Beyond the Couch

This week, Christie chats with Meghan Nayyar about the complexities of navigating cultural gaps, holding multiple identities, and growing up in a culture that’s not their family’s dominant one. They reflect on the challenges that their immigrant parents must have faced in raising children in such foreign environments, and how conversations with them about culture and mental health have evolved over time. As APISA-identifying therapists themselves, Christie and Meghan also talk about the importance of holding space for both the love they have for their families and the desire to work on challenges with them.

Meghan Nayyar (she/her) is a New York-based, Licensed Mental Health Counselor, a first-generation American, and the daughter of Indian immigrants. She has a private practice where she conducts virtual therapy with clients who are often BIPOC, immigrants, children of immigrants, and part of the LGBTQ+ community. Connect with Meghan via her website or email at [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

• Meghan is facilitating a Therapy Group for South Asian Adults, starting November 2nd, 2022 — reach out if interested!

 
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 and Samuel Shin talk about healthy and fulfilling ways to embrace one’s masculinity/femininity, sexuality, self-confidence, and dating. They explore the challenges and hurdles that men, in particular, often face when it comes to dating and relationships, overcoming attachment issues, and connecting with their authentic selves. They also delve into the specific challenges that many Asian-American men confront, such as attuning to their emotions, open communication, and building up the self while existing in a collective culture; as well as the importance of establishing self-confidence to connect genuinely with others.

Samuel (he/him) is a former therapist now working full-time as a men’s transformational coach. His current focus is dating & relationships, helping men heal attachment issues and embody their masculinity to authentically attract women. Connect with Samuel at @consciousdatingcoach and www.authenticdating.coach

Mentioned in this episode:

• Dohee Lee

 
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, Christie, and Diana get together to chat about code-switching as an Asian-American and how moving between the different spaces of work, home, and social life bring out various aspects of their identity in each situation. They reminisce about flexing between school and home during their childhoods and trying to fit in as kids (shout out to Christie’s Limited Too glitter horse pants!), while observing how much has changed since then. They discuss how tricky it can still be to balance one’s cultural values and professional life, especially in white-dominated workplaces, and the unique challenges of navigating family obligations while living in the US.

 
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 chats with Sheen Yap Chan about building up self-confidence as an Asian woman, the importance of supporting one another, and challenging societal expectations of Asian women. They discuss how perfectionism pervades Asian culture and how the pressure to be perfect might hinder achieving one’s goals. As members of the Asian diaspora themselves, Sam and Sheena also discuss the ways in which intergenerational and historical traumas have shaped their own families, and the need to speak up and break the cycle of injustices and taboos in order for their communities to move forward.

Sheena Yap Chan is a keynote speaker, coach, podcaster, consultant, and author on building self-confidence. She currently inspires women through her award-winning podcast called The Tao of Self Confidence where she interviews Asian women about their inner journey to self-confidence. Her mission is to help Asian Women boost their confidence to live their authentic selves, help Asian Women create a voice in the world, and create a stronger representation for Asian women. Sheena has been featured on MindValley, slice.ca, NBC News, Manila Times and more. She is also the TOP 100 Filipinos to follow on LinkedIn for inspiration and learning in 2021. She is also the co-author of the International bestselling book Asian Women Who Boss Up. Learn more about Sheena here.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Joy Luck Club
• Turning Red

 
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, Christie chats with Caroline Lay about their experiences as Asian-American women, and as Asian-American women therapists. They talk about how growing up with non-strict parents magnified the gratitude and guilt they felt for their family’s sacrifices and shaped the pressure that they placed on themselves. They dive into the challenges of differentiating one’s identity and dreams from those of their family’s in an enmeshed culture. As Asian-identifying therapists, they discuss their journeys in forming their own approaches and opinions without role models that looked like them. They also reflect on how they’ve seen therapy evolve and become more diverse in a white-dominated field.

Caroline Lay (she/her) is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist located in the Los Angeles Area. She specializes in young adults and professionals, struggles with burnout and career counseling, relationship issues, immigrant issues, women issues, childhood trauma, and anxiety. She is passionate about the Asian American experience, destigmatizing mental health, and changing the face of mental health overall. Her passion project at the moment is expanding her brand Pwrhaus Therapy @pwrhaustherapy, by utilizing social media and becoming more active in the mental health community, she continually works to spread awareness on mental health and destigmatize mental health within the Asian American population.

