Beyond the Couch Ep 42: Changing the Face of Mental Health with Caroline Lay

This week, Christie chats with Caroline Lay about their experiences as Asian-American women, and as Asian-American women therapists. They talk about how growing up with non-strict parents magnified the gratitude and guilt they felt for their family’s sacrifices and shaped the pressure that they placed on themselves. They dive into the challenges of differentiating one’s identity and dreams from those of their family’s in an enmeshed culture. As Asian-identifying therapists, they discuss their journeys in forming their own approaches and opinions without role models that looked like them. They also reflect on how they’ve seen therapy evolve and become more diverse in a white-dominated field.

Caroline Lay (she/her) is an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist located in the Los Angeles Area. She specializes in young adults and professionals, struggles with burnout and career counseling, relationship issues, immigrant issues, women issues, childhood trauma, and anxiety. She is passionate about the Asian American experience, destigmatizing mental health, and changing the face of mental health overall. Her passion project at the moment is expanding her brand Pwrhaus Therapy @pwrhaustherapy, by utilizing social media and becoming more active in the mental health community, she continually works to spread awareness on mental health and destigmatize mental health within the Asian American population.