During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and anti-Asian hate crimes, Yellow Chair Collective — a psychotherapy group, led by therapists Soo Jin Lee and Linda Yoon, primarily dedicated to serving Asian American clients — organized a series of virtual support groups to care for people coping with grief, anger, frustration, and anxiety. After numerous requests to share the syllabus and discussion topics used during these groups, Lee and Yoon were inspired to write their first book, “Where I Belong: Healing Trauma and Embracing Asian American Identity.”
The book, which comes out on January 9, 2024, is more than simply text that speaks at you — it is designed for reflection and interaction. “Where I Belong” uses therapeutic tools, journal prompts, personal stories, and grounding exercises to empower readers to identify their strengths and resilience across generations. It validates the experiences of Asians and Asian Americans and helps us understand how we fit into the broader context of our family history and generational trauma. By putting these tools into the readers’ hands, the authors have made resources more accessible and seek to dismantle the stigma around pursuing help, particularly in the Asian community.
The following is an excerpt from “Where I Belong,” from the chapter on cultivating self-compassion (content warning: abuse):
Linda’s journey to self-compassion began with a childhood marked by family violence and blame. She internalized beliefs of defectiveness and unworthiness, and these beliefs were amplified by experiences of racism and unreasonable expectations. Through therapy and practicing self-compassion, Linda was able to offer understanding and love to her younger self, gradually freeing herself from shame and critical inner voices.
Linda’s father blamed her and her family for his violence because he wanted to avoid feeling the shame of knowing he had abused them. As a child, Linda felt helpless and adopted the…
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