Your new favorite wellness podcast!
“Wellness in Today’s World” with Dr. Debra Kawahara is the space to hear the latest insights in psychology, wellness trends, and everything in between. Hosted by APA President and California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) Associate Dean Dr. Debra Kawahara, each episode explores important topics with thought leaders and health experts. You’ll also hear compelling personal stories from the wellness community and Alliant University. Dr. Kawahara and her guests are ready to be a valuable resource for your mental health and well-being!
In this compelling episode of Wellness in Today’s World, psychotherapist, activist, and author Satsuki Ina reflects on intergenerational trauma, cultural identity, and the power of collective healing, drawing from her lived experience as a child born in a World War II incarceration camp and her decades of clinical and community work. Grounded in her memoir, The Poet and the Silk Girl, Ina shares how uncovering her parents’ letters and diaries illuminated both the depth of their suffering and the silence that shaped her upbringing, emphasizing how trauma is passed down not only through stories but through unspoken behaviors, embodied anxiety, and relational patterns.
The conversation explores the limitations of individual therapy in addressing collective trauma and highlights the importance of community-based healing practices, including storytelling, healing circles, and “compassionate witnessing,” as pathways to reclaim voice, identity, and agency. As part of Mental Health Awareness Month and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, this episode invites listeners to view mental health as both a personal and collective journey, encouraging them to honor their histories, engage in community healing, and stand as witnesses to injustice.
About Dr. Debra Kawahara
Debra M. Kawahara, PhD, is the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and a Distinguished Professor at the California School of Professional Psychology (CSPP) at Alliant University. She earned her BA in psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and holds a doctorate in clinical psychology from CSPP with a focus on multicultural and community psychology. In 2025, she became the first Asian American woman and the first Japanese American to serve as APA President.
About CSPP
Founded in 1969 as one of the nation’s first free-standing schools of professional psychology, CSPP has educated thousands of students who are now working professionals in clinical psychology, couples and family therapy, social work, and organizational psychology. Our degree programs prepare the next generation of mental health professionals and advocates to help improve access to quality care in every community.
CSPP is also well known for our powerful connections to the field of psychology and highly regarded faculty and alumni, both past and present. CSPP has a legacy of academic excellence and supporting a multicultural, diverse culture.
