Episode 5 : Stigma, Shame & Self
In celebration of May as Mental Health Awareness Month and National Asian Pacific Islander History & Heritage Month, Aleks Martin surprised their audience via Northwest MHTTC with guests, Boya Hua and Dr. Hieu Pham.
This month’s learning goals are to identify the social impact of stigma and shame on the “self”, identify tools to overcome the suffering and silence. Through the panel discussion originally aired on May 19, 2021, the following is an excerpt from the live audio recording of the webinar.
Boya Hua(she/her), MSW, LMHC, LSWAIC, is a licensed mental health therapist who speaks Mandarin and English. She moved to Seattle from Shanghai, China in 2015, in order to pursue her graduate study at University of Washington, School of Social Work. Back in China, she had been actively involved in community engagement and advocacy work in Chinese LGBTQ community for over six years. She founded a sexual diversity education workshop called LGBT Free Talk and co-organized ShanghaiPRIDE. She is the author of a book called Voices of LGBT in Shanghai based on interviews with 20 queer local folks in Shanghai. Currently, she provides culturally-sensitive mental health services at Seattle Counseling Service, an LGBTQ-specialized community mental health agency. She is also enthusiastic about literature, music, body movement and being close to nature.
Hieu Pham, MD, MSPH, AAHIVS (he/him) is a family physician. He was born in Saigon, Vietnam and calls New York City his home. He was raised by a single mother. His own immigrant experience inspired him to care for immigrant and refugee communities. In New York City, he was involved with GAPIMNY, an organization that works to continue to support and empower queer and trans Asians and Pacific Islanders. It was this formative experience that continues to motivate him to work with gender diverse communities. He worked in public health before starting medical school in Chicago, and then moved to Seattle for residency in Family Medicine at Swedish Cherry Hill. Currently he works at International Community Health Services in the International District, a safety net clinic, where he primarily serves patients who are immigrants and refugees. He speaks Vietnamese, English, and Mandarin. Hieu provides full-spectrum family medicine, including obstetrical services, HIV care, pre-exposure prophylaxis, and gender affirming care. He also works at Nova Wellness Center, a school-based clinic, caring for gender diverse teens. When not working, you can find Hieu in the International District supporting the neighborhood's restaurants or coffee shops, eating pizza, and spending time with his boyfriend.