Depression is not just feeling sad once in a while—it's feeling sad or empty most of the time, even when good things happen. It's like a heavy cloud hanging over you, making it tough to enjoy things you used to love. You might feel tired all the time, have trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, and find it hard to concentrate. Sometimes you might feel worthless or guilty for no reason. Depression can make it hard to get through the day, affecting your work, relationships, and how you see yourself. Let’s discuss ways to explore behaviors and thoughts that reinforce unhelpful patterns caused by depression and discuss realistic goals to manage them.

Anxiety is like having a constant worry or fear, even when there's no real danger. You may find your mind racing with thoughts about what might go wrong. It can make you feel restless, tense, or on edge, and it can also cause physical sensations like a racing heart or feeling shaky. Let’s uncover the sources of the distress and learn ways to manage your mind and body’s reaction to them.

Trauma is an emotional injury that can occur when an extremely distressing event happens and you feel as though you cannot recover from it. It's not just the event itself that causes trauma—it's also how your body and mind react to it. You may notice changes in your daily activities, mood, and thought patterns. Therapy and support from friends and family can help you understand and cope with your feelings so that your emotional wound can start to heal.

When someone relies on another person to meet all their emotional and self-esteem needs, they may be experiencing codependency. You might find that you prioritize others’ needs over your own, even to the point of neglecting yourself. This can lead to unhealthy and unbalanced relationships, where one person feels responsible for the other person's emotions and well-being, which can also cause stress and anxiety. In breaking these patterns, we will work towards recognizing codependent traits, setting boundaries, and building a healthier relationship with yourself and others.

Pressures to succeed, comparisons of your worth, grappling with familial conflict stemming from generational trauma are several topics that are explored to enhance your identity as an Asian or Asian American individual.

Questioning your identity can be a natural part of personal growth to guide you in clarifying your values and beliefs that shape your sense of self. This is a journey of understanding and accepting your cultural background and its role in your life.