Laki Mahamud, MSW, SWAICL, is a therapist at LightHeart Mental Health’s Federal Way clinic. Her work centers on BIPOC and vulnerable youth and their families, with a focus on culturally responsive, trauma-informed care and evidence-based approaches such as CBT, delivered in a collaborative, nonjudgmental space.
In this conversation, Laki explains why whole-household work aligns with East African values, how language and culture shape care, and what providers can do to lower barriers while honoring faith and community.
Centering culture and family in care
How do you define culturally responsive therapy, and why is it essential in supporting families today?
Laki: When I think about culturally responsive therapy from an East African lens, I immediately think about how mental health as understood in the U.S. does not directly translate into Somali culture. We do not grow up with words for anxiety or depression that match Western frameworks. Instead, we describe distress through the body, through faith, through exhaustion, or through life burdens.
Culturally responsive therapy means understanding those differences and honoring them. It means meeting families inside their cultural worldview, not asking them to step out of it, especially as they navigate both Somali traditions and Western expectations. Without that understanding, therapy can easily feel foreign or even unsafe.
What are some common misconceptions about culturally responsive care?
A big misconception is that culturally responsive care means avoiding tough conversations or assuming that all Somali or East African families think the same. Another misconception is believing that translating a few terms or knowing holidays is enough. Our cultural experience with mental health is layered. Migration, faith, trauma, community closeness, and lack of mental health vocabulary all influence how families understand symptoms. Being culturally responsive means understanding these nuances, not relying on stereotypes or surface-level knowledge.
Working with households, not just individuals
How does viewing the family as a whole change your approach to therapy?
Looking at the whole family instead of one person aligns much more naturally with East African values. Somali families are interconnected: one person’s stress affects everyone. When therapy focuses only on an individual, it can feel isolating and unfamiliar. When the approach honors the household system, including parents, siblings, elders, and unspoken cultural expectations, it becomes more effective. It shifts the work from fixing one person to supporting everyone who plays a role in that person’s well-being.
Can you share an example of how working with the entire household helped create longer-lasting change?
I have seen much more lasting change when the entire family understands what a young person is going through, especially when the symptoms do not have direct translations in Somali or East African cultures. A youth experiencing panic attacks might say, “My heart feels tight,” or “I feel like I am dying,” and parents may interpret it as a physical condition or a spiritual issue because mental health is not clearly defined or understood in the ways Western systems describe it.
Once families learn what these symptoms represent, and how to support their child through them, the whole environment becomes more compassionate and calm. It helps when families recognize that mental health is as real and important as physical health conditions like diabetes or high blood pressure.
Building trust, reducing barriers
What helps families feel seen and understood when cultural values differ from traditional therapy models?
Families feel seen when their values are not treated as obstacles. Somali families hold respect, modesty, faith, and collective responsibility deeply. When therapy acknowledges these values rather than challenging them unnecessarily, families feel safer. They open up when they know their culture will not be blamed or dismissed, and when the therapist understands that talking openly about emotions is not something most Somali parents grew up with.
How do you handle moments when cultural expectations conflict with clinical recommendations?
When there is a conflict between cultural expectations and clinical recommendations, I approach it with gentleness, not judgment. A parent might say, “We do not talk about feelings openly,” or “My child needs to toughen up.”
Instead of trying to oppose their beliefs, I try to understand the intention, usually the desire for safety, strength, or resilience. From there, we find a middle path that respects the culture while still meeting the client’s mental health needs.
What barriers do families from diverse backgrounds face when seeking therapy?
Somali and East African families face stigma, lack of privacy in tightly connected communities, language challenges, not understanding therapy terminology, and limited representation among providers. Many families fear being judged or misunderstood. Mental health concepts do not exist in a straightforward way in our culture, and so many people seek therapy only when the situation becomes overwhelming.
How can providers make engagement easier without adding to stigma or misunderstanding?
Avoid clinical jargon, explain the process in simple terms, and create an atmosphere that respects culture and faith. For many Somali families, healing traditionally happened through community, elders, or religious supports, not therapy. When families feel that therapy can work alongside these supports instead of replacing them, they are more open to participating.
Collaboration and the wider family system
How do culturally responsive therapists collaborate with parents, children, and extended family?
Collaboration often means creating space for each person’s voice, if the client is comfortable with that. Many clients do not tell their families they are in therapy because of stigma, so the process has to be handled with sensitivity. In Somali households, there are often multiple decision-makers, even if they are not physically present, so understanding the broader family system is important.
I usually start by exploring the client’s symptoms and experiences individually, then slowly help them piece together how larger family dynamics may influence their well-being. We look at what is within their control and what is outside of it.
The goal is to help the client understand the bigger picture without feeling blamed, misunderstood, or ashamed for seeking support. Every generation faces unique pressures, and culturally responsive therapy helps bridge those differences.
Bridging generations, building a shared language
What strategies strengthen communication and understanding across generations?
A big part of strengthening communication is helping families build a shared emotional language, one that honors Somali culture and the emotional expectations of the environment their children are growing up in. Many Somali parents did not hear questions like “How do you feel?” because emotional expression was shaped by survival, duty, tradition, and faith. Younger generations are being raised in schools and communities where emotional awareness is encouraged and required. This creates a tension where youth may feel torn between two expectations: honoring family values while navigating a world that asks them to be more expressive.
Somali youth are not struggling because they lack emotion. They are translating two emotional systems that do not always match. Somali parents are often carrying cultural wisdom rooted in resilience, wisdom that deserves respect. Strengthening communication means seeing that families do not have to choose one side. Parents can maintain cultural values around respect and faith while learning new ways to understand their child’s emotional world. Youth can express themselves honestly without feeling like they are betraying their culture.
Ready to get started?
When care fits your culture, progress lasts. If you want support that honors your values and helps your family build a shared emotional language, we are here to help. Laki and our team focus on practical skills, safer conversations at home, and plans that respect your traditions and your goals.
If you are ready to start for yourself or your child, we will walk you through the first visit and what to expect, from intake to your first session.
For new clients, please click here to schedule an appointment. For existing clients, please click here and find your office location to contact your office directly.