About This Event
Once registration is full, you may join the waitlist here.
A free, 8-week emotional wellness support group for Asian Americans navigating anxiety and trauma related to I.C.E. activity.
The actions of I.C.E. over the years have sparked outrage, concern, and fear in many communities, especially amongst those who have been targeted and directly impacted like the community in Minnesota. This group will be a space for those who are seeking support to navigate the mental health impact of what they have experienced and witnessed as a result of I.C.E. activity. We will come together weekly to connect and support each other in processing the multitude of difficulties emerging from the grief of living with the presence of I.C.E. The intended aim of our time together is to foster compassion, care, and community so that you may develop effective coping skills and continue to live with lessened long-term negative effects of this current reality.
The group will be facilitated by licensed therapists, and the experience may feel therapeutic in nature. This experience should not be considered therapy or a replacement for therapeutic services. Any participant currently in therapy should consult with their provider to ensure that ongoing services will not be disrupted by participation in a support group.
All sessions will center Asian American lived experience—including model minority myth pressures, intergenerational dynamics, collectivist values, and the intersection of immigration status with mental health stigma. We'll use cultural lenses like community interdependence, ancestral resilience, and collective care to understand mental health concepts.
DURATION: 8 sessions
DATES: Wednesdays (2026) 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9 *subject to change
TIME: Eastern Time: 5:00 - 6:30PM
Central Time: 4:00 - 5:30PM
Mountain Time: 3:00 - 4:30PM
Pacific Time: 2:00 - 3:30PM
COST: Completely $Free; Donations appreciated.
Once registration is full, you may join the waitlist here.
Tentative Schedule of Session Topics
Week 1: Welcome & Connecting with Each Other
Week 2: What is Going On? Understanding Individual & Collective Trauma of Stress & Grief
Week 3: Living: Moment by Moment, Day by Day, Year by Year
Week 4: Connection: Relationships, Family, & Communities
Week 5: Where the Grief that has No Name Goes
Week 6: Under Pressure: Identity, Growth, & Belonging
Week 7: Narratives of Healing, Restoring, & Thriving
Week 8: Closing Our Time: To Leave Behind…To Carry Forward
Facilitators:
A. Bao, MS, LMFT
S. Vyas, LPC
Facilitator Bios:
S. Vyas is a Licensed Professional Counselor and founder of a private practice in Princeton, NJ serving adolescents, adults, couples, and families across NJ and PA. She specializes in working with daughters of immigrants and navigating bicultural identity, with a broader focus on anxiety, relationships, and intergenerational trauma. She has facilitated multiple workshops on topics including men’s mental health, in-law dynamics, neurodivergence, and relationships, and led a Summit workshop on intergenerational conversations.
A. Bao is a licensed marriage and family therapist with experience in medical provider education, group facilitation, and behavioral health strategy. She is positioned at the intersection of relationship/systems assessment, human-centered solutions, and anti-racism to foster growth in healthcare, education, and community care. Her collaborative approach is driven by empathic curiosity to support individuals in developing an enlightened sense of self.
Group size: Up to 20 participants
This group is right for you if:
- You are 18 years of age or older.
- You identify as Asian, Asian American, Multiracial (including Asian), or of Asian descent.
- You are willing to commit to 8 consecutive weeks of group work with consideration and respect for those also participating in this support group (1.5 hours).
- You, or a personal support has helped you identify a need for better understanding and regulation of your emotions.
- You are ready and willing to develop mutually beneficial relationships with others who share similarities as well as differing experiences.
- You are open to committing to the work of confronting your grief and healing from the impact I.C.E. activity.
- You are looking for a space to learn and practice new skills in a curious and non-judgmental environment.
This group is not right for you if:
- You are unsure about being able to attend most of the group sessions.
- You are participating out of obligation to someone else with no personal buy-in or interest in improving yourself.
- You are in a higher level of care or are being discharged from hospitalization/IOP/PHP, or are actively struggling with concerns around thoughts or behaviors of harming yourself or others.
