A BIPOC First-Generation Women’s Growth and Skills Group
Welcome to Pieces of Becoming
Becoming does not mean abandoning where you came from. It means making room for your history, identity, needs, values, and future to exist together.
Many first-generation BIPOC women learn to carry high expectations, remain strong for others, avoid disappointing their families, and measure their worth through achievement or sacrifice. Pieces of Becoming offers a culturally affirming space where participants can explore these experiences without having to minimize, defend, or overexplain themselves.
Who This Group Is For
This group may be appropriate for BIPOC women who:
- Identify as first-generation in an educational, professional, cultural, financial, relational, or personal area
- Feel responsible for the emotional, financial, or practical needs of others
- Feel caught between family or cultural expectations and personal values
- Have difficulty resting without feeling unproductive or selfish
- Feel lonely or misunderstood as they grow and change
- Feel pressure to succeed or represent their family or community
- Experience guilt when setting boundaries or prioritizing themselves
- Struggle with perfectionism, impostor syndrome, self-doubt, or fear of failure
- Are working to interrupt harmful generational patterns
- Want support from women who may understand similar experiences
Clarification: First-generation experiences are not limited to college or immigration, and may include being the first to pursue emotional wellness, financial stability, healthier relationships, entrepreneurship, personal freedom, or another meaningful change.
Topics We May Explore
- First-generation identity and belonging
- Generational roles and responsibilities
- Impostor syndrome and self-doubt
- People-pleasing and overfunctioning
- Rest, burnout, and emotional capacity
- Cultural and family expectations
- Achievement pressure and perfectionism
- Boundaries without shame or guilt
- Self-worth beyond productivity
- Grief connected to growth and change
The Weight We Carry
We do not live in a vacuum. The stress, exhaustion, and patterns we notice in ourselves are often connected to the larger cultural and family systems we belong to. For many first-generation BIPOC women, survival has meant carrying pieces that were never ours to hold alone.
These weights can show up as generational guilt, systemic pressure, or the quiet fear that if we take a break, everything we have worked for—or everything our families sacrificed for—will fall apart. In this group, we look at where these weights came from and how we might begin to lay some of them down.
What Participants May Gain
Greater Self-Compassion
Participants develop a deeper understanding of their history, learning to treat their past and present experiences with the kindness and cultural awareness they deserve.
Embodied Boundaries
Learn practical strategies to identify your limits, express your needs clearly to others, and set boundaries without the weight of generational shame or guilt.
Authentic Connection
Experience the power of being seen and heard in a community of women who understand the nuances of the first-generation experience and BIPOC identity.
Group Approach
The group uses a blend of psychodynamic and relational-cultural theories alongside mindfulness and cognitive-behavioral skills. We focus on the connection between your history, your current patterns of relating to yourself and others, and the development of tangible skills to support your growth. This is not just a place to talk—it is a place to transform how you exist in the world.
What This Group Is Not
Pieces of Becoming is a growth-oriented group focused on exploration and skill-building. It is not a crisis management program or a replacement for intensive mental health treatment.
This is a strictly non-judgmental space. It is not a place for advice-giving, forced participation, or having to justify your cultural background to others. We prioritize safety and autonomy.
Group Logistics at a Glance
Group Overview
Format: In person, with a potential virtual option based on interest; Session length: 90 minutes; Group size: Limited to 10 women; Meeting schedule: To be announced; Program length: To be announced; Fee: Approximately $25 per participant, per session.
Requirements
Age requirement: 25 and older; Diagnosis requirement: No diagnosis is required; Screening: A brief screening or consultation may be required before enrollment.
Location
Virtual sessions: Participants must be physically located in Arizona, Minnesota, or Ohio during sessions.
Investment
Fee: Approximately $25 per participant, per session.
Accessibility and Participation
Pieces of Becoming is facilitated through a lens of disability justice and collective care. We recognize that traditional group structures can sometimes feel rigid or inaccessible, and we work to minimize barriers for all participants.
Participants are encouraged to engage in ways that honor their body’s needs—this may include moving around, eating, cameras on or off, using fidgets, or taking breaks as needed. Our virtual space utilizes auto-captioning and flexible communication styles to support diverse processing needs.
If you have specific accessibility requests or questions about how the group can best support your participation, please include them in your interest form or reach out directly.
Interested in Joining?
You do not have to navigate becoming alone. Pieces of Becoming offers a space to honor where you came from, understand the pressures you carry, and create a future that reflects who you are becoming.
Not eligible for the current group? We are also gathering interest from adults ages 21–24 and people located outside Arizona, Minnesota, or Ohio. You may complete the interest form to help us understand where future groups may be needed. You may also explore our other available groups to find a program that better fits your identity, age, or interests. *Please note: Submitting the interest form does not guarantee placement in the group. Participants will be selected based on clinical fit and availability.
If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call or text 988, call 911, or go to your nearest emergency room. This interest form is not for emergency support.
Join the Pieces of Becoming Waitlist
Interested in being part of the next Pieces of Becoming group? Join the waitlist to receive updates when dates, location details, registration, and screening information become available. The group will be limited to 10 women, so completing the waitlist form helps us understand interest and plan future cohorts.
Joining the waitlist does not guarantee placement, complete registration, or establish a therapist-client relationship. Participants may be required to complete a brief screening and registration process before enrollment.
This website and waitlist form are not monitored for emergencies. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988, call 911, or visit your nearest emergency room.