11/23/2020 – Palo Alto, CA: Interracial marriages in the US have risen consistently over the decades; in fact, most of the world’s interracial marriages take place in the US.
Even though Americans are largely accepting of cultural differences, interracial relationships are met with all kinds of conflicts. As the couple works to understand each other, it’s normal to receive harsh criticism from those who aren’t willing to accept their relationship.
Azizeh Rezaiyan is a licensed therapist, and the founder of Silicon Valley Marriage Counseling. Rezaiyan specializes in cross-cultural relationship therapy; she uses her personal experience with other cultures to coach interracial couples so they can work through their problems.
Interracial couples often experience hostility and intimidation from those around them, including their loved ones, which can take a toll on their relationship. Besides the scrutiny from society and their families, interracial couples also have to overcome internal issues that become a hindrance in their relationships, such as unhealthy assumptions, miscommunication, and a lack of understanding of each other’s value systems.
“Relationships are never easy, and when you add in the complexity of different backgrounds, things get so much more complicated. Interracial couples often don’t realize how much their cultural backgrounds shape their individual identities, and that’s when problems arise. During my therapy sessions, I encourage couples to communicate openly; the goal is to give them a safe space to question and understand each other’s value systems and find a middle ground that satisfies both of them,” says Rezaiyan.
Race is often tied to culture, and it’s cultural differences that become a wedge between partners. Our cultural backgrounds influence gender presentation, personal boundaries, communication style, religious practices and the nature of our relationships with others.
Rezaiyan encourages couples to identify these differences and deal with them head-on. “Interracial couples need to be proactive. In my experience, such relationships need open communication, understanding and respect for each others’ cultural backgrounds to survive, and that’s why our therapy sessions are so beneficial,” continues Rezaiyan.
Apart from interracial relationship counseling, Rezaiyan’s counseling center also offers male depression therapy, anxiety therapy, couples therapy, premarital counseling, and other related services.

About Silicon Valley Marriage Counseling
Based in Palo Alto, the center is headed by Azizeh Rezaiyan who has been working as a therapist for more than two decades and mainly deals with marriage and family therapy.

Contact Information
Website: https://siliconvalleymarriagecounseling.com
Mailing Address: 825 San Antonio Road, Suite 206, Palo Alto, CA 94303
Phone Number: (650) 206-9973
Email: [email protected]