The things that we strive for: What trauma reveals.
May 3, 2018
Hosted by Leanh Nguyen, Ph.D.
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Episode Description
In this 2nd episode, Dr. Nguyen continues to lay the foundation for the conversation about what it means to be human, by talking about psychological trauma. She will take the listeners through the psychic landscape of the traumatized mind, detailing the capacities that have broken down and describing the fears and un-expressed longings that keep the traumatized individual in a deadened, stagnant way of being. In particular, she will speak of how trauma interrupts meaning-making and the sense of purpose, how the desire for human closeness and trust in human connection are abandoned in favor of self-sabotage and alienation, and how creativity and intimacy are put in the service of confirming loss and damage rather than generating opportunities for growth and faith. Dr. Nguyen will engage with callers in discussing the effects of trauma, and exploring the psychological capacities and accomplishments that we all ordinarily pursue and take for granted.
On Living
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What does it mean to be human? What do we make of this life? How do we hurt, and heal, one another? What does it take to love? What does it cost to hate? How do we stay fully alive to our humanity? How do we find the means to behold beauty and kindness? How do we live fully and authentically?
Through this series of intimate, thought-provoking conversations, you will have a chance to reflect on questions about survival, fulfillment, connection, living and dying well. We encounter a deep place of questioning and, ultimately, awaken toward the powerful questions and ambitions that lay unbidden in our daily existence.
Dr. Nguyen brings 25 years of engagement with trauma survivors, refugees of war and persecution, immigrants from all over the world, and patients from all walks of life. As with her work, this show is an opportunity to explore the meaning of being alive and to support people in the ambition toward a life fully lived.
Leanh Nguyen, Ph.D.
Born and raised during the Vietnam war, Dr. Leanh Nguyen came of age in Europe as a refugee of communism. For 20 years she has dedicated herself to those whose lives have been derailed and whose minds crushed by adversity and trauma, with the mission of helping people hold onto to their humanity and reclaim their inherent right to live their fullest, truest self.
Her patients have been the most severely mentally ill as well as survivors of human rights abuse. She has worked in the poorest areas of NYC, but also has consulted for prestigious law firms and international agencies. Her presence has made an impact on victims of civil war in refugee resettlements in Africa or the Middle East as well as on asylum seekers and illegal immigrants in American detention centers and immigration courts. A tireless advocate and extremely effective expert witness in federal courts, she has helped win over 500 asylum grants for people fleeing persecution.
Her psychotherapy and life coaching practice is open to people from all over the world, across socio-economic spheres, across cultures, ages and sexual orientations. Her calling is to support people to be their most human and live their fullest. She works and lives according to that passion. In this show, as in her practice, she invites you to join her in the journey to find the question and passion that drive our brief, wonderful time on this Earth.
