You're Grieving and in Pain. They Call You "Crazy"

Years after her father's murder, and following another tragic loss, Melissa recognized she needed help. She went to therapy, but also realized she was being cast out by her Chinese-Jamaican family as a result.  And, Amy Lew, a therapist specializing in trauma and mixed-raced identity, speaks with Juleyka about finding our own ways to grieve with or without our loved ones.

Featured Expert: 

Amy Lew is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has over 8 years of experience working with a variety of clientele. She has worked for multiple programs within YMCA's Youth and Family Services Programs including Kinship Program, an adolescent crisis house, as well as the Transitional Housing Program, Turning Point, and was a therapist at the San Diego Rescue Mission. ​ Amy received her undergraduate degree in psychology and participated in a cross-cultural research team studying racial identity development and interracial prejudice. She completed her Masters of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy at Alliant International University in 2012, and is a recipient of the Alliant MFT Educational Stipend. She received specialized training in Motivational Interviewing, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Brief Strategic Family Therapy, Trauma-Informed care approaches, and SPARCS-ST groups, an evidence-based psycho-educational group for survivors of trauma. Her clinical experience includes providing assessment, individual, couple and family counseling, group therapy services, as well as clinical consultation and case management. She has led groups in the following areas: anger management, harm reduction, healthy relationships, emotional regulation, parenting, open-process, and SPARCS-ST. Learn more about her work here. 

If you loved this episode, be sure to listen to Telling Mamí She Needs Mental Help and She Had to Choose Her Career Over Her Parents.

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