Adoptees, Asian Diaspora, and the Trauma That Hides in Plain Sight

Adoptees, Asian Diaspora, and the Trauma That Hides in Plain Sight with Kellan, Kai Ming Holistics (IICT).

Many adoptees and those in the Asian diaspora carry forms of trauma that don’t always look like trauma — showing up instead as perfectionism, people-pleasing, or the pressure to succeed and belong. Beneath this often lies a deeper story of early separation, cultural disconnection, and intergenerational survival.

In this talk, Kellan weaves personal experience alongside somatic insight and experiential practice to explore how these layered experiences shape the nervous system, identity, and sense of self. With compassion and honesty, they offer a space to better understand the overlooked body’s role in trauma — and a pathway toward moving beyond survival patterns into greater authenticity, self acceptance, and true belonging.

Kellan is a queer, neurodivergent, transracial adoptee from China. They work integratively with adoptees and queer clients to address deep-rooted trauma beyond the reach of traditional talk therapy, through their practice, Kai Ming Holistics (IICT).