April 15, 2019

Let's Talk About Race Again

38 minutes

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: [email protected]

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

...more

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By Curt Widhalm, LMFT and Katie Vernoy, LMFT

4.3

237237 ratings