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Therapy Chat

527: A Decolonized Perspective On Attachment Theory with Linda Thai

Therapy Chat

Laura Reagan, LCSW-C

Social Sciences, Health & Fitness, Science, Mental Health

4.4762 Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2026

⏱️ 73 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

What if our understanding of human connection is missing the very ground beneath our feet? This week I welcomed back my friend and colleague Linda Thai as she challenges Western psychology and offers a decolonized lens on attachment theory, moving beyond individual dynamics to explore how intergenerational trauma is inextricably linked to our displacement from land and culture.


Linda is a former child refugee from Vietnam who, with her family, took refuge in Australia during the Vietnam War and is now based in Alaska. From the indigenous wisdom of Alaska to the historical echoes of the Great Irish Migration, Linda illustrates how "grief is the great metabolizer" and why true secure attachment requires reclaiming the ancestral rituals and land-based practices that modernity has stripped away. Join us for an essential conversation on rediscovering our place within the larger metabolistic web of life to foster collective healing and authentic cultural reclamation.


Linda Thai, LMSW is an internationally-regarded trauma expert who understands the wounds of war, refugitude, and migration, and the lingering imprints of authoritarianism, military occupation, and colonialism echoed through generations. Trained across multiple modalities for the healing of complex developmental trauma, her teaching is infused with empathy, storytelling, humor, research, practical tools, applied knowledge, and experiential wisdom.


Learn more about Linda and her work via her website: linda-thai.com


Resources for Therapists and Helping Professionals:


Therapists, visit the new For Therapists page on the Trauma Therapist Network website for discounts on CE trainings, save $1000 on Synthesis Institute's May 2026 Psychedelic Facilitation training, other recommended resources and more. Registration for the May training closes on May 11th so hurry and register to take advantage of this amazing offer!


Therapists and mental health professionals: I created a FREE video to help you feel more confident in supporting survivors of sexual violence in an embodied and trauma sensitive manner. Check it out here


Therapists - if you're ready to allow yourself to be held in nature with a community of like-minded therapists, my Mind, Body + Soul Healing Retreat for Therapists in Tulum, Mexico is here. November/December dates are on the website now! Sign up for my email list to stay up to date on this year's Tulum retreat and future retreats in the US and in beautiful international locations.


Also, new members are being accepted in the Trauma Therapist Network membership community now. I facilitate 4 live calls per month. We have a new membership tier - check out everything included in TTN membership and choose the tier fits your needs! You can upgrade or downgrade your membership at any time. Learn more and apply here. And Sue is going to be a special guest on our Learning Calls in May, June and July! Learn from her for free and gain so much more as a TTN member.


Watch Therapy Chat episodes on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TherapyChatPodcast


Find a trauma therapist near you via findtraumatherapy.com! We believe that trauma is real, healing is possible and help is available at Trauma Therapist Network. 


TherapyNotes® is the highest-rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health professionals. Its all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice, from connecting with clients via secure messages, to scheduling, to notes, to billing, and more; you can trust TherapyNotes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service. It's beyond easy to get help over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives. The best time to give TherapyNotes a try is now! Sign up for your free trial by going to TherapyNotes.com, clicking "Start my free trial", and accessing your first two months free with the promo code CHAT. See why TherapyNotes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today.


Thank you for listening to Therapy Chat! Please be sure to go to iTunes and leave a rating and review, subscribe and download episodes.


Find my most frequently recommended resources for learning about trauma here - includes recommended books and trainings.

Get my free PDF 5 Common Mistakes People Make When Searching For A Trauma Therapist here!

Love Therapy Chat? Subscribe + Leave a rating and review on Apple podcasts to help more people find the show!


Podcast produced by Vaudeo Productions - https://vaudeoproductions.com



Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Therapy Notes is the highest rated EHR, practice management, and billing software for mental health

0:05.1

professionals. It's all-in-one platform is designed to streamline all aspects of your practice,

0:10.2

from connecting with clients via secure messages to scheduling, notes, billing, and more.

0:15.0

You can trust Therapy Notes has you covered. And one of the best parts? 24-7 customer service

0:20.3

with a live person. It's beyond easy to get help

0:23.1

over the phone or by email at any time of day from their knowledgeable and friendly representatives.

0:27.9

The best time to give Therapy Notes a try is now. Sign up for your free trial by going to

0:32.2

TherapyNotes.com, clicking Start My Free Trial, and accessing your first two months free with the promo code chat.

0:38.6

CY Therapy Notes is the most trusted EHR for behavioral health professionals today.

0:43.5

Therapists, ready to stop just listening and start doing?

0:46.8

I offer several ways to work with me and accelerate your trauma expertise.

0:50.6

You can join my Trauma Therapist Network membership community for ongoing support, book a one-on-one

0:55.6

clinical consultation with me for personalized guidance, or buy my course for clinicians on supporting

1:00.8

survivors of sexual trauma, and check out the retreats coming up in 2026. All that info and more is on

1:07.0

the four therapists page of Trauma Therapist Network, and you can find a link in the show notes.

1:11.8

Therapy Chat Podcasts, Episode 527.

1:16.3

This is the Therapy Chat Podcast with Laura Reagan, LCSWC.

1:22.7

The information shared in this podcast is not a substitute for seeking help from a licensed mental health professional.

1:30.3

And now, here's your host, Laura Reagan, LCSWC. Hi, welcome back to therapy chat.

1:55.0

I'm your host, Laura Reagan.

1:57.1

And today I'm so thrilled to be bringing you a new conversation with my dear friend and respected

2:04.5

colleague Linda Tai. You have heard Linda on therapy chat before. She's a therapist, speaker,

...

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