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A free clinic with two tables and one chair sounds almost too simple to work and that’s exactly why Mya’s story hits so hard. We talk with Maya, a dual-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, about how her life in Myanmar (Burma), her training across Thailand and the United States, and her commitment to transcultural nursing shaped a model of care built for people the system routinely overlooks.

We get specific about what “culturally congruent care” looks like when the patient is a refugee or former refugee navigating language barriers, insurance gaps, and deep mistrust of institutions. Mya breaks down how she grounds her nurse-led free clinic in Leininger’s Sunrise Model and Watson’s Human Caring Theory, balancing cultural preservation with safe, evidence-based treatment. The conversation also connects physical health and mental health in a practical way: you can treat blood pressure and diabetes, but trauma and anxiety will keep showing up unless you address mind, body, and dignity together.

We also wrestle with the pressure to move healthcare toward AI and non-face-to-face tools. Mya’s answer is direct: healing still starts with trust, respect, and listening. She shares how “disarming” humility and even humor can open the door to a real therapeutic relationship, especially when patients have every reason to be guarded. If you’re a psychiatric nurse, APRN, student, or anyone building trauma-informed care, you’ll leave with concrete ideas you can use immediately.

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Let’s Connect

Dr Dan Wesemann

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://nursing.uiowa.edu/academics/dnp-programs/psych-mental-health-nurse-practitioner

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-wesemann

 Dr Kate Melino

Email: [email protected]

 Dr Sean Convoy

Email: [email protected]

 Dr Melissa Chapman

Email: [email protected]