About This Event
Once registration is full, you may join the waitlist here.
A free, 8-week emotional wellness support group for Asian Americans navigating anxiety and trauma related to I.C.E. activity.
The actions of I.C.E. over the years have sparked outrage, concern, and fear in many communities, especially amongst those who have been targeted and directly impacted like the community in Minnesota. This group will be a space for those who are seeking support to navigate the mental health impact of what they have experienced and witnessed as a result of I.C.E. activity. We will come together weekly to connect and support each other in processing the multitude of difficulties emerging from the grief of living with the presence of I.C.E. The intended aim of our time together is to foster compassion, care, and community so that you may develop effective coping skills and continue to live with lessened long-term negative effects of this current reality.
The group will be facilitated by licensed therapists, and the experience may feel therapeutic in nature. This experience should not be considered therapy or a replacement for therapeutic services. Any participant currently in therapy should consult with their provider to ensure that ongoing services will not be disrupted by participation in a support group.
All sessions will center Asian American lived experience—including model minority myth pressures, intergenerational dynamics, collectivist values, and the intersection of immigration status with mental health stigma. We'll use cultural lenses like community interdependence, ancestral resilience, and collective care to understand mental health concepts.
DURATION: 8 sessions
DATES: Wednesdays (2026) 10/21, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 11/18, 11/25, 12/2, 12/9 *subject to change
TIME: Eastern Time: 5:00 - 6:30PM
Central Time: 4:00 - 5:30PM
Mountain Time: 3:00 - 4:30PM
Pacific Time: 2:00 - 3:30PM
COST: Completely $Free; Donations appreciated.
Once registration is full, you may join the waitlist here.
Tentative Schedule of Session Topics
Week 1: Welcome & Connecting with Each Other
Week 2: What is Going On? Understanding Individual & Collective Trauma of Stress & Grief
Week 3: Living: Moment by Moment, Day by Day, Year by Year
Week 4: Connection: Relationships, Family, & Communities
Week 5: Where the Grief that has No Name Goes
Week 6: Under Pressure: Identity, Growth, & Belonging
Week 7: Narratives of Healing, Restoring, & Thriving
Week 8: Closing Our Time: To Leave Behind…To Carry Forward
Facilitators:
A. Bao, MS, LMFT
S. Vyas, LPC
Facilitator Bios:
S. Vyas is a Licensed Professional Counselor and founder of a private practice in Princeton, NJ serving adolescents, adults, couples, and families across NJ and PA. She specializes in working with daughters of immigrants and navigating bicultural identity, with a broader focus on anxiety, relationships, and intergenerational trauma. She has facilitated multiple workshops on topics including men’s mental health, in-law dynamics, neurodivergence, and relationships, and led a Summit workshop on intergenerational conversations.
A. Bao is a licensed marriage and family therapist with experience in medical provider education, group facilitation, and behavioral health strategy. She is positioned at the intersection of relationship/systems assessment, human-centered solutions, and anti-racism to foster growth in healthcare, education, and community care. Her collaborative approach is driven by empathic curiosity to support individuals in developing an enlightened sense of self.
Group size: Up to 20 participants
This group is right for you if:
- You are 18 years of age or older.
- You identify as Asian, Asian American, Multiracial (including Asian), or of Asian descent.
- You are willing to commit to 8 consecutive weeks of group work with consideration and respect for those also participating in this support group (1.5 hours).
- You, or a personal support has helped you identify a need for better understanding and regulation of your emotions.
- You are ready and willing to develop mutually beneficial relationships with others who share similarities as well as differing experiences.
- You are open to committing to the work of confronting your grief and healing from the impact I.C.E. activity.
- You are looking for a space to learn and practice new skills in a curious and non-judgmental environment.
This group is not right for you if:
- You are unsure about being able to attend most of the group sessions.
- You are participating out of obligation to someone else with no personal buy-in or interest in improving yourself.
- You are in a higher level of care or are being discharged from hospitalization/IOP/PHP, or are actively struggling with concerns around thoughts or behaviors of harming yourself or others.