This isn’t a typical episode because today’s guest, Linda Thai, did not give a typical answer.
The usual question and answer format of this How She Got There episode was derailed right from question one, and that’s a fantastic thing because what ended up surfacing was much better than what I could’ve planned
Somatic and Trauma Therapist, Linda Thai, from Ep. 199: Why Are You Like This? Understanding Emotional Trauma and How To Heal From It, shares with us how her and family survived post-war Vietnam’s refugee exodus.
Although only 2 years old at the time, the experience of fleeing her home country had a significant impact on Linda’s life.
“You don’t remember the trauma but you exhibit the symptoms” Linda explains.
She expertly weaves an understanding of trauma as she tells the story of her and her family’s harrowing journey.
I was touched by her story not only because it’s so similar to the story of what my family went through, but also because it’s an excellent example of Rumi’s quote “The wound is where the light enters”.
All of the experiences that you’ve had , even the bad ones (or probably more accurate to say especially the bad ones), point you closer and closer to the work that will light you up. We tend to help others heal what we’ve healed in our own lives.
What might that be for you?
Listen to discover:
How Linda’s experience of being a Vietnam War refugee shaped who she is and the work that she does today
About Linda Thai
Linda is an adjunct faculty member in the Social Work Department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and specializes in trauma-informed care and compassion fatigue resilience skills; Mental health clinician at ND Systems, specializing in somatic therapies and trauma therapy.
She assists internationally renowned psychiatrist and trauma expert, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, with his private small group psychotherapy workshops aimed at healing attachment trauma. In her work at Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, she is responsible for training clinicians in all departments, including psychology, nursing and medicine. She has a Master of Social Work with an emphasis on the neurobiology of attachment and trauma.
Linda has studied Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Brainspotting, Havening, Internal Family Systems, and structural dissociation of the personality. Linda has worked in Fairbanks, AK with those recovering from addiction, trauma, and mental illness. She is passionate about yoga, meditation, and mindfulness and bringing those gifts to her community.
Live Your Purpose By Breaking From The Norms
At [7:10], Linda deconstructs our traditional idea of what our life’s purpose should be. Her opinion is that society sells us the myth that productivity equals self-worth and that we need to achieve something to be worthy. Linda believes that we need to realize that we’re here to live, to listen to each other, and to listen to the calling within us, whatever that may be. There’s so much peace and joy in being your true self by not letting society define who you can or cannot be.
I lovvvved Linda’s answer and her free-spirited answer took us into a beautiful and powerfully moving story that we never would’ve gotten to had I followed the script…
Childhood Trauma That Led To Self-Discovery
Linda shares her remarkable childhood story - the distress she and her family went through while escaping from the Vietnam war, and surviving the refugee camp. These experiences ultimately contributed to the space that she has chosen for herself in the meditation and yoga world. To learn more about her childhood and her captivating intuitions, go to [14:30].
Detaching From Internalized Expectations
At [24:40], Linda shares how she learned about her own adaptive strategies and how she deals with them. She realized that one of her adaptive strategies was to get out of situations that made her feel trapped or out of control. This eventually led her to move to Alaska to do conservation work with disadvantaged teenagers. Here she was able to detach herself from the middle-class aspirations her parents wanted for her and ultimately, was able to find her capacity for connection.
Finding Your Rightful Spot in Life
While at a yoga retreat, Linda again realized her primary adaptive strategy was to leave and if that wasn’t possible, she broke rules as a way of exerting her freedom. Experiences such as the yoga retreat helped her relate to herself in a different context as well as reflect on her adaptive strategies. This retreat then led her on the path of meditation, yoga teacher training, a search for community, and many more moments of reflection and realization. To learn more go to [29:00].
Linda’s Work in Collaborative Communities
Linda concludes her story by telling us about her work with Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of Your Body Keeps The Score, where she assists in private psychotherapy workshops. She highlights the importance of collaboration and education as the tools and resources we gain throughout our lives open up the world to us; we learn to be prepared for any upcoming experiences. She urges everyone to be mindful of adaptive strategies, attempt to resolve our trauma history, and continue to learn. Tune in at [40:00].
KEY NUGGETS:
[07:10] Live Your Purpose by Breaking from the Norms
[14:30] Childhood Trauma That Led To Self-Discovery
[24:40] Detaching From Internalized Expectations
[29:00] Finding Your Rightful Spot in Life
[40:00] Linda’s Work in Collaborative Communities
Resources:
To learn more about intergenerational trauma and grief, enroll in Linda’s program Unnameable Losses: The Unmetabolized Ambiguous Grief of Adult Children of Refugees
CONNECT WITH LINDA:
Website: linda-thai.com
Quotes:
“You’re already magnificent as you are...Just live.” - Linda Thai [08:00]
“That is intergenerational resilience that lives in my body.” - Linda Thai [21:25]
“[Yoga] started the opening up of my nervous system and the releasing my body armory that was my survival strategies.” - Linda Thai [33:14]
“Our samskaras dance. We have a dance of strategies. ” - Linda Thai [39:26]
“When we resolve our trauma history, the world gets bigger.” - Linda Thai [42:57]
