ASIAN MENTAL HEALTH BLOG
Writing on Asian identity, family dynamics, and the work of becoming yourself.
Honest, specific, and written for 1.5 and 2nd generation Asian immigrants who are done with generic advice.
I write about the things my clients bring into sessions. The guilt that surfaces when you try to want something different. The anger that has been building for years without a name. The family dynamics that shaped you before you knew they were shaping you.
The topics are specific because the experiences are specific. If you have ever felt like mainstream mental health content was not really written for you, you are probably right. This is.
How to Rewire Your Inner Critic (Reparenting After Childhood Trauma)
If your inner voice is harsh, critical, or never satisfied, it may have been shaped by childhood experiences you didn’t choose. This article breaks down how trauma influences your inner critic and how reparenting can help you build a more supportive and grounded relationship with yourself.
Nice Guy Syndrome Explained: How People Pleasing Is a Trauma Response (Fawn Type)
People-pleasing is often misunderstood as a personality trait, but it is more accurately a survival response shaped by childhood dynamics. This article explores how the “nice guy” pattern develops through the fawn response in the nervous system, and why it continues into adult relationships. It breaks down how early family environments can disconnect someone from their authentic self, leading to cycles of approval seeking, resentment, and relational burnout. It also offers reflection prompts to help begin shifting out of this pattern and reconnecting with identity and needs.
Workplace Bullying and Trauma: How People-Pleasing Leads to Powerlessness and Reclaiming Your Voice
Workplace bullying often does not begin with overt conflict, but with subtle patterns of people pleasing, fear of disapproval, and internalized powerlessness. This article describes how these dynamics can develop in professional environments and how trauma responses from earlier life experiences can shape workplace behaviour. It follows a real case example of shifting from approval seeking to internal authority, and explores how healing involves rebuilding a sense of agency, boundaries, and self-trust in relational power dynamics.