If you've ever said yes when you meant no, or felt guilty for prioritising yourself, you're not alone. In this post, we introduce Lin, a nurse whose endless giving masks a deeper struggle with self‑worth. We explore Schema Therapy's Other‑Directedness domain of Subjugation, Self‑Sacrifice, and Approval‑Seeking schemas and how healing starts with including yourself in the circle of care.

Healing for many Asian and migrant clients is inseparable from culture, family, and belonging. Therapy is never culturally neutral; every intervention carries a worldview. Our task is not to pull clients away from their communities, but to support growth that honours connection, identity, and the cultural worlds that shaped them.

Many of us grew up learning to hold everything — translating, soothing, organising, protecting — long before we had space to be children. In Asian and migrant families, this responsibility is woven with love, culture, and survival. Healing isn’t about rejecting our roots, but finding room for ourselves within them.