5 reasons to join an Asian American mental health support group
Therapy can be a powerful and transformative tool for self-reflection and healing. Yet, it’s not the only form of emotional healing available; there are a wide range of tools and methods that you can use for your growth and care journey. . An example of this are support groups, which provide another forum for connection and a sense of belonging. If you grew up in a collectivist culture, the communal dynamic of a peer support group can be a valuable tool for affirming your experiences, especially as an Asian American. A support group can act as a space to process your lived experiences and to share how your culture and heritage inform your mental health, knowing that those who are listening “get it” and have been through it, too.
How do you know if a support group is right for you? What if it sounds scary and stigmatized to you? In fact, there’s a whole host of reasons it could be beneficial for you. Do any one of the reasons below resonate with you?
1. You’ll realize you are not alone in your experience
Life can be really hard sometimes. You might feel like the combination of tough things happening in your life could never happen to anyone else. When we go through challenging situations, sometimes we don’t open up to others because we tell ourselves that “they won’t understand…” or we hear a voice saying “don’t reveal bad things which damage our family’s reputation”. Especially as members of the Asian American community, we compare ourselves with others, often picking the worst parts about ourselves with the best parts about others.
In real life, this could look like shaming ourselves for not getting promoted or getting laid off, criticizing ourselves for not being “confident enough,” or blaming ourselves as “bad Asian parents” because of our kids’ academic performances. However, we need to remind ourselves that we only see a surface level image that is carefully curated to present an honorable, picture-perfect version of their lives. Asian American support groups are a great way to take off the mask and be more vulnerable with each other. In reality, we share far more of our experiences than we realize, and support groups can go a long way in helping you feel seen and less alone.
2. You’ll learn from others who’ve been through similar things and share your own tips
Asian Americans are three times less likely to seek care according to the American Psychological Association, because it’s hard for us to ask for help and to admit we need support. Fortunately, support circles are inherently designed for people to comfort and validate each other. This means you can learn from others’ diverse perspectives without even needing to formally ask.
In addition to feeling less lonely, you can also benefit from shared experience by observing how others have dealt with similar situations, and being encouraged and uplifted by their insights and advice. It is remarkable how many people have faced the same obstacle, but have used diverse and creative solutions to address it. Hearing from others in an iterative conversation can help you consider new ways of framing a scenario and dealing with it that you may not have considered on your own.
You can also bring your ideas to the table. If you have been feeling overlooked or misunderstood, this can be a great way to share your suggestions with others who are more receptive in a welcoming environment. One of the greatest gifts of a community is that if one of us has a certain experience under our belt, we can pay it forward by making it a little easier for those who follow.
3. You may feel more comfortable opening up with community support than in a 1:1 setting
While some may find groups daunting, for others it can be a much more supportive and less pressurized environment than one-to-one therapy. The spirit of communal sharing can invigorate you, and as it’s not all eyes on you for the whole hour, you’ll feel less like the center of attention, and more like one of many voices discussing the topic at hand. Seeing as vulnerability and honesty are two key components of getting the most out of your mental health care, this can be a huge benefit of support groups.
A major reason for this comfort is because you can trust that your cultural context is respected and understood. You’ll receive a lot of validation from others who you don’t have to explain yourself to. If you join a support group hosted by culturally-responsive mental health professionals – like those we offer at Anise – you can rest assured that not only your peers in the group but the clinician hosting has a profound understanding of how your culture influences your mental health and shapes your experiences in day-to-day life. Traditional mental health care has been proven to have poorer outcomes for BIPOC as it overlooks their cultural context and can make you feel more isolated and misunderstood, whereas a culturally-informed support group can be an impactful form of more tailored mental health care.
4. You’ll gain concrete resources and techniques to be more emotionally regulated
There’s a stereotype that support groups are spaces where people vent into the void. While it’s certainly an opportunity to get things off your chest, it’s also a place to take actionable, practical tips. Many support groups provide resources and skills to carry with you into your day to day life. These tools can help you respond more proportionately to what you encounter with a more emotionally regulated brain.
Here’s an example: your parents are aging and you’re taking on more caregiving responsibilities. What started as light cooking and cleaning grew to taking them to endless appointments and managing their complicated finances. Tired and overwhelmed, you share your exhaustion with a non-Asian friend about feeling unappreciated for all the extra work you’re doing. “Why don’t you just send your parents to a nursing home?” Your friend asks in a well-intentioned way… but how could you do that? To you, the suggestion feels disrespectful, lazy, and neglecting your familial duties. You know you’ll be reprimanded for shipping your family member to a “crazy institution.”
