Julie finds it hard to buy her Korean mom a gift she won't criticize. She also suspects her mom's reactions are not just about the objects. And Yin J. Li, a psychotherapist who works with clients from the Asian Diaspora, helps us identify and understand hidden family tensions so we can better address them.

Featured Expert: 

Yin is a Portland-based psychotherapist with a private practice called Theralane. As a child of working class immigrants, they understand the shame and stigma of needing and seeking support from an outsider, a therapist. After a 15-year career in technology, they decided to pursue a Masters in Counseling Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, and became a licensed therapist. Yin has a podcast called Asians Do Therapy, aiming to reduce stigma and increasing accessibility.

 If you loved this episode, be sure to listen to When Parents Going Back 'Home' Changes Everything and When Mom Body Shames You.

We’d love to hear your stories of triumph and frustration so send us a detailed voice memo to [email protected]. You might be on a future episode! Let’s connect on Twitter and Instagram at @TalkToMamiPapi and email us at [email protected]. And follow us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.