Libsyn Directory

88 | The Importance of a Having a Culturally Affirming Therapist with Melody Li

Release Date: 06/03/2020

103 | How to Re-Enter in a Supportive and Aligned Way

Small Steps

After over a year of living a very different way, things around us are changing again, mostly for the better. And, as more folks get vaccinated and things open back up, returning to whatever our new lives are could feel scary or anxiety-inducing. This episode invites you to check in with how you want to re-enter the post-vaccine life in a way that’s supportive and aligned for you and what you want and need.

102 | Healing your Multiracial Inner Child with Farzana Nayani

Small Steps

Being a mixed race can bring with it a wide range of experiences, cultures and microaggressions, all that can start at a young age. As mixed race people grow up, looking back and processing and working through the experiences when we were children can be incredibly healing and formative to our identities. Farzana Nayani talks about why it’s important to look at this and how mixed race people can start to give some love and attention to our inner mixed kid.

101 | Finding and Going at your Own Pace

Small Steps

Moving towards living your own definition of health and wellness can be a lot easier to do when you’re going at your own pace. So often, our societies push us to move faster and faster to keep up with the never ending newness in this interconnected world, and that may not actually work for everyone. This episode talks about how you can find, go at, and honor the pace that works best for you.

100 | Disordered Eating Recovery as a Person of Color with Kimmie Singh

Small Steps

Working through disordered eating and eating disorders can be a lot to navigate and potentially adding navigating racial microaggressions can be even more overwhelming. There are many layers and nuances to working through your relationship with food as a person of color that may be missing from the majority of the conversation. In this episode, I talk with Kimmie Singh about those layers and nuances of this and how folks of color can find connection with their food and bodies.

99 | How Diet Culture Effs with Our Relationship with Food

Small Steps

Diet culture can cast a wide and sticky net in someone’s life and push them to live a word hyperfocused on getting thin at whatever cost. This episode dives deep into how “good” and “bad” foods and the food lists diet culture thrives on are harmful, especially for people of color who have rich food cultures.

98 | Moving Towards Sex Positivity with Jayda Shuavarnnasri

Small Steps

Sex positivity has become something that’s gotten a lot more attention in the past few years, but what does it mean, especially for folks of color? I invited sex positive Asian auntie Jayda Shuavarnnasri on the show to talk about this with me and unpack the things we all didn’t learn about sexuality, our bodies and how our sensuality is our birthright.

97 | Seeing and Letting Go of What You’re Carrying

Small Steps

Whether we realize it or not, we’re all carrying ideas, beliefs, and ways we live our lives based on our identities, experiences, how we were raised, and more. While some of these things can be helpful or fine, others can be out of alignment with who we truly are and take up too much mental and emotional energy. As the past year has led to a lot of folks reflecting on what hasn’t been working in society, let’s get curious on what we’re carrying and what we can let go of in order to live a more align

96 | What’s Next for the Podcast and More

Small Steps

The Small Steps Podcast is back! Listen in to see what’s changing in the podcast, my nutrition business and where you can hear the most up to date information about the changes ahead.

95 | Redefining your Health, Wellness and Life with Shohreh Davoodi

Small Steps

We all have moments where we feel it’s time for a change. Whether you can fully see things are out of alignment for you based on your values or you just know that something’s not working anymore. It can be scary (and totally normal!) to figure out where to go next, especially when it’s moving away from things you’ve done or believed for years. In this episode, I talk with Shohreh Davoodi about her evolution in her life, career and views on health and how she redefined her life as she evolved and shi

94 | Ways to “Do the Work”: Sharing and Taking Action

Small Steps

Learning about social justice and understanding the systems of oppression that affect us is extremely important. And it’s just as important to take action on what you’ve learned or in light of what you’ve learned to bring about changing the systems to create something new. This episode covers how to figure out where to share what you’re learning and how to take action on what you’re learning. This is part five of five in a social-justice focused series.

More Episodes

For those of us targeted identities, it can be hard to find places, spaces and people to work with who really see and can hold space for all of us or the parts of us that we hold especially dear. While “good enough” has been the norm, more and more people are coming together to, in their professions, make it clear that we can work with people who really see and understand all of us. In this episode, I talk with Melody Li and the importance of a culturally affirming and social justice oriented therapist, and her directory to find other like minded therapists.

About Melody Li

Melody Li (she/her) is an immigrant, therapist of color and mental health justice activist. She created Inclusive Therapists, a social justice-oriented mental health directory and therapist community that centers the needs of marginalized populations. She’s also the cofounder of the Austin Counseling Collective, an intentionally diverse group therapy practice. Melody also co-leads the Austin Therapists of Color community.

Small Steps in the Show:

Get clear on the relationship you want with your therapist and what you want to do in therapy
Check out the Inclusive Therapists directory
Check a therapist’s website, social media and other web presences and their copy.
Ask for referrals from friends that you trust.
Look to see what therapists are talking about resources and communities that are important to you and seeing if you can work with them or if they can refer you to someone.
Bring your past experiences with other therapists with your current therapist
Talking about your experiences with your trusted communities in person or online

Mentioned in the Show:

Buy my Enamel Pin

Donate to Black Lives Matter (National)

Find and donate to a Black Lives Matter Chapter near you

Donate to Black Visions Collective

Donate to Reclaim the Block

Donate to the Free Black Mamas National Bail Out Fund

Donate to the George Floyd Memorial Fund

Donate to the I Run with Maud Fundraiser

Sign the Justice for Breonna Taylor Petition

Small Steps #32 with Dr. Tee Williams

Small Steps #33 “Doing the Work” Part 2