am made of layers, not fractions.”

–Yumi Thomas

Fees & FAQ

  • Sessions are 60-minutes long and are $220. I offer a few sliding scale spots for one-on-one services, and the availability for these varies.

  • I am a therapist over at Root to Rise Somatics, but these sessions are not psychotherapy and are therefore not eligible for insurance.

  • Generally Tuesdays, Wednesdays & Thursdays 9-4ish Eastern Time

  • We meet on a weekly or every-other-week basis until we’ve achieved your goals.

What People Are Saying

— Kat D.

“I was struggling with a sense of belonging as a mixed person, and a lot of fears around potential rejection and what others thought of me. I feel much more grounded in my own sense of self and able to distinguish others' needs from my own. I'm confident that I can build relationships that feel good for me from a place of authenticity, and can hold space for any fears or nerves that arise. Our work together has helped me feel more deeply rooted into myself and my ancestry.”

— Lily

“Working with Raina has made a huge impact on my quality of life. Her knowledge of how trauma lives in the body and her techniques to become more safely embodied have helped me become an active participant in my life again…Having a coach that shares the liminality I experience as a multiracial person has been an absolute game changer! Feeling safe to express these complexities has been such a lifesaver for what can feel like a lonely existence sometimes. She’s given me the tools to seek community and connection in new and exciting ways!”

— Could you be next?

These results are possible for you. I’d be honored to support you on your journey. Don’t hesitate to set up a free 20-minute consultation today.