Therapy with Ami Koide within AAPI communities

One of the populations I work with that I believe need a space for therapy are AAPI (Asian American Pacific Islander) communities. AAPI communities tend to have lower rates of seeking out therapy for mental health which is one of the reasons I try to reach out to those communities. I know in most AAPI communities that mental health can be stigmatized and or dismissed. In my own experience and knowing others who experience where for example depression is ignored or being told to ‘simply don’t think about it be happy’ which simplifies a more complex issue. Also people in AAPI communities tend to minimize their mental health because in most communities we’re taught to prioritize other things like work, financial stability, family, success, etc. first. 

The way I feel I work well with AAPI communities is for one I am a part of the community myself as I identify as a Japanese American and though all AAPI communities differ I can understand the shared experiences and acknowledge the differences of our communities. I also have a good understanding of cultural impacts in the AAPI community and how it affects us as individuals and our relationship with friends, family and relationships. Another thing that’s important to work with is reflection on self and how communities are important and how we navigate our identity and what we want that for us in these spaces.

When it comes to working with cultures whether we are different or similar we have to try to understand how individuals navigate through them in their own way. While it's important to see how we can understand and help communities relate and feel comfortable we have to not assume and see where the person is at and what they want.