❤️🔥 In Relationship With x 💙 Asian Mental Health Project | How Upbringing Impacts Vulnerability and Connection
The way we view ourselves can be heavily tied to our upbringing, and our upbringing can cultivate a self-esteem that is stable or one that feels like a void.
Growing up in Asian households, it’s not uncommon to find ourselves navigating hierarchy, high pressure standards, and emotional volatility–and all of these things impact the way we are able to connect, express ourselves, and ask for the support we need in relationships.
This conversation is inspired by Taiwanese American clinical psychologist, Jenny T. Wang, and her book Permission to Come Home. Interpersonal dynamics facilitators, Kevin and Stephanie, will unpack some of these themes in this ❤️🔥 In Relationship With x 💙 Asian Mental Health Project session.
We’ll specifically explore:
❤️🔥 Hierarchy systems: Kevin’s family silenced his voice in favor of discipline and stoicism, which impacted his ability to express and advocate for himself meaningfully in adulthood
❤️🔥 High pressure standards: Our marks and accomplishments were rarely ever fully celebrated, which impacted our ability to ask for support when we felt vulnerable
❤️🔥 Emotional volatility: Steph’s dad often got angry at her when she cried, and repair often looked like throwing things under the rug, which impacted how she viewed her sensitivity and emotional experience when building intimacy in romantic relationships
It’s safe to say that Kevin and Stephanie’s Asian upbringing experience has lots of complexity, and while their experience isn’t representative of all Asian cultures, their intention is to create a space to normalize having conversations about these common themes.
Join us as we unpack how our upbringing impacts vulnerability, self-expression, and connecting in our relationships.
❤️🔥 In Relationship With, hosted by Kevin Do and Stephanie Tran, is a series to normalize the behind-the-scenes of building a lasting relationship. Stephanie is the co-founder of Relating Between the Lines, a program that teaches the communication skills to listen skillfully, express confidently, and relate more securely, and Kevin is one of the lead interpersonal dynamics facilitators at Relating Between the Lines. Alongside sharing how they show up in relationship with each other in this series–they invite the community to explore their personal relationships with important aspects of the human experience (i.e. trust, emotions, money, mental health, etc). and how those relationships impact the way they relate to those they love. This is a space for real talk and being in community as we explore topics in a society that doesn’t always make space for.
💙 The Asian Mental Health Project is a nonprofit dedicated to educating and empowering Pan-Asian communities in seeking mental healthcare. Our mission is to serve as advocates for more accessible mental healthcare for Pan-Asian communities through multimedia resources, events, and a mental health support fund. There is a pervasive cultural stigma that often discourages members of our community from receiving the help they need. In many Asian American communities and in the greater American population, there exists a general lack of knowledge about mental health and mental illnesses. This includes recognizing that mental health and wellness are connected to culture, identity, and greater systems (of oppression) in society. Because many of the symptoms of suffering are “invisible,” it is often harder for mental illnesses to be acknowledged. There is a misconception that struggling with mental health is a choice or a sign of weakness. The organization is here to dispel this belief and provide resources that are accessible to all that fall under our pillars of educational programming, community events, partnerships, and mental health fund.