How do we stay connected to one another even when the world is pulling us apart? How can we remember a sense of kinship and cultivate it in our communities? I invited my friend and colleague, Dr. Jennifer Young, onto the show to share her thoughts on this very topic as well as the nonprofit she recently started to support refugee mental health. We talk about what it's like to follow an inner calling to become a psychologist when your immigrant parents think you're crazy for wanting to listen to people for a living. We talk about being the only Asian American in the room, finding your voice when the standard doesn't look or sound like you, and what it took for each of us to keep going anyway.
Dr. Young shares why she started Kin-nection, why she believes human compassion will be the thing people are searching for 20 years from now, and why we can't rely on AI to do the work that requires human connection. We go places I didn't expect — intergenerational trauma, Guan Yin, a clairvoyant, and what our ancestry and lineage has to do with the work we feel called to do.
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Dr. Jennifer T. Young is a licensed clinical psychologist, certified EMDR therapist, and intercultural psychology consultant. She is the founder and president of Kin-nection, a nonprofit building community among mental health and language professionals to serve vulnerable, displaced populations. Jennifer has served as a psychologist at U.S. Peace Corps Headquarters, a consulting psychologist at the Headington Institute supporting humanitarian aid workers, and was appointed co-chair of UNICEF's IASC Reference Group on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support. She holds a PsyD from Alliant International University and a BA in Psychology and Social Behavior from UC Irvine.
https://drjennifertyoung.com/
https://www.kin-nection.org/
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2:00 she knew at nine — the first inner calling
4:00 the high school hotline
6:00 becoming a psychologist as a woman of color
16:00 when your immigrant parents think you're crazy
25:00 advice for young people of color in the field
27:00 finding your voice as an Asian American clinician
35:00 what are your roots, really?
44:00 the path to working with refugees internationally
49:00 why refugee mental health matters now
53:00 founding Kin-nection
57:00 what Kin-nection is and how it works
1:00:00 why human compassion will outlast AI
1:06:00 the inner calling that wouldn't leave
1:12:00 intergenerational trauma and ancestry
1:17:00 what an inner calling really feels like
1:24:00 Asian American women and leadership
1:31:00 advice if you feel an inner calling
1:39:00 100 years from now — what do we hold onto?
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CONNECT WITH DR. VICTORIA
Podcast Website: www.innercalling.org
Dr. Victoria: www.victoriaranade.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drvictoriaranade
Hope+Wellness, boutique mental health care that's kind, compassionate, and evidence-based. A place where you are genuinely seen & understood. Founded by Dr. Victoria: https://www.hope-wellness.com
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WHAT IS INNERCALLING?
innercalling is a podcast hosted by Dr. Victoria Ranade, PhD, MBA, ABPP that brings together leaders, scientists, clinicians, authors, artists, and everyday people to explore what it means to stay grounded in inner wisdom, creativity, purpose, and our shared humanity during rapidly changing times. Inspired by the tradition of clinical psychology, each episode is a conversation that honors the human spirit and the extraordinary capacity for growth and resilience that lives within each of us.
WHO IS DR. VICTORIA?
Hi there, I'm Dr. Victoria Ranade. I'm a board certified licensed clinical psychologist, writer, and podcaster deeply passionate about mental health, spirituality, integrative wellness, and honoring the light inside you — the one that no darkness can ever overcome. Fun fact: You're one of my greatest inspirations. I made this podcast so you would know you're not alone.✌🏼💛
I LOVE HEARING FROM YOU. SEND ME ANY MAIL OR QUESTIONS HERE:
info@innercalling.org
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