How CYC supports AAPI youth mental health
For over five decades, CYC has walked alongside San Francisco’s young people, especially those navigating the layered complexities of AAPI identity.
This May, as we reflect on AAPI Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month, we are reminded how deeply culture and care must intertwine to support healing across generations.
Mental health challenges in AAPI communities often unfold in silence. Success may mask struggle; physical symptoms may hide emotional pain. For too many youth, there are few places where they can share their feelings without fear or misunderstanding. At CYC, we believe that true healing begins when young people are seen fully—through the lens of their own culture, family, and dreams.
Meeting youth where they are
CYC Health & Wellness programs are designed to bridge those silent spaces. Through bilingual therapy, school-based counseling, and family-centered support, we create pathways for emotional well-being that respect the cultural realities of our youth.
Dr. Chen, a longtime CYC clinician, recalls working with a student who quietly carried the weight of competing hopes—his parents’ dreams on one side, his own aspirations on the other. Over time, therapy became a space where both loyalties could coexist, and where expressing vulnerability became an act of strength.
“Watching both him and his parents grow was a reminder of what happens when emotional support is offered with cultural care,” says Dr. Chen.
A journey of understanding
For behavioral health clinician Yue Li, the path to this work was personal as well. Once a journalist in China, Yue immigrated to the United States, navigating a new language, culture, and identity. With guidance from mentors like Dr. Woo, she found herself drawn to the power of emotional support—first for herself, then for others.
“Many AAPI youth just want to be seen and understood,” Yue reflects. “They’re carrying pressure—from society, from family, from themselves. Therapy becomes a place where they can breathe.”
Yue’s approach is quiet but powerful. She honors the courage it takes to speak—or to sit silently—in a therapy session. She sees each tentative step toward healing as a profound act of self-trust.
Creating spaces of belonging
At its heart, our youth mental health work is about belonging. It’s about telling young people that they are not alone, that their stories are valued, and that seeking help is not a weakness, but a testament to their strength.
This May, as part of Give in May, we invite our community to stand with our youth. Contributions to the campaign help fund peer-led wellness workshops, bilingual counseling, family therapy, and crisis support that speaks to the real needs of AAPI young people.
The work continues—quietly, steadily, powerfully. Every conversation, every breakthrough, every story matters.