Asian American Mental Health
As a Taiwanese American psychiatrist and psychotherapist, the intersection of Asian American identity and mental health is something I think about personally and clinically. My clinical approach has been informed by my upbringing as an Asian American and I try to contextualize therapy concepts with my clients with this in mind.
If you’re looking for a culturally-sensitive psychiatrist, feel free to reach out. I see patients in person in Brookline, MA and via telehealth throughout Massachusetts and New York State.
Why this matters
In a national survey study, less than 9% of Asian Americans utilized mental health services compared to 18% of the general US population. While the causes of this are not fully known, potential barriers include issues related to cultural stigma against seeking mental health, the model minority myth, and the limited availability of culturally sensitive providers. Many Asian Americans do not seek out formal mental health support due to fears that their experiences will not be understood by providers.
As a hypothetical example, an Asian American client who perceives implicit bias in the workplace may worry about disclosing this to a therapist who they feel has never experienced this. They may worry that their experiences will be dismissed and not understood. This leads to the client never being able to fully feel comfortable working through this with the therapist. In ideal circumstances the client is able to share their concerns about their discomfort with their therapist, but the reality is that for some clients, this may never occur if they do not work with a cultural sensitive therapist.
While the mental health concerns of Asian Americans cannot be generalized, having a culturally sensitive approach to working through therapeutic issues related to high achievement, family dynamics, intergenerational trauma, and the complexity of Asian American identity can be very helpful to clients. Ultimately, the comfort that clients feel in a therapy session is very personal; some clients are able to achieve profound benefits working through these complicated issues without the cultural identity of the clinician being a significant barrier in treatment; however, many others simply fail to reach out to clinicians in the first place, as the data shows.
Featured Videos
In this video I explore why many high-achieving Asian Americans find it difficult to accept praise and compliments.
Drawing on Heinz Kohut's self psychology framework, I discuss how childhood mirroring, conditional love, and self-esteem development shape this experience. I also discuss strategies of improving self-esteem.
If you have felt uncertain about whether a provider would understand your background and experience, feel free to contact me using this button below.
Dr. Wu’s Approach to Asian American Mental Health
The first thing I emphasize with my individual client work is that the Asian American experience is not a monoculture. While I also identify as Asian American, I do not presume to understand all parts of a client’s subjective experience when starting therapy. My intention is to approach all of my therapeutic work with a lens of curiosity, humility, and empathy.
I primarily use a psychodynamic approach which emphasizes that creating a strong, trusting relationship with a therapist serves as the foundation for clients to heal, rebuild their sense of self, and explore what they truly find important and fulfilling to their lives.
Common Concerns Among Asian American Clients
Burnout : Many Asian American professionals, students, and entrepreneurs experience burnout at the intersection of cultural pressure and occupational demands.
Depression : Depression can present and be experienced differently in the context of Asian American cultural expectations and stigma around mental health.
Therapy : An overview of my general approach to therapy, including the psychodynamic and culturally informed framework I use with Asian American clients.
Taking the first step toward therapy can be difficult, particularly when you're unsure whether a provider will truly understand your experience. If you'd like to have a conversation about whether my practice would be a good fit, I'd be glad to connect. A free 15-minute consultation is available with no obligation.