Healing Out Lao'd

This episode features a conversation between creator/host Rita Phetmixay and the talented Lao American musician and family woman, Lina V Luangrath. During this episode, Lina reflects on her experiences of growing up in an impoverished Lao/BIPOC community in Rockford, Illinois + overcoming domestic violence + finding inner liberation thru music,  & meeting Lao ancestors for the first time.   To...

Episode 29 features creator/host Rita Phetmixay with special guests Seraphina Lotkhamnga, Joy Ngaosivath, and Carole Chainon. Together, they dialogue and reflect on what it means to be daughters of Lao refugees who uniquely embody intergenerational ancestral strength. GUEST BIOs: Seraphina Lotkhamnga is Sr. Creative Manager of Sync at Nettwerk Music Group and has been in the music industry for ove...

Episode 28 features three out of the four Phetmixay siblings: David, Rita, and Joseph Phetmixay, who come together to reflect on how this pandemic has impacted each individually and how family conflict & reconciliation have helped drive closer ties between each other. Together, they discuss ways on how to best support one another and make it through COVID-19 as they all live worlds apart. ----...

E27 features Joseph Phetmixay, baby brother to Rita Phetmixay AND youngest sibling of the Phetmixay family! Not only is Joseph the youngest child, he’s also the youngest guest on HOL and here to rep all the Lao GEN Z folx out there!!  Rita gets to interview Joseph and explore his personal experiences of growing up as a Lao American high school kid in the south during the onset of political rising/...

On behalf of the Laotian American National Alliance , creator/host Rita Phetmixay of Healing Out Lao’d was invited to be a part of a virtual launch event hosted by SEARAC + partners on March 25, 2021. This audio recording captured SEARAC’s debrief of their new report titled: "The Right to Heal: Southeast Asian American Mental Health in California,” which highlights both the challenges and the...

Healing Out Lao’d SZN 2.0 launches part two of the Lao Sibling Reconciliation episode, which explores the direct impact of saving face, vulnerability and building compassion. Facilitated by Wanda Pathomrit, this intimate conversation between HOL creator/host Rita and her older brother (Aiy David) further explores the questions of what it means to protect your family’s name/reputation, breaking fre...

HAPPY RELAUNCH DAY P’NONG/FAMILY!!! Healing Out Lao’d SZN 2.0 is finally here!!!  In this first relaunch episode, creator/host Rita Phetmixay engages in a (part 1) in a deeply personal and heartfelt conversation with her big brother David, facilitated by big sis Wanda Pathomrit. Together, they dialogue on the impact of gender roles, birth order, and parentification while growing up as children of...

#COVID19 SERIES, E2: GONJI LEE For our second episode of #COVID19 series, HOL invites Gonji Lee to speak about their experiences as a mental health practitioner based Los Angeles, CA. Gonji identifies as a trauma and resiliency-informed, cognitive behavioral therapist, educator, and community organizer. They’re also a bookworm and music junkie who enjoys being an introvert at home with a bag of xx...

E24.2: MOTHER X DAUGHTER RECONCILIATION PART 2 Introducing part 2 of the Mother x Daughter Reconciliation Episode! This conversation is mediated by the one and only Wanda Pathomrit! Mother and daughter (Vilavanh and Rita) process what it means to be a “good daughter” from each of their viewpoints, what it’s like to grow up in two separate cultural value systems, and how they both will move forward...

E24.1: MOTHER X DAUGHTER RECONCILIATION PART 1 For this Mother’s Day, listen to HOL creator/host Rita reconcile the complicated relationship she has with her mother: Vilavanh Phetmixay! Throughout this episode, you will learn about the difficulty of raising children as a refugee mother in a new culture other than the one you knew and what it means to find forgiveness and move on beyond the pain an...

#COVID19 SERIES, E1: Jennifer Xyooj on mask making + wellness practices from a public health lens HOL would like to present to you the first episode of our #COVID19 series! In this series, we invite trusted friends/colleagues in a variety of different fields (i.e. public health, social work, etc.) to share their experiences of navigating this global pandemic and some important wellness recommendat...

SZN 2 Trailer Episode flow:  SZN 2 inspiration... SZN 2 themes to look forward to... SZN 2 relevance during COVID-19 pandemic... ---------- Please leave HOL a 5-star rating and a positive review to help this space flourish!!! KOP JAIII LAI DERRR P'NONG!!! (THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FAM!) ---------- REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE: Lao New Year Thai New Year COVID-19 Pandemic  JOIN THE COMMUNITY: Join t...

In this wrap-up episode of HOL, Rita reflects with big sis and HOL advisor, Wanda Pathomrit, on the hardships and successes of season one! They chat about the initial expectations of HOL, what sacrifices were made in order to sustain this space, the type of feedback from listeners that shifted how content was delivered and finally touched upon some of the overall themes of fatherhood, interpersona...

