Key points

Early cultural confusion can shape lifelong beliefs about worth and belonging.

Many clients unlearn masking behaviors rooted in survival, not self-expression.

Healing means honoring the inner child within us who never needed to prove their worth.

Being the First, Only, Different (FOD) can be exhausting.

Paper Bag Masks Source: Maman Suryaman/Vecteezy

Halloween, like many typical American or Westernized holidays, has always felt like a mixed bag to me. I used to yearn for those Hallmark moments I saw on TV, the fireplace adorned with stockings and overflowing with gifts, a long table filled with family, and a golden turkey at the center.

But in our immigrant household, American holidays looked different. We waited for the post–New Year’s sales to buy new clothes. We ate

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