Beyond the Couch

This week, Christie sits down with Laura Iu to explore the complexities of diet culture and thin privilege, particularly within Asian American communities. They discuss navigating messages from two cultures, unlearning harmful Eurocentric beauty standards, and reconnecting with ideas of beauty from one's cultural heritage. Together they discuss their own relationships with makeup and appearance, as well as how food is discussed among their families. Additionally, Laura shares how she works alongside her patients in exploring body dysmorphia, desirability, talking to elders about food, and inviting curiosity into one’s relationship with food and body.

Laura Iu (she/her), R.D., is a registered dietitian nutritionist, certified intuitive eating counselor, and yoga guide in New York City. She is the owner of Laura Iu Nutrition, a weight inclusive private practice, that offers counseling to help people ditch the diet and nourish a positive relationship with their mind, body and food. Connect with Laura on Instagram @laura.iu

Mentioned in this episode:

• Intuitive Eating
• Kimmie Singh, RD
• Sonya Renee Taylor
• What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
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This week, Sam sits down with ethnomusicologist Stephanie Choi to explore the multifaceted world of K-pop. Stephanie shares what prompted her shift from studying traditional Korean music to K-pop, examining it both as performance art and as a cultural phenomenon with global impact. They discuss the industrial system behind K-pop, the linguistic and physical proximity that fosters closeness between idols and fans, and the significant influence of fandoms in shaping the industry. The conversation also touches on deeper themes such as the impact of colonialism, Hollywood stereotypes, and the varied implications for Asian American versus South Korean celebrities. Additionally, they analyze how BTS broke into the US market, the selling and purchasing of intimacy within fandoms, and the differences between K-pop fan interactions and conventional parasocial relationships.

Stephanie Jiyun [Jee-yon] Choi (she/her) is a postdoctoral researcher at the Asia Research Institute at the University at Buffalo. She is working on her K-pop ethnography which focuses on cultural globalization, gender and labor politics, and the affective economy of K-pop. Stephanie has interviewed more than 70 people in the K-pop world, from idol singers to industry workers, and most importantly, fans. Connect with Stephanie at [email protected]

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
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This week, Diana sits down with mental health advocate Steph Ng to explore the complex world of body image. Steph shares her personal journey with disordered eating and discusses body image as a story we tell ourselves. Steph emphasizes the importance of feeling at home in our bodies and cultivating curiosity rather than criticism from a young age. Drawing from her work with young people, Steph highlights how early body narratives form and the impact of cultural and societal messages on identity. Throughout the episode, Diana and Steph address common body image myths and discuss how media messages contribute to pressures to conform to beauty standards. Steph offers insights into fostering a positive self-image and navigating these challenges with compassion.

Steph Ng (she/her) is a mental health advocate, entrepreneur, and Ph.D. researcher whose work aims to foster caring conversations on body image and mental health issues. She is the founder of Body Banter, a registered charity in Hong Kong that empowers youth voices in body image conversations, and the author of “Big Bites Break Boundaries”, a new book that recounts her personal experiences with an eating disorder and her professional experiences in Hong Kong’s mental health landscape.

Connect with Steph:

• @themightymunchkin
• @bodybanter
• @bigbitesbreakboundaries
• https://themightymunchkin.weebly.com/
• https://www.bodybanter.com/

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
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This week, Christie is joined by Bokyung Kim who shares their personal experiences of queering the healing journey. They reflect upon how early love injuries and unmet needs evolved into beliefs about disconnection and belonging, as well as patterns of sex and love addiction. Through her own story of healing and connection with queerness, Bokyung discusses the transformative power of being in connection with oneself and the practice of meeting different parts of ourselves with curiosity and compassion. Together, they discuss queering her relationship with her best friend, working alongside queer trans Asian clients in healing trauma, as well as questioning narratives about marriage, being alone, and death.

Bokyung Kim (they/she), LCSW, is an experiential, decolonial therapist who integrates somatics, brain change science, and ancestral wisdom to help clients transform their trauma & unlock true belonging with themselves and others. Connect with Bokyung on her website or on Instagram @thequeertraumatherapist

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
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@bridgesmentalhealth
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This week, Diana sits down with Kim Konopka who delves into the interplay of identity in relation to queerness, neurodivergence, and being a transracial adoptee. Kim shares their journey of self-discovery and the profound impact of learning about their autism in adulthood, offering reflection upon their experiences of masking, wanting to blend in, and the fear of abandonment. They explore the nuanced themes of safety, disclosure, forced intimacy, and the delicate balance of what gets shared, planted, or buried. Kim discusses the impact of the model minority myth on their mental health, as well as their life-changing experience in therapy which provided them the permission to take up more space and explore their identity safely. Together they discuss the privilege and access involved in formal assessments, as well as the importance of self-identification and trusting people to know themselves.

Kim (they/them) is a psychotherapist in private practice. They often work with neurodivergent QTBIPOC and transracial adoptees. Kim aims to be a compassionate collaborator who shows up with curiosity and care. They are known for their playfulness, emotive expression and moments of quiet reflection.