While people outside your community may not understand the stressful situation, a peer support group can give you practical yet nuanced tips that fit your value system. People could share ways to consolidate tasks or offer phrases to say if you’re being insulted by the very person you’re caregiving for. The clinician facilitator may bring out a worksheet and help the group work on time management in a judgment-free manner. In doing so, the group can equip you with skills to help you thrive and flourish.
5. Support groups are financially accessible
One-to-on therapy is a substantial investment that may not be financially viable for everyone. But that doesn’t mean you have to go at it alone. Support groups offer a more accessible form of support that can be equally meaningful. Our Anise Peer Support Circles are hosted by a qualified clinician, so you are still being led by a trained and qualified professional whilst enjoying the group setting and a lower economic barrier to entry.
What topics might be discussed in an Asian mental health support group?
Emotional intelligence
Was expressive, emotional language modeled in your household? “I love you” was sometimes communicated not through words, but through fruit that was tenderly peeled and cut-up.
Children of Asian immigrants are more likely to experience bicultural tension by growing up in an American culture where verbal expression is much more common than in their heritage culture. In fact, studies have shown a “discrepancy between academic success and social/emotional difficulties” among East Asian adolescents. One way to tackle this is to enhance your emotional intelligence and equip yourself with more precise language, using tools like the “emotions wheel”.
If you’d like to learn more precise language about how to identify, unpack, and regulate your emotions using tools like these, , join our Asian Mental Health: A Crash Course in Emotional Intelligence Support Group.
Specific shared experience – e.g. Asian Men’s mental health
Sometimes, a group can seek to support a particular demographic’s shared experience. For example, mainstream media often hypersexualizes Asian women and emasculates Asian men. Plus, traditional Asian societies are often patriarchal in nature, putting pressure on Asian men to be sole breadwinners and expecting Asian women to stay home as housewives. In many Asian cultures, the men also still face traditional pressures to be the “provider” of the family. But, in reality we all need moments of vulnerability and emotional support, and it’s not as necessary to occupy the provider role in American culture. Still, balancing the influences of your heritage with the culture you live in can be a confusing experience as an Asian man – one worth unpacking in community.
If you want to meet with an Asian male therapist and redefine healthy masculinity, join our Asian Men's Mental Health Discussion Group.
Self-confidence and self-worth in your career
Have you been told to “speak up” or “be assertive” in the workplace? Do you want to build an executive presence and command a room with gravitas? This often comes from feeling grounded in a strong sense of identity, self-worth, and confidence.
Navigating your professional life as an Asian American can be confusing and disorientating. Often, we face certain cultural expectations with regards to our careers and what we ought to achieve. These may be at odds with our personal desires and sense of fulfillment. You don’t have to confront this pressure to excel alone, though. Support groups are an avenue for connecting with others who were raised in households with immensely high standards, and to figure out together what your version of success looks like. In that process, you can build up your self-confidence and understand the value you bring to your work, instilling a strong sense of self-worth. If this is of interest to you, join our Coaching for Improved Career Confidence Support Group.
How Anise support groups work
Our Peer support circles are substantiated by evidence-based research and crafted to provide tangible benefits and support to our community.
We begin with a group mindfulness warm-up to transition from the rest of your day into the vulnerability and open-heartedness of the support group setting. This could be a guided visualization, a body scan meditation, group affirmations etc.
The clinician will start the conversation with an opening question based on an article they share in advance or a specific topic that is set as the theme of the session.
The group reflects on the question and shares their experiences in our accepting, non-judgemental space for exploration.
The clinician leads a skills-building activity such as a journaling exercise, a guided worksheet, a creative exercise.
You walk away with resources and tools to support you beyond the session and into your daily life!
Signs a support group could be valuable for you
You feel isolated on your mental health journey and are drawn to the idea of finding community through shared experiences
You are craving empathy and validation from others who have been through similar struggles
You are seeking feedback from a wide range of individuals who may have dealt with your situation in a variety of different ways
You feel you learn better by listening and observing patterns in conversation
Your mental health feels like a “chore” and you’d like to make it a social experience that you look forward to
You feel you’d benefit from accountability and the motivation of shared goals and commitments
If you’d like to experience the transformative power of an Asian American support group for your mental health, register your interest with Anise and join our community.