MEET HOL GUEST: VILAVANH PHETMIXAY AKA “MOM”  In BONUS episode 22 of HOL, Vilavanh aka “MOM” joins Rita for a conversation about secretly eloping to the U.S. with Peter at the young age of 22 and asking her family in Thailand for forgiveness much later, as they were not aware of her escape plan or her whereabouts. Since then, Vilavanh has since built a life of her own in the U.S., becoming a succe...

MEET HOL GUEST: KULAP VILAYSACK In part two of episode 21 of HOL, Kulap dives deeper into her career in entertainment and Hollywood where she began in fashion/sales merchandise, then later transitioned to improv, comedy, acting, podcasting, writing, directing, and now showrunning! She also explores how her time in Los Angeles not only allowed her to heal from interpersonal family trauma, but also...

MEET HOL GUEST: KULAP VILAYSACK In part one of episode 21 of HOL, Kulap joins Rita for a conversation about how she created Laos Angeles, a community-based organization made up of the diaspora from Laos in Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Not only has Kulap found a passion for organizing such space, but shares about many other national Lao/tian diaspora orgs. This provides a truthful lens to o...

MEET HOL GUEST: LEE MUN WAH In episode 20 of HOL, Lee Mun Wah joins Rita for a conversation about the multifaceted experiences of his journey as a Chinese American man from Oakland, CA. After losing his mother from a fatal gun shooting, Mun Wah began his journey of confronting issues of racism and social injustices through workshops/trainings and eventually founded the StirFry Seminars and Consult...

Listen to Sharon facilitate a practice tip on exploring vegan (Lao) food and/or what it means to transition into a vegan lifestyle!!! EPISODE OVERVIEW: I: Practicing Gratitude II: Tips on Veganism III: Lao food that is already vegan IV: More tips on vegan Lao food V: Close --------- Check out the corresponding conversation between Rita and Sharon titled: “ E19: Sharon Daraphonhdeth on environmenta...

MEET HOL GUEST: SHARON DARAPHONHDETH In episode 19 of HOL, Sharon joins Rita for a conversation about her upbringing as a Lao kid in San Diego with a large Lao community and her dad as her best friend. Later, she dives deep into her work as an environmental justice and sustainability activist, which has landed her in current role as the Director of the Student Environmental Resource Center (SERC)...

MEET HOL GUEST: CAROLE CHAINON In episode 18 of HOL, Carole joins Rita for a conversation about what it was like to grow up as part of the Lao diaspora in Paris, France and how speaking multiple languages was pretty normal for her as a kid. Later, she addresses the nuances of meeting other folx in the Asian/Lao diaspora in Hawaii that empowered her to grapple with her own Lao/tian identity and eve...

Listen to LinSun facilitate a simple breathing with intention and activating chakras meditation!!! Check out the corresponding conversation between Rita and LinSun titled: E17: Linda “LinSun” Simthong on embodying great grandma’s spirit + educating youth of color in Belmont, NC + creating “School of Jai" --------- TAKE THE LISTENER SURVEY! (10 min)  --------- SUPPORT HOL: 1. Please subscribe,...

MEET HOL GUEST: LINDA “LINSUN” SIMTHONG In episode 17 of HOL, Linda aka “LinSun” joins Rita for a conversation about what it’s like to embody her great grandma’s spirit and speaks about her upbringing in a predominantly Black/Brown and Lao community space in Belmont, NC. Her Belmont home became a “community center” for Black/Brown youth to learn about political education and was also a site for La...

Listen to Tony spit some bars thru his newly first public reading of his new poem called "Khao Mah" or "Come In" !!!  Check out the corresponding conversation between Rita and Tony titled: E16: Tony Innouvong on being a conduit for Lao familial legacies + creating “Het Dee Dai Dee” brand + mom as inspiration --------- TAKE THE LISTENER SURVEY! (10 min)  --------- FULL VERSE HER...

MEET HOL GUEST: TONY INNOUVONG In episode 16 of HOL, Tony joins Rita for a conversation about being a conduit for Lao familial legacies through his tie business-- from which he creates with Lao textiles call “sinh”. From there, Tony shares how his mom is his motivation and how he hopes to pay her back so she can live a life similar to the one she’s built for him. He drives this energy into various...

Suzette is a former classical ballet dancer, and was trained to understand the ways of the body and under strict tutelage from the age of 16, to practice yoga and Pilates as part of her daily schedule and has been so for over 40 years now. Suzette began teaching classical ballet using these technics while still in the middle of her performing career. Suzette has worked with diverse demographic gro...