Double lives and family secrets
And asking for your support!
Don’t forget book club in April, at the end of the month! We are going to be discussing Evil Eye by Etaf Rum on April 28 at 6pm ET. Link will be sent day of!
Mark your calendar for the next community conversation clubs (paid only) on April 22 at 8-9pm ET. via Zoom. Link will be sent day of!
If you emailed me about running a conversation club, THANK YOU! You’ll hear from me shortly!
The most powerful part of my new podcast So We’ve Been Told is the HUNDREDS of voice notes I received from you all on your stories and secrets. Each episode we listen to 3-10 of these to really capture the diversity, and similarities, of our experiences as children of immigrants. Here’s an example with an animation from the amazing Liz:
Well, the podcast is OFFICIALLY here! And you can listen to the first two episodes:
Between Cultures: Are You Living A Double Life? (Listen here)
Host and therapist Sahaj Kaur Kohli has lived a double life as the daughter of Indian immigrants. Like many of you, she grew up walking the line between family expectations, her own needs, and the world outside. Now, she’s an expert in bicultural identity, advice columnist and published author of But What Will People Say?– and she’s here to help you. We uncover why living between cultures feels a lot like living a double life, and we hear your stories about keeping small things – like hanging out with friends – and big things – like being queer or struggling with alcoholism – from your immigrant parents. We’ll also answer your questions and learn tips to bridge the gap between who we are and who we’re expected to be.
Our Family Secrets: What We Hide and Why it Matters (Listen here)
Family secrets can feel like a form of protection, or a source of deep isolation. We uncover the hidden truths and taboos around relationships, health and trauma that shape our immigrant families. We’ll even hear directly from you about discovering family members aren’t biologically related to you, or having to keep child abuse secretive. Therapist and author of Break the Cycle, Dr. Mariel Buqué joins Sahaj Kaur Kohli to unpack the emotional toll of family secrecy, explore if family secrets are a form of intergenerational trauma, and share how we can begin to heal.
And paid subscribers are going to get bonus episodes every other week (starting next Wednesday, April 16) relating to each previous episode.
Next week, your bonus episodes are:
Stop telling children of immigrants to be authentic
Why are women expected to keep men’s secrets?
Asking for your support in getting this podcast out there to the world!
As an independent podcast, I have an uphill battle to climb in getting this podcast out there. I self-funded the team (producer, audio engineer, etc) and have put in hours and hours of work to bring this to life for you all. It’s a living, breathing community and it’s free! I really am so happy I can do this work and share this amazing resource for you all.
You know how much I care about holding space for the hard, the tender, and the in-between. For helping us all feel a little more seen, especially when we’ve felt like we don’t quite belong anywhere. This podcast is my way of expanding that space...with my voice, stories from our 250,000-strong Brown Girl Therapy community, and the expert wisdom I’ve gathered as a therapist.
With that said, I declined working with a production company (I had offers!) because I wanted to preserve your voices and my vision. I didn’t want to be told how this needed to go or use a pre-existing template for “success” I wanted to build something that doesn’t exist yet for us, by us.
But now I'll need your support in getting the word out. It would mean the world to me. Please subscribe, download episodes, rate, and review the show wherever you listen.
We made it to top 15 of the mental health shows on Apple but in order for Apple and Spotify to push this out to new listeners we need more downloads and reviews and traction! Thank you so, so much!
*Disclaimer: Culturally Enough. is not therapy, a mental health service, nor is it a substitute for mental health services of any kind. I am not showing up in this space as your therapist — I am showing up here as a curiosity-driven writer, peer, and a human. If you are looking for therapy, please consult with your local mental health resources.
Ways You Can Support My Work
Put my name in the hat for a speaking gig at your company or org!
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