Meet Joanne Lai

 

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joanne Lai. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Joanne, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

My personal journey has been profoundly shaped by my own experiences of juggling multiple identities, cultures, and the often overwhelming expectations that accompany them. This path led to a deeply personal exploration of resilience and self-acceptance.

I grew up in a multicultural household in Asia. My parents brought different traditions and languages into our home, while my education exposed me to another set of culture and language. This experience of diversity enriched my upbringing and taught me to adapt in variety of different environments. While I felt like I belonged to multiple cultures, I felt like I did not fully belong anywhere. This created a sense of insecurity about my place in the world around me. The skill of adaptability also became a survival skill that helped me feel safe. However, the more I adapted to fit into my environment and into the many different identities, I was finding myself constantly adapting to the expectations of those around me while suppressing my own desires and dreams. When we ignore ourselves long enough, it becomes really hard to know where to find that inner voice and how to learn to trust it. It became challenging to experience the sense of my own self.

Developing a deep connection with myself, especially through somatic practices, has been a gift to my journey of resilience. Allowing myself to settle into my body, listen to the messages it held, feeling the sensations and welcoming emotions have been an important starting point for me. I make intentional space for myself to have moments to close my eyes, take a deep breath, and tune into my body. In those moments, I may feel the tension in my shoulders, the tightness in my chest, and the swirling emotions in my abdomen. Instead of pushing these feelings aside, I allow myself to fully experience them. I remind myself that my body had been carrying my many identities and the expectations tied to them. I may engage in a gentle movement, allowing my body to guide me, to release some of that built-up tension. A wave of emotions may wash over me—grief for the moments I had neglected myself, but also a sense of liberation. Everyday, I commit to integrating my somatic practices into my daily routine. I make space for embodied mindfulness, movement, and reflection.

In addition to connection with myself, another equally important and inseparable part of reclaiming resilience is connection with others and having a safe community. Surrounding myself with supportive individuals and sharing my stories with others have fostered deep connections. Engaging with supportive groups provided me with a safe space to express my vulnerabilities and be with others who understood and accepted my journey. The sense of belonging in the safety of others reminded me that I am not alone, which nurtured my emotional well-being and helped me feel more capable in facing challenges. My nervous system feels more regulated when I feel connection with supportive others.

For me, resilience isn’t about being invincible; it’s about the ability to ebb and flow with life’s challenges. It’s perfectly OK to feel overwhelmed, to ride the emotional waves, and to ask for help when I need it. Resilience means embracing the full spectrum of my experiences and trusting in my ability to adapt and grow. These days, I embraced the notion that my multiple identities—mother, wife, therapist, immigrant, Chinese, Thai, Taiwanese—didn’t need to exist in conflict but could coexist harmoniously. I trust and know that my sense of self exists always.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a Licensed Psychotherapist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner with many years of education and trainings that I incorporate in my work with clients. I created Spiral & Bloom Embodiment Sanctuary to provide a safe and compassionate space where clients can deeply explore themselves, learn to build resilience, heal trauma, and move out of stuck places in their lives through somatic practices, embodied movement and psychotherapeutic tools. I firmly believe that healing is a holistic process, acknowledging that we are composed of multiple parts, identities, and selves. To truly experience wholeness, it is essential to invite and embrace every aspect of ourselves, bringing them into present awareness. My own personal lived experiences have cultivated a deep understanding of the multi-faceted identities and roles that individuals embody. As a therapist, I believe in creating a space where my clients feel seen and heard, without the burden of explaining themselves.

The Spiral & Bloom part of our practice’s name came from this belief that all of us are constantly and forever evolving. A spiral is a moving form that is never-ending. Bloom reflects the growth that occurs when we take the leap to support ourselves therapeutically. Embodiment is essentially the foundation of what we do–helping people find connection to themselves through body-based approaches. Sanctuary reflects the importance of creating safety in the space, the session and the relationship that client steps into when they enter our office.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

In this phase of my life, I am grateful for the gifts of embracing all parts of myself, feeling all of my feelings from an embodied place, and being present with myself while in relationship with others.

As a woman wearing many hats—therapist, mother, wife, and more—I continue to welcome every parts of myself. Some identities are easy to embrace, while others are challenging. Growth, for me, has shown up in my journey of accepting the full spectrum of who I am, especially those parts that feel hard to love. I’ve learned that acknowledging and integrating these difficult aspects allows me to cultivate a deeper compassion for myself.

Being able to feel all of my feelings from an embodied place fosters a deeper connection to myself, and cultivates a genuine self-awareness and acceptance of my internal landscape. Fully experiencing and embodying my emotions—whether joy, sadness, anger and everything in between—allows me to process and express them in a way that feels authentic and healthy for me. Every emotion is a valid part of my journey, and making space to feel and sense them has been liberating.

Staying present in relationships helps me to authentically show up as myself while maintaining a meaningful connection with others. This balance between internal awareness and external engagement is crucial; through a somatic lens, I’ve learned that being attuned to my own feelings and sensations enhances my ability to connect deeply with those around me. When I focus inward, I can better understand my needs and boundaries, which empowers me to engage fully and empathically with others. This dynamic not only fosters genuine relationships but also promotes a sense of harmony that enriches both my personal growth and my interactions with others.

How would you describe your ideal client?

My ideal client is someone who is genuinely curious about their inner world and eager to explore the connections between their mind and body. They approach therapy with an open heart and mind, ready to engage deeply in the process of self-discovery.

They value vulnerability and understand that sharing their struggles and joy is essential for meaningful healing. They appreciate the therapeutic relationship as a partnership, valuing collaboration and open communication. Together, we create a safe space where they can feel seen, heard, and supported on their journey toward greater self-awareness and empowerment.

Ultimately, my ideal client is committed to personal growth and is ready to embrace the transformative power of therapy, making them a perfect fit for the somatic approach I offer.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Nico Nelson (photographer)

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