Connect with Kim:

• [email protected]
• https://www.yungmeepsychotherapy.com

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
Find a Therapist
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Write to us with comments & questions, we'd love to hear from you.
@bridgesmentalhealth
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This week, Christie is joined by Veronica Chin Hing-Michaluk who brings in their own lived experience to illustrate a compassionate exploration of queer identity, shame, and healing from disconnection. Veronica discusses how they work in collaboration with clients to restore connection, understand intergenerational patterns, identify systems of oppression, and create space for collective healing. Veronica helps us explore the transformative potential of play and pleasure amidst pain and oppression, highlighting how laughter and solidarity are crucial for survival. Our conversation touches on the financial aspects of the therapeutic relationship, decolonizing thought and therapy practices, feeling "queer enough", and modern dating.

From Veronica (they/them): Some fixed aspects of Self include grounding in a Black Indigenous Puerto Rican Chinese-Jamaican upbringing with a diverse ancestral plane; reconnecting to BIPOC, queer identity in young adulthood; connecting more deeply to nonbinary indigenous identity in adulthood; and reflecting anti-oppressive healing frameworks in my own communities to help dismantle the stats on mental health outcomes. I’ve practiced as a fully-licensed NYS mental health counselor since 2019, and will be celebrating 5 years running my private practice, VNC Therapy New York, in the Fall.

Connect with Veronica:

• www.vnctherapy.com
• [email protected]
• My Intimacy card deck is available a resource for anyone wanting freebies: www.vnctherapy.com/intimacy

Mentioned in this episode:

• Kintsugi Therapist Collective
• Inclusive Therapists
• Apicha Community Health Center

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
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Write to us with comments & questions, we'd love to hear from you.
@bridgesmentalhealth
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This week, Diana chats with Sil Chen about exploring queer identity across cultures. Sil shares her personal journey growing up in Taiwan and the cultural adjustments she faced after immigrating to the U.S. She opens up about what shifted her from a career in biotechnology to social work, and how her family reacted. Diana and Sil delve into cultural norms and expectations around queerness and coming out between Taiwan and the U.S. They also discuss how beauty standards, public displays of affection like hand-holding, and dating—especially for Asian men—differ between these two cultures.

Sil Si-Wei Chen (she/her), MA, LCSW-R, is a non-binary, queer Taiwanese psychotherapist and emotional wellness coach offering teletherapy in New York and coaching services worldwide. A certified Gestalt therapist integrating Internal Family Systems and Buddhist Psychology in her practice, Sil specializes in working with creatives and engineers in the Asian-American and LGBTQ+ communities, as well as with queer and interracial couples. Connect with Sil at silchentherapy.com

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
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This week as AANHPI Heritage Month comes to a close, Christie and Sam reflect upon their conversations with guests this month around biracial, South Asian, and Pacific Islander identity. They ground their reflections referencing racial identity development models sharing their own reactions to the frameworks, as well as considering the history of the “Asian American” political identity.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Asian American Identity Development Model (Jean Kim, 1981)
• Biracial Identity Development (W. S. Carlos Poston, 1990)
• 1000% Me: Growing Up Mixed* on HBO

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
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This week, Christie chats with returning guest Cathay Che about her personal experience navigating the complexities of being both Asian American and Native Hawaiian. Cathay recounts her childhood move to Hawaii, highlighting the cultural shock, melancholy, and sense of alienation she experienced. They discuss cultural messages about giving back to one’s community, cultivating reciprocal relationships, shedding light on the complexities within contemporary Hawaiian culture that stem from a history of colonization and immigration. Together, they discuss misconceptions and the lack of representation faced by Hawaii and Pacific Islanders in the broader U.S. context. Drawing from her background as a former travel writer, Cathay shares her insights from exploring other Pacific islands like Rapa Nui, encouraging listeners to approach their travels with curiosity and intentionality.

Cathay Che is a Japanese American and Native Hawaiian LCSW, with a virtual Private Practice treating clients in New York, California and Rhode Island.  She earned her MSW from Columbia University in 2013 and was part of the clinical treatment team at The Hazelden Betty Ford outpatient clinic in New York City from 2012-2020. Connect with Cathay on Zencare

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
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@bridgesmentalhealth
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In this week’s exploration of identity, Sam is joined by dear friend and fellow therapist Anjali Jacob, LMHC, who shares her own journey of investigating South Asian identity, belonging, and the search for answers in the face of disconnection. Anjali shares her personal reflections on navigating the complexities of caste, religion, the colonial legacy embedded in last names, and the profound sense of isolation when experiencing something that feels unnameable. Together they offer ways to tune into your own questions and curiosity, to reflect upon larger cultural forces with a social justice lens, and seek connection as an antidote to isolation.

Anjali Jacob (she/her) is a licensed mental health counselor practicing in the greater New York area. She specializes in c-ptsd and trauma-informed approaches, working specifically with BIPOC 1.5 and 2nd immigrants. Connect with Anjali at [email protected] or anjalijtherapy.com

 
Bridges Mental Health connects Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian Americans (APISA) with culturally responsive mental health professionals and resources. We hope to make mental health care more accessible and approachable across the Asian diaspora.
Find a Therapist
Join our Clinician Community

Write to us with comments & questions, we'd love to hear from you.
@bridgesmentalhealth
[email protected]
buymeacoffee.com/bridgesmh