By Helen Garcia, Filipina American Therapist & Storyteller In a recent clip, director Celine Song shared something that stopped me in my tracks. Before creating her upcoming film Materialists, she worked as a professional matchmaker in New York City. Her job? Helping people find love.
Have you ever started your day with a clear plan, only to find yourself scrambling to remember what you were supposed to do next? Or struggled to juggle multiple projects without feeling completely overwhelmed? If so, you might be experiencing challenges with executive functioning skills.
Body image is inherently complex, shaped by personal experiences, societal messages, and cultural influences that interweave in ways that can profoundly impact how we see ourselves. For Asian Americans, this complexity deepens as we navigate not just mainstream American beauty standards, but also traditional cultural
There’s a moment in every anxious spiral that feels like a trapdoor opening beneath your feet. Sometimes it comes out of nowhere. A text that feels off. A meeting that didn’t go how you hoped. A wave of dread that hits while you’re brushing your
Relationships require understanding, patience, and adaptability from all parties involved. When one or both partners are neurodivergent, there can be unique dynamics that benefit from thoughtful approaches and strategies. Rather than viewing these differences as obstacles, couples can learn to navigate them together, creating stronger
Being Asian American and autistic means navigating two communities that don’t always understand or acknowledge each other. It means existing in spaces where cultural expectations around achievement, family honor, and “saving face” can clash with the reality of neurodivergent experiences. For many autistic Asian Americans,
Read more on this topic in Where I Belong: Healing Trauma and Embracing Asian American Identity, Chapter 9: “Embracing Our Intersectional Identities” (pages 193–230). In a world that often tries to simplify who we are, it can be difficult to embrace the full complexity of
As members of the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) community, many of us have experienced moments that felt off – a comment, a joke, a question – that left us unsettled. But when we try to explain it, we’re often met with confusion or
Mental health in Asian American communities is complex, layered, and often silenced. For generations, many Asian families have internalized the belief that emotional expression is a sign of weakness—or worse, selfishness. Mental illness is not named; it is hidden behind phrases like “just tired,” “too
Creativity is an expression of your unique character. It’s shaped by our cultural roots, community, and the environments in which an artist is raised in For many Asian Americans, artistic expression is not just about self-discovery; it is also about navigating identity, belonging, and generational
