First Book to Address Asian American Mental Health Through Trauma Healing Becomes Available

“Where I Belong” is the first-of-its-kind guide to help readers navigate intergenerational wounds and belonging is bringing a practical solution to the Asian American mental health crisis.

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Penguin Random House publishes “Where I Belong: Healing Trauma and Embracing Asian American Identity,” the first book by licensed therapists Linda Yoon, LCSW and Soo Jin Lee, LMFT which addresses the unique mental health challenges faced by Asians and Asian Americans, a group with suicide as the #1 leading cause of death among teens and young adults. This comes at a time when the mainstream media have given more attention to the topic of trauma healing, and Google searches for the word “trauma” have nearly doubled in the last 5 years. A practical “guide” that helps readers navigate the various types of trauma and challenges facing Asian communities, “Where I Belong” serves as a first-of-its-kind book to help readers understand the impact of migration, intergenerational wounds, marginalization, and alienation.

“The Asian diaspora is one of the most diverse cultural groups in the world, yet one of the most misunderstood and ignored. To help bring awareness to the unique experiences faced by Asian immigrants, parents, children, and communities, we hope this book will make a largely “invisible” group finally feel seen and understood–a critical piece in the healing journey,” said Linda Yoon, “Where I Belong” co-author and founder of Yellow Chair Collective, an Asian female-owned therapy practice serving Asian American communities. A 2023 index survey reported that nearly 80% of Asian Americans do not feel accepted in the U.S., while suicide is one of the leading causes of death among all of its age groups. Yet with continued mental health challenges exacerbated by the rise of Asian violent hate crimes, Asians remain the least likely group to seek mental health help.

To bring a practical and accessible solution to this growing mental health crisis, “Where I Belong” was purposely written as a guide with journal prompts, grounding and mindfulness exercises, and diverse stories of Asian, mixed-Asian, and Asian American individuals from multiple generations to help the reader heal trauma and find belonging. With over 25 years of combined experience working with Asian communities that also include immigrants and refugees from around the world, “Where I Belong” authors are finally bringing awareness to the traumas shared by this vast cultural group–each with their own unique identities and mental health challenges.

To order your copy of “Where I Belong: Healing Trauma and Embracing Asian American Identity,” published by Penguin Random House, visit https://www.whereibelongthebook.com/.

About The Authors: Soo Jin Lee, LMFT and Linda Yoon, LCSW are co-directors of Yellow Chair Collective, a mental health practice that’s served over 2000 Asian and Asian Americans, including individuals from mixed-Asian, immigrant, and refugee backgrounds. Through their work helping the Asian diaspora navigate complex experiences such as intergenerational trauma, immigrant family dynamics, cultural identity and belonging, their new book, “Where I Belong,” is a first-of-its-kind guide to bring awareness to the diverse mental health challenges faced by Asian communities. Their work has been featured on NPR, Guardian, PBS, BuzzFeed, CBS, LA Times and more. For more information about their work, visit https://yellowchaircollective.com/.

To order “Where I Belong: Healing Trauma and Embracing Asian American Identity” published by Penguin Random House, visit https://www.whereibelongthebook.com/ 

Media Contact
Linda Yoon
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SOURCE Linda Yoon