The impact of immigration on mental health has been widely studied. Some common challenges immigrants encounter during such life transitions include acculturational stress, linguistic limitations, changes in sociocultural expectations, family conflicts and discord, poor family communication, and guilt. With psychotherapy and digital mental health information becoming more acceptable and accessible, immigrants are increasingly mindful of prioritizing their mental health. They are empowered to grow, particularly their sense of agency, by setting healthy boundaries at work and in their personal life.

In this panel, mental health providers from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds will discuss the overlapping challenges adult immigrants, foreign-born students, and working professionals face when introducing the concept of healthy boundaries to their parents in their countries of origin. The presenters will also discuss some common stressors and mental health concerns experienced by parents living in the countries of origin. The panelists will anchor the presentation using Urie Bronfenbreener’s Ecological Theory, focusing on the impact of individual, family, linguistic, social, cultural, and historical factors on the interpretation of boundary-setting by parents in the countries of origin. Each presenter may choose to incorporate additional theoretical frameworks in their individual sections. The essence of this presentation will be on the panelists’ rich clinical experiences. Lastly, the panelists will provide recommendations for mental health providers and facilitate a dialogue about disseminating the concept and benefits of healthy boundary-setting to families. The intended impact of this panel is to bridge the gap between cultures, generations, and families.

Authors:
Wen-Ting Michelle Kan, Dr. Kan Psychological Services, United States
Jungeun Kim, Dr. Kim Psychology, South Korea
Sheetal Siledar-Lee, Bay Area Community Health, United States
Wan-Chen Weng, Independent Scholar, United States

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Jungeun Kim is a U.S trained psychologist, currently based in South Korea with over 15 years of clinical experiences in working with diverse populations. Specialized in perfectionism, anxiety disorders and intercultural communications. etc.

Additional website of interest
http://www.drkimpsy.com/

See this presentation on the full schedule – Wednesday Schedule

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