Celebrate Asian American Awareness Month: how to create an inclusive therapy practice
I am a biracial therapist.
Growing up in a Filipino family, I was raised never to talk about emotions. The hard stuff was supposed to be hidden under the rug, and you definitely didn’t share things outside of the family with other people. It was unheard of to go see a therapist because, obviously, that is someone outside of the family circle.
The other unspoken rule was that if you do see someone, they should be from the Catholic church. And so, I was taught that we go to a priest and you confess your sins and then they wash those away, and you are transformed. When I was a teenager, and I started to struggle inside, it was a huge challenge because I didn't feel like I had anyone I could talk to.
When it comes to talking about being Asian American, I notice that sometimes I feel my own discomfort because of my internal struggles identifying as Asian American. I am honored to be Filipina, but being biracial comes with its own set of unique challenges.
At times, I have felt that the identity of being Filipino really resonates. Then other times I feel like I'm not allowed to fully embrace my own identity because I have whiter skin and grew up in America, not in the Philippines.
Yes, if I were sitting across from someone telling me this exact narrative, I would have the right words to empower them to own their story and live out of the fullness of their identity. But even though I know the truth cognitively, the cultural dynamics of being biracial in America, of being Asian in America, cause even a therapist to question her own truth.
It’s time we change that destructive thinking and lean into the power of inclusivity in our mental health practice.
In honor of Asian American Awareness month, I want to address how we as a larger community can create a safe space for Asian Americans to honor their history and create a pathway toward resilience.
How to bring mental health awareness to the Asian American community in Asian American Awareness Month
1. Know the stats: Why mental health awareness matters in the Asian American community
A recent study done by the CDC indicates that suicide is the10th leading cause of death in the US.
But even more alarming is this stat: Suicide is the leading cause of death among Asian American young adults ages 15 to 24. (Source)
This is a mental health crisis.
There needs to be more research on the cause of this, but part of the systemic issues that lead to these gut-wrenching statistics is that there isn’t much funding to support research or mental health services for Asian Americans.
And to further the issue, Asian Americans are the least likely racial group to seek and utilize mental health services.
This is a public health issue for all Americans, whether you identify as Asian or not.
2. Seek to understand the historical influences of cultural dynamics
Once you understand the grave need for mental health services in the Asian American community, it’s important to dig deeper into the history.
If we want to create an inclusive practice, we first have to understand how we arrived here.
Take, for example, my Filipino heritage.
One of the pieces of history that I've been trying to learn more about is the history of Filipino Shamans and the influence of colonization, which is also known as the Babaylan.
In pre-colonial times on Philippine Island, Babaylan women and men were roles that primarily women played within the community. They were believed to have spirit guides whom they could contact to interact with spirits in the spirit world. They were the human form of the medium between the spirit world and humans.
In this community, Babaylans were highly regarded as a huge source of knowledge. They were the people that community members would turn to if they were experiencing anything from mental health difficulties to emotional difficulties to spiritual guidance. The babaylans would bridge the gap to help individuals communicate with the spiritual world. They were a vital source of help to the community members.
In understanding my own ancestry, I can see the influence of these women, the Babaylans, in my own private practice. When I dig deeper into my Filipino history, I can draw from the energy of the women who came before me and bring it to my work with clients. I’m able to understand the fullness of my history and the fullness of my identity.
It's the part of me that intuitively holds my history and, as said by The Center For Babaylan Studies, "You may carry the traditions of the Babaylan within you because you have answered a calling of leadership in one or more of the following: advocacy, activism, teaching, increasing awareness, healing, spirituality and vision, struggling and working for justice—actions and motivation deeply connected to the context of being Filipino."
This, in turn, creates a new path toward healing and resilience with those I work with.
This is what I want for my clients and for every Asian American. I want them to understand, honor, and live out of the richness of their history.
3. Honor Asian American culture with an inclusive therapy practice.
To change the narrative for Asian Americans, and every racially marginalized group, we as mental health professionals need to provide inclusive therapy practices.
Part of my job as an inclusive therapist is to prioritize mental health awareness and access, especially where it’s not typically addressed.
Having witnessed the impact of therapy in my personal and professional life, I believe therapy can be healing for the family and the individual—without losing the richness of their culture.
In fact, with the right inclusive therapy where histories are honored, you can enhance the impact of your family’s culture.
The first step in an inclusive therapy practice is assessing the influence of our training. I was educated in the United States in a Western mindset, which creates its own form of ableism.
Once I’ve become fully aware of that influence, it’s my personal responsibility to connect to history, know the origin of the theories I practice, and understand how they connect to a culture’s lineage.
So often, clinical theories come from white men who had claimed knowledge rather than appreciating and connecting to indigenous cultures who had had somatic and healing practices before it was claimed and colonized.
What does this look like? It looks like culturally-affirming care.
Here’s how I seek out culturally-affirming care in my practice:
Making sure culture has a place in the therapy setting
Bringing awareness of how culture impacts our identity and our worldview of others/the world
Celebrating, embracing, and uplifting a client’s culture and seeking to understand the culture in which one comes from
Allowing myself to be vulnerable in learning how to pronounce different words that I may not be familiar with, learning and being open to understanding the practices/rituals that are important to my clients
Being curious about who they are and what their culture means for them
Finally, to create an inclusive therapy practice and to honor Asian American Awareness Month, it’s crucial to understand identity.
I appreciate David Sewell Mcann’s definition of identity. “Like all storytelling, identity is a living, growing, changing, and sometimes confusing thing.”
In high school, I was conflicted about who I was. Straddling my white upbringing and my Filipino culture never felt at ease. I didn’t know where I belonged.
The older I got, and the more training I experienced, I saw my identity open up. Through my own therapy and through witnessing the radical resilience of people from racially marginalized communities, I wholeheartedly believe in the power of living out of your full identity.
To celebrate Asian American Awareness Month and to be the advocate I wish I had when I was younger, my hope is to create a space where true identity is seen, nurtured, and honored, from your ancestors to now.
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