Meet Jenny T. Wang, PhD | Clinical Psychologist, National Speaker and Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jenny T. Wang, PhDand we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jenny T. Wang, PhD, how do you think about risk?
Risk used to be something that terrified me. It was something that my parents, immigrants from Taiwan, warned me against. It seemed to offer only downside and potential failure. However as my career has evolved, I have learned that risk is a crucial part of our evolution. Without risk, we potentially play it too safe. We become too comfortable. We miss opportunities that help us gain skills and grow. Risk has become a discipline and practice that I try to include in all facets of my life. Sometimes, risk takes the form of trying a new hobby or learning a new skill. Other times, it means setting boundaries or pursuing an unknown opportunity. Risk means that there is no guarantee of success or a certain outcome that you can predict. But therein lies the positive potential of risk as well. In the space in which there is no guarantee, there is also the possibility that you can achieve something much greater than you could have ever imagined. However, most of us have been taught to stay safe and risk very little.

Risk is also the space in which we have reached the end of our mastery. If we have mastered something, be it business or in life, we can predict the outcome with a level of certainty. But intentional and calculated risk is where growth happens because it is beyond our zones of comfort, mastery and competence. This is where we learn new things about ourselves and our lives. Risk and failure are not things to be feared, but rather things to be embraced with Intention and purpose.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
It is humbling to see how my career as a clinical psychologist has taken so many different directions and forms. In the beginning, I started my private practice to support underserved clients, especially people of color as well as Asian Americans. Mental health is still highly stigmatized in many cultures and communities. My private therapy practice allowed folks to find culturally-centered mental health care that is focused on the intersections of cultural/ethnic identity and mental health. As my private practice evolved, I realized that while it is powerful and meaningful to work with clients one-on-one, there are many people who would never step foot into a psychologist’s office, but could still benefit from mental health concepts and knowledge. This is when I began my social media account, @asiansformentalhealth. My hope with this account is to de-stigmatize mental health within the Asian community and raise awareness about the unique issues that might arise for Asian Americans and children of immigrants. This account allowed me to develop one of the first Asian American therapist directories in the US (www.asiansformentalhealth.com). I am most proud of this project as it is a free resource for Asian Americans seeking out therapy, often for the first time. The hope is that this directory reduces one barrier in seeking mental health care in our community. In addition to clinical practice and social media advocacy, I am also a corporate speaker for employee resource and affinity groups focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This has been such a fun and engaging facet of my work that I enjoy deeply. I speak to dozens of companies, universities and nonprofits a year and provide education on Asian American identity and broader mental health themes.

Finally, all of this work led to the recent publication of my first book, Permission to Come Home: Reclaiming Mental Health as Asian Americans. This book represents a personal and educational journey in understanding how ethnic identity impacts the many facets of our mental health as Asian Americans. My hope is that this book will offer healing, introspection and invite others into growth and empowerment. Much of my work is rooted in healing intergenerational trauma and pain. This book is the first step in that direction.

I would love the world to know that mental health is the next frontier in overall health. Without mental wellbeing, many things in life are meaningless and purposeless. Investing in our mental health is crucial for us to become better human beings, parents, partners, colleagues, and leaders.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would first take them to Chinatown on Bellaire Blvd. It is such a rich tapestry of food, culture, and exploration. We love to walk the memorial glades and spend time along the bayou trails. The local natural science and fine arts museums also offer much fun and educational opportunities. Houston has one of the most diverse and unique food hubs so we would end up eating a lot!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
If there is a single person that I would give a shout-out to, it would be my own mother. She arrived to the United States when she was in her early twenties and endured all kinds of difficult experiences in order for us to find our footing in a new country. It is hard to imagine the courage and perseverance that she had to embody to interface with a new country. She is industrious to a fault, which explains the work ethic that she passed on to my sister and I. She also holds herself to a standard that few can meet, not for external accolades, but driven by her internal compass to live by the virtues and values that she holds. I will be forever grateful for the ways she modeled integrity, hard work, ingenuity, and persistence in the face of difficulty and hardships. She reminds me that I come from a long line of courageous and brilliant women who found their own path in life in spite of external pressures.

Website: www.jennywangphd.com

Instagram: @asiansformentalhealth

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenny-tzu-mei-wang-ph-d-012510185/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asiansformentalhealth/

Other: www.asiansformentalhealth.com

Image Credits
Sharon Nicole Photography Asia Society of Texas