 
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, Diana chats with Annalyn Cruz about trusting your inner voice and taking the steps to craft a career that truly makes you fulfilled and happy. They talk about how taking the time to recover from burnout motivated Annalyn to take the leap and leave a corporate job to start her business in leadership coaching. They also discuss the importance of soul-searching and trusting yourself to not fail, as well as the challenges of working through familial and cultural expectations. 

Annalyn Cruz (she/her) is a Leadership and Empowerment Coach, seasoned facilitator, and storyteller. She is the Founder and CEO of Grounded In Wisdom, LLC, where she empowers women of color to go after the career freedom they long for and the lives they truly crave.

She is passionate about the intersections of one's purpose, cultures, and identities--and how this influences the type of work and psychologically safe team environment we all deserve. Through entrepreneurship and getting clear on her own purpose to empower other women leaders to transform their lives, she is grateful to have discovered her own path to fulfillment. Connect with Annalyn on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at her website

Mentioned in this episode:

• Surrendered Healing
• Transcend
• Kiva
• Pinayista

 
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
[email protected]
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This week, Christie, Diana, and Sam chat about various frameworks to think about personality types — astrology, enneagram, MBTI, and human design. They chat about their own astrological signs and personality types, and how they relate to them, as well as how these different frameworks shed light on personal characteristics in different ways. They discuss the sense of belonging and self-awareness that comes with identifying with a star sign and how using a framework to describe oneself in a therapy session can serve as helpful shorthand to explain a situation to a therapist.

Thank you all for your patience with our sound as we recorded in Midtown Manhattan!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Astrology
• Enneagram
• Myers’s-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) 
• Human Design

 
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

This week, Diana chats with Cynthia Pong (@embracechangenyc) about how to move forward with a career change, how career coaching has changed over the years, and the importance of trying new things and embracing failure as progress. They also discuss the ways in which we’ve been socialized in western society to prioritize individualist thinking over community or seeking help, as well as how an Asian upbringing might inform one’s approach to career aspirations.

Cynthia Pong (she/her), JD, is an award-winning career coach, speaker, and author of Don't Stay in Your Lane: The Career Change Guide for Women of Color. An NYU-trained lawyer turned career coach, she's on a mission to get women of color the money, power, and respect that they deserve. Connect with Cynthia through her website or on Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube

Although applications for Cynthia’s Embrace Change leadership accelerator have closed for the fall, those who are interested can apply for the 2023 cohort at https://www.embracechange.nyc/leadership-accelerator.

Look out for our giveaway of Cynthia’s book, Don’t Stay in Your Lane, on our Instagram @bridgesmentalhealth

Mentioned in this episode:

• Embrace Change Leadership Accelerator
• Firsts After Forty podcast hosted by Christina Steed
• Old in Art School by Nell Painter
• 77 year old Indonesian Chef

 
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

This week, Christie chats with Yu-Kang Chen, PhD, about the challenges of getting mental health care for loved ones. They discuss how language barriers, technological difficulties with telehealth, and misconceptions around treatment might make older family members hesitate to seek help. While every individual is unique and complicated in their physical and emotional needs, Christie and Yu-Kang explore how to gently guide a family member to seek support, as well as how to be supportive and patient along the way.

Yu-Kang Chen is a licensed psychologist with a private practice focusing on providing individual and couple therapy for Asians/Asian Americans in both English and Mandarin languages. He is also the Clinical Psychologist/Training Director at Hamilton Madison House. Connect with Yu-Kang on Psychology Today or via email at [email protected]

Mentioned in this episode:

• Hamilton-Madison House
• Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

 
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

This week, Diana chats with Sweta Vikram about the 5000+ years-long practice of Ayurveda and how to look at mental and physical health in a more holistic, integrated way. They discuss the different types of doshas (a concept of bodily humor), being in tune with the natural course of the seasons and times of the day, and the benefits of working with, not against, our bodies, their needs, and our natural personalities. They discuss how modern-day work culture has caused many to be disconnected with their bodies, as well as examples of ways in which one might rebalance and retune the body-mind connection through complementing western medicine with eastern medicine, and vice versa, for enhanced overall health.

Sweta Srivastava Vikram is an international speaker, best-selling author of 13 books, and Ayurveda and mindset coach who is committed to helping people thrive on their own terms. Her latest book, A Piece of Peace, was released in September 2021. Interviewed by NBC Palm Springs, she was voted as “One of the Most Influential Asians of Our Times” and won the prestigious VOTY Award. She was featured in a documentary with Dr. Deepak Chopra and her work has appeared in New York Times and other publications across nine countries on three continents. Connect with Sweta at swetavikram.com and @swetavikram

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Ayurvedic Institute
• The College of Ayurveda

 
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