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Episode 96: The Legacy of Being Seen (Part 5 of the On Being Seen series)
Today I’m joined by my friend and frequent super-guest, Mao Becket, LCSW—a liberation-centered somatic + spiritual therapist and founder of Reset & Resilient Wellness. Mao is a second-generation Cambodian American, rooted in a lineage of Kru Khmer traditional healers/mediums. Her work weaves ancestral wisdom with neuroplasticity and nervous-system science to help people repair relational wounds, unlearn internalized oppression, and reclaim voice.
We explore the legacy of being seen: generational silence, perfectionism, white supremacy culture, colonization, parenting + co-regulation, interception, and why visibility can be both sacred and scary—yet essential.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- How “generational silence” shows up in the body and voice—and why it isn’t all yours to carry.
- Ways systems (white supremacy culture, colonization, capitalism) shape our nervous systems, productivity myths, and isolation.
- Practical self-inquiry to discern: Is this resistance mine—or inherited?
- Why being seen isn’t all-or-nothing: pacing, choice, and community support.
- Parenting through a co-regulation lens (don’t rescue from feelings) and building interoception as a visibility skill.
- How sharing personal stories creates collective repair (and why AI can’t replicate that human-to-human attunement).
Chapters:
- 02:30 — A musical portal to Self: Thee Sacred Souls and liberation themes
- 05:40 — The big visibility block: “I want to… but can’t”
- 07:25 — Generational Silence & Cambodian history: “broken courage” and freeze that never completed
- 12:50 — This is human, not just cultural; systems that shape us (perfectionism, “right to comfort”)
- 21:15 — Individualism vs. collective care; why our bodies aren’t built for factory productivity
- 24:20 — Mao’s own launch resistance: discerning mine vs. lineage
- 28:50 — “Valid fear of seeing ourselves” and how to approach the pause when pausing is scary
- 33:00 — Interoception as a practice; patriarchy, men’s friendships, and emotional attunement
- 35:10 — Parenting: don’t rescue from feelings
- 45:10 — Vulnerability as decolonizing practice
- 51:20 — Where to find Mao + offerings (intensives, membership, meditations)
Connect with Mao & Caitlan:
If this episode hit a nerve (or soothed one), share it with a friend who’s navigating visibility. Rate + review Return so more big-hearted humans can find us. For deeper dives, resources, and behind-the-scenes of this On Being Seen series, join Caitlan's Substack community and check out her
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Produced by Caitlan Siegenthaler
If you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend, post it to your Instagram stories, and tag me. And if you really loved it, the best thank-you is a written review on Apple Podcasts or a comment on Spotify.
That is a beautiful energetic exchange for Caitlan creating the show.
