Integrating Neurodivergence & Culture in an Empowered Therapy Practice with Nina

Today, host Kelly Higdon sits down with Nina, a psychologist based in Costa Mesa, California, for a deeply personal and powerful conversation. Nina shares her journey from an early dream of becoming a therapist to the challenges and triumphs of owning a private practice as a first-generation Vietnamese immigrant.

In this episode, Nina opens up about the loneliness she experienced while building her practice—especially without family support or role models who looked like her. She discusses how a recent revelation about her own neurodivergence, sparked by supporting her son through diagnoses of dyslexia, ADHD, and giftedness, has profoundly shifted both her self-understanding and her approach to therapy. Nina and Kelly explore the impact of intersectional identities, intergenerational trauma, and the resilience needed to create a practice that feels authentic amidst cultural expectations and stigma.

If you’ve ever felt like you didn’t belong, questioned your path as a clinician, or found your private practice mirroring your own healing journey, this episode will remind you that you’re not alone. Nina’s candid reflection and hard-earned wisdom offer encouragement for therapists navigating similar paths and demonstrate the transformative power of self-acceptance and community.

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Nina's Website: www.ocaapsych.com

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