The Hidden Costs of Silence
A conversation with licensed therapist and author Linda J. Yoon: breaking the silence on Asian-American mental health, healing generational and community wounds
Asian Writers’ Collective is a publication dedicated to fostering greater understanding and appreciation of Asian cultures and experiences among a global readership. Subscribe to decolonize your reading and discover unique writing.
Housekeeping reminder that you have THREE MORE DAYS to submit your writing by August 15 if you want to be considered as a guest author for the fall quarter!
Linda J. Yoon is a licensed therapist, social worker, mental health counseling business owner, and non-profit co-founder who has recently added “author” to her list of impressive accomplishments. Born in Korea and immigrating to the United States at the age of 10, Linda's journey has taken her from San Diego to her current home in Torrance, California.
As the co-author of Where I Belong: Healing Trauma and Embracing Asian American Identity, Linda brings a unique perspective to the field of mental health, particularly in addressing the needs of the Asian American community. Her path to becoming an author was unexpected, sparked by her work at Yellow Chair Collective during the challenging times of the pandemic and rising anti-Asian sentiment.
Linda's personal experiences have shaped her professional life. Diagnosed with ADHD in her late twenties, she has transformed what was once a source of struggle into a wellspring of empathy and understanding for her clients. This self-described Enneagram 2 and E/INFP views the world as a magical place full of possibilities, a perspective that influences her approach to therapy and writing.
In her personal life, Linda has been happily married for six years. She and her spouse recently experienced the loss of their beloved 18-year-old chihuahua, a cherished companion they cared for like their child.
I’m thrilled to introduce Linda to y’all. She’s been my dear friend since high school, and it’s been exciting to see her use her unique gifts and deep empathy to help change the world.
How did your personal experiences and professional background as a therapist motivate you to write this book, and what did you hope to achieve with it in terms of impacting the conversation surrounding mental health and intergenerational trauma in Asian American communities?
Growing up as a child of an immigrant family, I navigated numerous cultural and familial expectations, which often felt isolating and confusing. These personal struggles gave me a firsthand understanding of the unique challenges faced by many in the Asian American community, particularly regarding mental health and intergenerational trauma.
Professionally, as a therapist and co-director of Yellow Chair Collective, I have worked with clients who share similar backgrounds and experiences. Witnessing their struggles and resilience reinforced the need for culturally responsive mental health resources. The rise in anti-Asian hate crimes and the mental health crisis exacerbated by the pandemic highlighted the urgent need for a comprehensive guide to address these issues.
When the opportunity to write this book arose, my co-author and I saw it as a chance to bridge a significant gap. At the time, there was no book on Asian American mental health written by licensed therapists, and I knew how valuable such a resource could be for individuals navigating their mental health within the context of their cultural identity.
With this book, we aimed to raise awareness about the unique mental health challenges and intergenerational trauma experienced by Asian Americans. We wanted to offer validation and understanding to those who often feel their experiences are overlooked or misunderstood. Additionally, my goal was to provide practical tools and insights to help individuals and families navigate their mental health journeys.
By starting open and honest conversations about mental health within Asian American communities, we hoped to break down the stigma often associated with seeking help. By sharing both personal narratives and professional insights, my goal was to create a resource that resonates with readers on a deeply personal level while also providing the practical support they need. Ultimately, we aimed to contribute to a more inclusive and understanding conversation surrounding mental health and intergenerational trauma in Asian American communities.
While your book was written primarily for Asian-Americans, in what ways do you think it is beneficial for non-Asians to also read it? How can the broader community support Asian-Americans in dealing with mental health issues and intergenerational trauma?
By reading this book, non-Asians can gain a deeper understanding of the unique mental health challenges and intergenerational trauma that Asian Americans face. This understanding fosters empathy and awareness, which are crucial in creating supportive and inclusive environments.
Non-Asians can benefit from learning about the cultural nuances and societal pressures that influence the mental health of Asian Americans. This knowledge can help break down stereotypes and misconceptions, leading to more meaningful and respectful interactions. Additionally, the book provides practical tools and strategies for addressing mental health issues, which can be universally applicable and helpful for anyone interested in mental health and well-being.
To support Asian Americans in dealing with mental health issues and intergenerational trauma, the broader community can take several actions. It starts with educating oneself about the historical and cultural contexts that shape the experiences of Asian Americans – which we rarely learn about.
Second, actively listening and validating the experiences of Asian Americans can make a significant difference. Offering a non-judgmental space for them to share their stories and struggles can help build trust and support.
Third, building communities around advocating for policies and practices that promote mental health awareness and access to culturally competent care is crucial. Supporting organizations and initiatives that focus on Asian American mental health can amplify these efforts.
My co-author and I wanted to illustrate all these concepts in our book while also challenging and addressing the discrimination, racism, and microaggressions that Asian Americans experience.
While Where I Belong is a valuable resource for Asian-Americans, it is also a great resource for anyone who wants to learn how to better support and care for their Asian-American friends, family, and community. Despite the significant legacy, impact, and history of Asian-Americans, they have often been invisible. The message of belonging is universal, and we all can connect to that.
What advice would you give to someone who recognizes the impact of intergenerational trauma in their life but isn’t sure where to start in addressing it?
Addressing intergenerational trauma can feel overwhelming, but acknowledging its impact is an important first step. Here’s some advice to help you get started:
Understand what intergenerational trauma is and how it affects you can be empowering. Reading Where I Belong: Healing Trauma and Embracing Asian American Identity can be a good start, as we aimed for it to serve as an introduction to trauma books. There are also other books, podcasts, and documentaries on the topic that can provide additional insight and perspective.
