Written by JANE NO, MEGAN TAN
“Thinking Allowed” is a three part series set to release each week on the YourPlace Therapy Blog. Each part is told from the perspective of three different generations on their journey of connection between a grandmother, mother and daughter. Each character is characterized with their own distinct struggles, like age related anxieties or problems with filial piety, that they find difficult to express to others. Yet, connection can also be found through their shared struggles of loneliness and disconnection. The three leading women are in different stages in their lives to cater to an audience at almost any age. Even if you do not find yourself relating to one story, you might see yourself in another or even just to see something from a different perspective.
The title “Thinking Allowed” is a play on words on the phrase “thinking aloud” and meant to express both meanings.
All the stories are all written in the third person omniscient point of view. The narrator and therefore the reader has access to all the character’s thoughts and feelings. Since the readers have insight into the inner workings of the characters’ minds, it’s as if the characters are thinking aloud. Readers that find themselves empathizing or even sympathizing with these experiences can see that they are allowed to think and feel that way.
Many people, especially those in the AAPI community, find it hard to express their thoughts aloud or feel that they are not allowed to express them. In many cultures it is seen as a weakness to express your struggles and is labeled as shameful to share familial issues with people outside of your family. Through the story, we hope to express to the audience that there is nothing shameful about the way they think or feel. Their thoughts are allowed and encouraged to be shared aloud to those at YourPlace Therapy.
YourPlace Therapy recently started a summer internship program targeting an overarching theme of generational differences within the AAPI community across different generations, and how those differences and the summertime can happen to overlap. With this theme, YourPlace Therapy interns intend to provide a sense of familiarity and resonance with viewers and readers, with AAPI families as our target audience.
As part of this program, we will cover multiple themes in this blog, often blending them together. For example, we'll address motifs like food and language barriers, exploring how they impact the community's everyday lives.
We look forward to sharing our stories and experiences with you throughout this series.
Are you struggling to bridge the gap and foster healthier relationships across generations and don't know who to speak to? You're not alone.
Reach out to YourPlace Therapy and get the support you need to get started.
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