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Culture is in your kitchen, your marriage, your training room, and your nervous system, whether you name it or not. Today we do Heroes Welcome a little differently: Maria is out taking care of herself, and Donna steps in to co-host a wide-ranging conversation that starts with cross-cultural relationships and quickly turns into a clinical roadmap for therapists, supervisors, and anyone trying to communicate across difference.

We talk about what it’s like to love someone with a totally different background, including the hilariously high-stakes world of making “the right” enchiladas, and why food can be both comfort and identity. From there we widen the lens: culture isn’t only race and ethnicity, it’s also region, military culture, disability access, language, and introvert versus extrovert wiring. That broader view matters in therapy because if we don’t ask about family of origin, rituals, and expectations, we can miss the dynamics that shape a system.

We also tackle the tension of call-out culture versus call-in culture. When people are terrified of saying the wrong thing, their defenses spike and learning stops. We share stories about accents, sound systems, social media pile-ons, and allyship as ongoing bridge work, not a badge you earn once. We even get practical about inclusive practice, like curating a therapy room with clients and what a kid’s request for a garbage truck can teach us about grief and meaning.

If this conversation challenged you or gave you language for something you’ve felt, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review. What’s one place you’ve noticed culture shaping your day that you used to overlook?

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon