Lunar New Year Celebration Coincides With Five-Year Anniversary of the Asian Mental Health Program at William James College

The genesis of the Asian Mental Health Program (AMHP) at William James College and where it stands today are topics Director Catherine Vuky, PhD, has been reflecting on of late. Touted as the first-of-its-kind program upon its inception in February 2020, the AMHP remains the nation’s sole training program in clinical graduate psychology focused exclusively on the mental health needs of individuals who identify as Asian—the fastest growing racial minority group in the United States.

“I never could have foreseen where we would be today,” says Vuky, calling the timing surrounding the program’s debut nothing short of bittersweet. 

“The sharp rise in anti-Asian hate that came in the very early days of the COVID-19 pandemic yielded equally unfortunate and fortunate outcomes,” says Vuky, citing the influx of individuals being unfairly targeted as ultimately giving rise to a wealth of resources aimed at reducing barriers and increasing access to mental health services for this population. At William James College, this moment translated to a parallel emphasis on recruiting and training graduate psychology students with the knowledge and skills required to meet the mental health needs of culturally diverse individuals, families and communities.  

“I felt like I was standing alone as a Filipino-identifying clinician,” says Gladys Khem Quinlan, a 2018 graduate of the William James College Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Her time spent working in the field—both as a clinical care manager at St. Vincent’s and as an inpatient clinician at Monte Nido Walden (formerly Walden Behavioral Care)—left her feeling as if she was going it alone when it came to providing culturally-competent care to her patients.  

 In early 2020, Quinlan’s lived experience came to include being referred to as “part of the problem”, a painful moment from which she chose to grow. At the urging of Allyson Cherkasky, PhD Director, Health and Behavioral Medicine Area of Emphasis, she decided to pursue another degree with high hopes of turning the tide for others in her wake. Since enrolling in the AMHP, this once-bleak picture has slowly but surely begun to evolve.

“I feel seen in the William James College community,” says Quinlan, a fourth year Clinical Psychology doctoral student who is raising a family while pursuing her studies. While returning to the classroom took courage, her experience during the pandemic—of being lumped into a group rather than recognized as an individual—served as an invaluable impetus to continue the work in which she remains personally and professionally invested. 

“I am so honored to be a part of this concentration, this family, with access to an entire community of individuals doing important work,” says Quinlan, underscoring a little-known fact: The term Asian American (coined in 1968 to unify folks of common descent for political purposes) is inclusive of individuals with origins in one of 48 countries. From east to west, this spans Japan to Turkey; from north to south, it encompasses all of Russia to Indonesia—close to 5,000 miles in either direction.

“These are the types of conversations currently unfolding in the classroom, about the unique as well as common aspects of our cultures,” says Vuky, nodding to the Introduction to Asian Cultures: The Asian Experience in the United States, a course open to any student at any stage planning to enter the AMHP. A concurrent conversation centers on the dearth of practitioners needed to meet the diverse mental health needs of immigrants across the country, including Massachusetts. 

“The stigma surrounding behavioral health services is dissipating among the Asian community and giving rise to another challenge,” says Vuky, nodding to the two-year waiting list at her clinical practice at South Cove Community Health Center, the premier health organization providing primary care to the Asian Communities in the Greater Boston Area. While she and her colleagues offer services in various languages—including Vietnamese, Mandarin and Cantonese—that’s not the only thing driving folks to their door.

“Immigrants feel seen here,” says Vuky of a space filled with artwork reflecting the diversity of experience among those who visit. This single intention, to make folks feel welcome, resonates deeply with Quinlan.

The diverse extended community to which she now belongs will take center stage at the campus-wide Lunar New Year Celebration on Saturday, February 8th from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM ET. Join in the fun of International food and drink (including Filipino favorites lumpia and empanadas); a traditional Lion Dance (performed to bring good fortune and ward off evil spirits); traditional Filipino dancing (by Iskwelahang Pilipino of Boston); plus children’s activities, photo ops, and chances to win prizes.

For the second year in a row, Quinlan will don a baro't saya—the traditional women’s skirt and blouse of the Philippines—during the crowd favorite fashion show; her son, attired in a men’s barong tagalog, will join her. Both outfits, crafted from piña cloth (hand-woven using fibers from the leaves of pineapple plants) reflect the country’s Spanish Colonial Era and its lingering influence.

 Lunar New Year—known as “Spring Festival” throughout China and “Chinese New Year” in Singapore, Malaysia, and Brunei—is celebrated in Asian communities around the world. In 2025, it falls on Wednesday, January 29th and commences the Year of the Wood Snake, a symbol of wisdom, elegance, and intuition.

Amidst the festivities, Vuky will share a PowerPoint presentation detailing student accomplishments—from dissertation projects and published papers to expanding the conversation surrounding racism and discrimination to include materials in Arabic—as well as program milestones, spanning the past five years; four students, including Quinlan, will share reflections on what participating in the Asian Mental Health Program has meant to them and how it fuels their why going forward.

For Quinlan, that answer is simple: Making sure individuals are heard, seen, and understood.

“This occurs by bridging cultural gaps in understanding and includes acknowledging and addressing cultural nuances,” says Quinlan who highlights the importance of family and community support as integral to thriving—something particularly evident during an AMHP immersion trip to Vietnam in July 2024. 

 “We were warmly welcomed and accepted into the fold, [evidence that] family and cross-cultural community was and continues to be the main theme.” 

While advocating for the Asian population remains an integral part of the AMHP’s future, Vuky has no idea what that will look like going forward— a fact she’s more than comfortable admitting. 

“After 25 years in the field, I see myself as a facilitator more than anything else,” says Vuky. “It is the students  who will continue to determine the direction of this program.”

How to Get Involved in the Asian Mental Health Program at William James College

The Asian Mental Health Concentration is open to students enrolled in the Clinical Psychology and Leadership Psychology PsyD programs; the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Master’s program; and the MA/CAGS in School Psychology program. For more information, email Catherine_Vuky@williamjames.edu. 

 

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