Author: Synergy Project

… aims to help people expand the use of their talents and strengths, develop their potential and achieve a more authentic and satisfying life experience.

… as an attitude based on the fact that people are their own best experts. Connecting to the inherent drive towards and capacity for growth and self-actualisation.

… is how you are with your client rather than what you do that is significant. 

… aims to facilitate self-determination and authenticity.

Am I living in a way which is deeply satisfying to me, and which truly expresses me? Carl Rogers

The question “Where are you from?” has always felt uncomfortable and complex to answer for me. Being born and raised in a specific territory does not always involve internalising its dominant culture. There is a multilevel dimension to culture that is often overlooked.

Being labelled as “Spanish” has always felt restrictive to me given the plurality of languages and cultures within the country. Having an Australian mother of Irish origin has usually been perceived as something exotic or unusual and as the single explanation for being bilingual in English.

Context is key for me, as human experience is full of nuances. Best word to describe my upbringing would be multicultural due to exposure to my parents’ cultures of origin and their personal journeys through others. I find there is a difference between exposure and internalisation though, as many factors constantly interact within family, social and historic contexts. Being raised in a multilingual family in Spain in the 80s and 90s was very different to what it is like nowadays as social context has evolved so much.

Language is a vehicle for culture and mindset, it shapes how reality is perceived.
I find myself in a cross-section of the two languages that are part of me, often navigating inner conflict regarding identity and sense of belonging, a constant feeling of “in between”.
The experience of being multicultural is very personal and unique, full of complexities and incredibly enriching at the same time.