A Diaspora Experience
By Dr. Shirin Zarqa-Lederman
Somewhere between here, there, and everywhere, there are stories worth telling.
A Diaspora Experience is a collection of personal essays exploring the intersections of faith, family, psychology, liberation, diaspora and belonging. Some reflections draw on the stories we inherit and the relationships we navigate. Others question what psychology has taught us about healing, resilience, and adapting to circumstances we probably shouldn't have to adapt to in the first place. And then there is diaspora itself; the complicated business of belonging to more than one place, carrying memories that aren't entirely our own, and trying to make sense of identity, home, and everything in between.
These essays are part personal reflection, part professional curiosity, and occasionally an attempt to find a little humor in the absurdity of it all. I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I've enjoyed writing them. And perhaps, somewhere along the way, you'll find a little something of yourself in these stories, too.
Have You Tried Deep Breathing While the World Falls Apart?
We've developed an impressive vocabulary for managing distress. We regulate, reframe, practice acceptance, establish routines, challenge negative thoughts, and remind ourselves to focus on what we can control. These are useful tools, and I use many of them in my own practice. But I sometimes wonder whether our enthusiasm for coping has distracted us from asking a more uncomfortable question: What exactly are we helping people cope with, and who benefits when they become better at tolerating it?