Seek Professional Help: A therapist who specializes in trauma can provide guidance and support. They can help you navigate your feelings and develop strategies for healing. If possible, find a therapist who understands your cultural background.
Connect with Others: Sharing your experiences with others who understand can be incredibly validating. Look for support groups or communities, either in person or online, where you can talk about your experiences and learn from others.
Reflect and Journal: Writing down your thoughts and feelings can help you process your experiences. Reflect on how intergenerational trauma has impacted you and consider what steps you might take to address it.
Practice Self-Compassion: Be kind to yourself as you navigate this journey. Healing from trauma is not a linear process, and it’s okay to have setbacks.
Engage in Cultural Practices: Sometimes reconnecting with your cultural roots can provide a sense of identity and grounding. This could be through traditional practices, rituals, or connecting with your community.
Set Boundaries: Recognize that it’s okay to set boundaries with family members or others who may be sources of stress or trauma. Protecting your mental health is important.
Remember, addressing intergenerational trauma is a journey, and it’s okay to take it one step at a time. Each small step you take is a move towards healing and understanding.
Being an author is a difficult career choice, especially for underrepresented writers. What challenges have you faced and how did you overcome them? How do you think your unique perspective contributes to the broader literary landscape?
Although it would be amazing to make a living entirely from writing, I know that’s not feasible for myself and many others. I've always wanted to add “author” to my name, but it's a newer title for me, and sometimes feels daunting. Perhaps part of my hesitation comes from not seeing many Asian-American authors in the publishing space. We often hear that our books and work are too niche.
But we keep going. Just because others don’t see our worth doesn’t mean we can’t see it ourselves. We understand the impact of what we do, and we know these resources and voices are needed. So, we persist and continue to expand our reach.
The challenges I’ve faced include a lack of representation and support within the industry and the perception that our stories don’t have broad appeal. Overcoming these challenges required a lot of persistence, belief, and a commitment to the vision of our work. Along the way, we also found allies and advocates who believed in the importance of our stories and helped amplify our voices.
I believe our perspectives as Asian-American authors adds to the broader literary landscape by bringing in experiences and viewpoints that are often overlooked. Our stories enrich the diversity of literature, offering a more inclusive understanding of the human experience. Often by sharing our narratives, we are able to challenge stereotypes and foster empathy and connection among readers from all backgrounds.
While the journey of an underrepresented author is filled with obstacles, it is also filled with purpose and potential. I believe by staying true to our stories, having beliefs that our voices matter, and pushing forward despite the challenges, we help create a more diverse and vibrant literary world.
Your book utilizes personal narratives and stories from the Asian diaspora. Why was it important for you to include these, and how did you go about collecting them?
Including these stories was crucial because storytelling is a powerful tool for connection and understanding.
This book is because our book is based on the Asian-American Experience Support Group we ran, where many participants shared their stories and felt validated, seen, and reflected for the first time. Witnessing this firsthand reinforced our belief in the power of storytelling to foster empathy and healing.
Collecting these narratives was a deeply personal and intentional process. We created a safe space in our support group where people could openly share their experiences. We listened, documented, and, with their permission, included these stories to highlight the diverse and rich experiences of the Asian-American community.
Including these personal stories allowed us to shine a light on those who have often felt overlooked and to show that their experiences truly matter. Storytelling helps validate individual journeys and brings us closer together by creating a collective understanding. It also helps us appreciate the shared challenges we face and learn from each other’s unique stories within our communities.
In the book, you offer therapeutic techniques, reflective questions, and exercises. Can you share an example of one of these and explain how it can help readers process their trauma?
We love sharing house reflection exercise (Page 30 in the book) with others.
Draw an outline of a house like this:
Fill the house with words or images that answer the following questions. Feel free to make this into a collage and get as creative as you’d like.
What moments this week are you grateful for?
Who are the people who help you through hard times?
What are some items or symbols that represent healing for you?
What is one gift you have received in the past that brought you joy?
What is one quote you have held on to in your life, or a quote that you would like to begin holding on to now?
What is one thing you are looking forward to learning about through the book?
Your book gives a voice to those whose stories have been buried, sometimes for generations. A prevalent fear amongst Asians is that no one cares about their stories. Can you share about the publishing process, whether it was difficult to find an agent and market for this book?
Honestly, we were fortunate to have a unique and privileged situation. A literary agent—who was an Asian American female (a rarity in the industry)—reached out to us after hearing about the work we were doing at our psychotherapy practice, Yellow Chair Collective. She wanted to bring stories from her community to the forefront and approached us with the idea for this book. The book was bought by an Asian-American female editor at Tarcher Perigee, an imprint under Penguin Random House, who was looking for a book like ours at the time. Connecting with the right people at the right time greatly helped our book get published.
It was only later that we realized how much gatekeeping there was in the publishing industry. From hearing others' experiences, we learned how challenging it often is to get an agent to respond or sign with you.
Marketing for the book was a hurdle. We were frequently turned down for events and features because people didn’t think our book had broad appeal. To overcome these challenges, we created our own communities by collaborating with other like-minded individuals. The book is still going around by word of mouth and community recommendations.
Recently, we also started the Asian Mental Health Book Club, which has been a great way to engage with readers and share our work. If you're interested, join us here: Asian Mental Health Book Club.
To connect with Linda and stay up-to-date with her work, find her on Instagram at yellowchaircollective and lindajyoon, websites yellowchaircollective.com and whereibelongthebook.com, or email her.
And don’t forget to order your copy of Where I Belong!
Terrific interview! The work Linda is doing with community therapy is so important and I can vouch that her book is great and a very needed resource!
Relate on so many levels and appreciate the house collage exercise and so wish I had bandwidth for the book club.