An interview Yin Li, LMFT about Asian American and Pacific Islanders in therapy and as therapists. Curt and Katie talk with Yin about how often AAPI individuals are not included in the conversation about racism, culture, and mental health.
It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. We are human beings who can now present ourselves as whole people, with authenticity, purpose, and connection. Especially now, when therapists must develop a personal brand to market their practices.
To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age.
Interview with Yin Li, MA LMFT
Yin Li a marriage and family therapist licensed in California and Oregon and founder of Theralane. She works primarily with Asian Americans on a range of concerns ranging from challenging family dynamics, chronic relationship difficulties (romantic, love, family, work), life transitions, career challenges, identify questions, high functioning depression, and anxiety. Yin is very passionate about normalizing mental health, wellness, and therapy services in Asian communities. She has spoken and provided workshops on Asian American Mental Health and Wellness. For white identified clinicians working with Asian Americans, Yin is available for consultation.
Website www.theralane.com
Email: yin@theralane.com
Instagram: @theralane.counseling
In this episode we talk about:
Being called out by listener, Yin Li about not talking about Asian American and Pacific Islanders in our conversations about Race to date.
Thoughts on why AAPI individuals are often left out of the conversation or ignored
The “Model Minority” myth
The problem of using aggregate data
Language barriers and self-segregation
The problem of not knowing what we don’t know
Deep-rooted racism in the United States
How do we identify and address our blind spots
The factors that might enter into the perspective of AAPI individuals on getting therapy or entering the therapy profession
What to do when you identify this blind spot
Looking at what can be missed when working with AAPI clients
How race might come into the room, even if it is not the primary reason for treatment
Family immigration stories, language differences
Hoping space for cultural stories and the context in which your client lives
The problem of not talking about race with Asian American clients
How to get over the nervousness of talking about race with AAPI clients
How do the conversations relate to the needs of the client, with intention
The problem of addressing race and culture to check a box – which comes from a place of privilege
The complexity of mixed race – looking at unique factors
How integration as an individual is impacted by where one lives, with whom they live (e.g., AAPI child adopted into a white family, living in 2 cultures)
The importance of exploring the individual experience due to the complexity of the conversation
Developmental stages of cultural and racial identity
The impact of where you live on your sense of self
Marriage and Family Therapists: only 0.4% are AAPI
The assumption in all of therapeutic education that clients are white
The common requirement for AAPI therapists to learn on their own how to effectively treat AAPI clients
The value of consultation
What educators and professional associations can do to improve the situation
Calling out when the education is not enough
Messages Yin Li has for Asian American therapists
