Today we’d like to introduce you to Mi Nguyen.
Hi Mi, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Hello readers, my name is Mi Nguyen, or Mimi is fine too. I was born and raised in Houston to Vietnamese immigrant parents, in which, I am the only member in my family to be born in America. Growing up, it was always a constant inner battle and finding the right balance of how to appease my parents as the perfect Vietnamese daughter, but also trying to adapt and embrace what it is to be an American as well. Ever since I was a child, I dreamed of being a doctor, and subconsciously, I knew that becoming one would make my parents extremely proud. However, as I got older, I realized that a big part of me wanting to pursue that dream was making me miserable on the inside, but I wasn’t ready to face the disappointment my parents would feel when I told them that it wasn’t what I wanted… at least not anymore. Looking back, I know a lot of Asian Americans can relate to that experience. Especially with knowing that the worst feeling is the look of disappointment when your parents dream something for you, but that dream isn’t something that makes you happy.
After graduating from undergraduate, I took a semester off to get work experience with the intention of finding my passion and purpose. In doing so, I met a lot of people who really inspired me to chase something that I could see myself doing for the rest of my life; to no surprise, that ended up in the field of psychology and counseling. Mental health was something that always intrigued me, but I never thought I would be in the shoes of someone giving the counseling. I am a strong believer in things happening for a reason, and once I was able to find my reason, everything started piecing itself together.
What led me to where I am today was a few years ago, I was working in a special education classroom where the majority of the children were non-verbal and/or diagnosed with Autism. On the first day there, I knew I found my true calling. Though there were many days that were tough, it was the most rewarding job I had ever worked. It made me realize that there are so many things in life I took for granted and did not even know it. I could not even begin to describe all the things that those children taught me without them even knowing it. While I know that my time in their lives was only a tiny portion of their forever, the impact that they left on me was priceless.
Though it seems like finding a new passion was easy, the hardest part was still facing my parents who were unaware of what mental health truly meant. However, what kind of therapist was I going to be if I did not practice what I preached. Eventually, I was able to find courage to tell and explain to my parents what a therapist is and the intricacies of the mental health world (at least as best as I could). I think at first, they were both confused why I would give up being a doctor to be a professional listener, but I was determined to show them why mental health matters, especially in our community. Needless to say, after many conversations (nice ones and not so nice ones), I can happily say that now, my parents have come to understand what my career means to me and why I love it so much.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t think anything is ever truly a smooth road, even when it seems like it it will be one. How does one know true success when they haven’t failed? My biggest obstacle has always been myself. It took me years to build up not only confidence in myself, but confidence in my craft and skills that I can share with others in their healing journey. Even till this day, there will be some days when I struggle with myself, but I know that a part of getting better is growing through those struggles. And if you know me, you know that these are the struggles I call ‘growing pains.’
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am currently an LPC associate at All Us We Counseling. I specialize in working with children, adolescents, and individuals with Autism, as well as, Asian American Identity. Growing up, because mental health was not something spoken about at all in my community, I never saw therapists who looked like me. Now, I am striving to break down stigmas and barriers by embracing my culture with building up a supportive community that can support one another.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
One thing that may not be known about me is that I recently started up an Autism Parents Support Group. I hope that by doing so, I can reach parents who want to be a part of a community where they can connect with other parents who go through similar struggles and experiences.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://alluswecounseling.com/bio/mi-nguyen/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alluswecounseling/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/mi-nguyen-houston-tx/1322740
