Dana Wang

Background

About Dana Wang

My love of deep conversations with people drove me to become a psychiatrist. I am passionate about shedding new light to the hidden corners of our feelings. My journey began when I was born in China and came to the US with my family as a 12-year-old girl, not knowing a word of English. What awaited me was the challenging experience of living in a new country completely different from what I knew, overcoming financial hardship, becoming the only person in my family who speaks fluent English, reconciling both cultures and wrestling with my identity as an Asian American in my teen years and beyond. In my immigrant experience, I became deeply curious about our inner world and the connections between people. This curiosity led me to choose psychiatry as a specialty at a time when the field of mental health was—and still is—very stigmatized in Asian culture. I co-founded Rivia Mind to address the needs in the community after completing my training. This comprehensive outpatient mental health practice focuses on expanding access so that good treatment is readily available and affordable. But what I witnessed is that more is needed. Too many of us are suffering because of the shame and stigma of having to attend to our mental health, and the price of lives to pay is too high. At the heart of it, it starts with our families. There lies so much heartache but also many opportunities for healing. Currently, I am working on a book to promote a better understanding of inter-generational trauma and family conflict, particularly in the Asian American experience. Follow my progress here: