Explore every episode of the podcast TCM Talk Therapy

Dampness is not just a physical pattern - it can show up as brain fog, overthinking, emotional heaviness, and that stuck, sluggish feeling you cannot shake.

We connect the dots between emotional blockage and the way dampness shows up differently in different bodies. Learn more about why worry, studying, and constant mental stimulation can create a “dam” in the system, why some people need more movement while others need more structure, and how letting go is often part of the healing in TCM and in mental health.

If you have been feeling heavy, foggy, numb, or mentally overloaded, this conversation offers a grounded and compassionate way to understand what your body may be asking for.

As summer wanes, many people find themselves feeling unusually fatigued and unwell. This post explores the concept of "dampness" in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and how it can impact our health, especially during the late summer months. We’ll discuss the symptoms of dampness, its causes, and how to manage it effectively to improve your well-being. We uncover what the difference is between a "want/need" and an "indulgence", and how cravings can actually contribute to more dampness.

Are you feeling the fiery chaos of summer taking a toll on your mind and body? This episode reveals the hidden signs of burnout before it fully hits—so you can intervene early and thrive instead of just surviving. This episode empowers you to recognize early warning signs, cultivate resilience, and embrace seasonal self-care. Whether you’re balancing work, relationships, or your own inner chaos, this is your guide to navigating burnout with clarity and calm.

We dive deep into how summer’s intense energy can drain your capacity and destabilize your mental, emotional, and physical health. Grace and Jen explore real stories from their practices, and share practical insights grounded in Chinese medicine and therapy. You’ll discover the seasonal patterns affecting your organs, the subtle cues your body gives when it’s out of balance, and the crucial difference between feeling ‘toasty’ and burnt out.

Perfect for anyone feeling drained, overwhelmed, or looking to optimize their health as summer peaks. Tune in to discover how gentle adjustments now can safeguard your wellbeing long-term. If you’re ready to be proactive instead of reactive, this episode will inspire you to flow like water through the chaos—in body, mind, and spirit.

Lastly, you’re welcome to join our first collaborative workshop on July 15th 2026! The in-person experience on how to use practical tips to care for yourself through depression and anxiety will be at Jen’s office in Pasadena. You'll learn gua sha techniques, create some arts & crafts, and spend restorative time getting to know yourself and others in a more holistic manner.

Sign up for the workshop HERE

Date: Wednesday, July 15 2026

Time: 10am-12pm

Location: 202 S Lake Ave, Suite 301, Pasadena, CA

All tools will be provided. Details provided in email after sign up.

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TCM Talk Therapy

Grace Chan

Jen Ng

In this episode, we explore the complex dynamics of being a millennial mother, or daughter, or both at the same time! Through the lens of TCM & Family Systems work, we process how motherhood and daughterhood affects how we care for our own mental and physical health. We talk about the common issues between mothers/daughters in millennials (caretakers - this is for you), the menopause-puberty link, and the truth of how to replenish your Earth element. We hope this episode brings you insight into offering more compassion, kindness, and hope towards the mothers and daughters in your life, or even your own ever-changing body.

In our second episode of the second season, we dive into a topic that's been on our hearts: the 'victim-mindset'. Through our clinical compassion and personal stories, we explore the profound connection between trauma, ownership, and healing. Let's learn more about how to move from being a victim into a survivor, and eventually: how can I thrive in spite of my trauma?

Follow us on Instagram:

Podcast: @TCMTalkTherapy

Grace: @thegracechan

Jen: @acu.by.jen

Season 2 is here!

As we shift from winter into spring, many of us feel a sudden surge of energy and motivation - so how do we harness this spring energy for the wellness of ourselves and our communities?

In this episode, we explore nervous system regulation through a mind-body-spirit lens. We break down the concept of moving from “yin” (winter) to “yang” (spring). And we share different ways of how to channel the season of rest, nourishment, and conservation, into the spring season of energy and inspiration.

Connect with us on Instagram:

TCM Talk Therapy

Jen Ng

Grace Chan

In this episode, Jen speaks with Jiaming Ju, a second-generation Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner and founder of Kun Health, to examine autoimmune conditions through a TCM framework. They discuss why autoimmune disorders are more commonly observed in women and children and break down the underlying mechanisms of autoimmunity from a TCM perspective. The conversation explores how immune dysfunction is closely linked to the regulation of the digestive system and the nervous system, and how the imbalances in these systems can contribute to disease. The episode also covers the roles of genetics, kidney essence (jing) and the aging process in shaping long-term immune health.

Instagram: @byjiamingju

Website: kunhealth.com

Since Leo's episode was the most referred-to episode with Grace's clients, Grace has invited Leo back into the studio for Leo a solo conversation. Together, they cover topics close to their hearts: connection and emotional vulnerability, gendered experiences and expectations, and what it means to be a man that's in the process of healing.

Leo Xia, aka Lowhi, is a Los Angeles-based men’s mental health facilitator who facilitates weekly men's support groups through Proud Asian Men and Asian Mental Health Project.

Leo created these spaces to combat the global male loneliness epidemic and to support men in creating the life that they dream of through emotional intelligence and communication.

Follow Leo and his work on Instagram:

@lowhiofficial

@proudasianmen

@asianmentalhealthproject

It's Season 1.5 of TCM Talk Therapy (we're figuring out S2 and still felt compelled to make a couple of episodes!)

Have you recently been feeling anxious about the future? Struggling with relationship and community? Wanting to find the good in the fall, where grief feels closer than ever? In this conversation, Grace and Jen reflect on their busy summer, discussing personal updates and the transitions they are experiencing as they move into fall. They explore themes of burnout, self-care, and the importance of awareness and reflection during seasonal changes.

We have another episode with Master Face Reader and Acupuncturist--Remee Gemo! Starting off with a ‘hot take’, our episode covers how we interpret Asian beauty standards. In the episode we explore questions like: How does a nose job might make you less independent and less wealthy? How has "it girl" features changed over time and how do they shape us? Why does your definition of beauty matter?

Remee L . Gemo is a professional face reader, acupuncturist, energy healer and intuitive from Chesterfield, VA. She is the owner of Empress Acupuncture and founder of the Energy Medicine Center. Remee is the innovator of R.E.M.I. Healing Arts and L.I.F.T. method of facial rejuvenation. She does face readings for people from all over the globe, online and in person. Remee offers a Professional Face Reading certification program and her REMI Healing Arts program. She is also an encaustic artist specializing in aura portraits. In her free time she likes to hang out with her pups Charlie and Lilit, make art, and practice internal martial arts.

To learn more about Remee you can visit her websites and IG:

energymedicine.center

empressacupuncture.com

Instagram: @facereaderremee

In this episode, we get the opportunity to interview Grace Chon—an established animal photographer. We discuss her journey throughout her dynamic career paths, how she was able to stay true to creative self despite the cultural expectations that were set for her to be in the medical field, and how she discovered different healing modalities along the way to live a healthier pace of life.

Grace Chon has an exceptional ability to explain spiritual energy in a very practical and logical sense. Together, the three of us discuss what energy means, how it applies to sense of self, and how we all can reframe our mindset to promote a positive foundation for self-growth and compassion for understanding others.

Grace Chon is the author of Puppy Styled and Waggish. She and her work have been featured by Good Morning America, The Today Show, The Bark magazine, Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and Oprah. Her new book, "What Kind of Dog is That?" is out now for pre-order. It's a book featuring Grace's incredible pictures of different types of mutts and details about them.

Instagram:

Grace Chon: @thegrace chon https://www.instagram.com/thegracechon/

Pre-order Grace Chon's new book here:

https://www.amazon.com/What-Kind-That-Grace-Chon/dp/1682689646/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=KrdTl&content-id=amzn1.sym.0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_p=0fb2cce1-1ca4-439a-844b-8ad0b1fb77f7&pf_rd_r=139-3711626-5507227&pd_rd_wg=TRLOv&pd_rd_r=be49f0ef-0969-46f4-8960-39384ab5f8c8&ref_=aufs_ap_sc_dsk

Boundaries is a hot topic in our modern world, especially in mental health. In this episode, Grace explains the definition of the 3 different types of boundaries, and how it impacts our relationships. Jen dives into the details of what boundaries correlate to in TCM physiology and, how each element type acts with healthy or unhealthy boundaries. Together, Jen and Grace unpack how boundaries can impact our physical health, mental health and relationships through their own personal journeys.

In this episode, Jen and Grace are back with a lighthearted conversation discussing the ramp up of anxiety that occurs in the summer transition, definition of anxiety, and how we can understand and manage it according to therapy practices and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

We couldn’t simply have one conversation with Remee, so we split it into two. In this bonus episode, we dive into Remee’s specialty in face reading for matchmaking (including a reading of Grace and her ideal match), the origins of her studied lineage of face reading, and how face reading can interpret signs of infertility and intergenerational trauma.

To connect with Remee and see her list of program offerings and acupuncture services, you can find her at the following links:

www.energymedicine.center

www.empressacupuncture.com

Follow Remee on Instagram: @FaceReaderRemee

https://www.instagram.com/facereaderremee/

In this episode we get the honor of interviewing Jen's Face Reading mentor, Remee Gemo.

Remee L . Gemo is a professional face reader, acupuncturist, energy healer and intuitive from Chesterfield, VA. She is the owner of Empress Acupuncture and founder of the Energy Medicine Center. Remee is the innovator of R.E.M.I. Healing Arts and L.I.F.T. method of facial rejuvenation. She does face readings for people from all over the globe, online and in person. Remee offers a Professional Face Reading certification program and her REMI Healing Arts program. She is also an encaustic artist specializing in aura portraits. In her free time she likes to hang out with her pups Charlie and Lilit, make art, and practice internal martial arts.

To learn more about Remee you can visit her websites and IG:

energymedicine.center

empressacupuncture.com

Instagram: @FaceReaderRemee

In this episode, we get the chance to interview Leo on his life, his work and what it means to see progress in the approach to Asian Men's Mental Health.

Leo, aka Lowhi, is a Los Angeles-based men’s mental health facilitator who facilitates weekly men's support groups through his own  JinShan Collective as well as Proud Asian Men in collaboration with Asian Mental Health Project.

He created these spaces to combat the global male loneliness epidemic and to support men in creating the life that they dream of through emotional intelligence and communication.

In this episode Jen talks about what brought her to specializing in facial acupuncture and her unique approach to her treatments. We talk about what facial acupuncture is, how Jen discovered face reading, Grace's experience with getting regular acupuncture vs facial acupuncture with Jen, and what Jen's thoughts on Botox are.

The month of May is AAPI and Mental Health Awareness month. To bring awareness, we have a series of interviews lined up to talk about individuals doing incredible healing work in their professional worlds and their personal lives, starting with our host, Grace!

In this episode, we get to know Grace's story of how she grew up in Asia and ended up in LA as a therapist, more detail her approach to therapy, and what types of therapy modalities she uses in her practice. One of Grace's unique modalities of therapy is Brainspotting, and we get to learn more about it through Jen's experience with it.

In this episode, we reflect on the tragedy of the LA fires and explore Western and Eastern approaches to understanding and processing the complex emotions of grief, including how it is stored in the body and debunking common myths about what grief truly is.

If you enjoyed this episode, please like it, share it and tag us! We would love to hear from you!Patreon Link:⁠ https://www.patreon.com/c/tcmtalktherapy⁠Follow our podcast on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tcmtalktherapy/⁠Follow Jen on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/acu.by.jen/⁠ Follow Grace on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thegracechan/⁠

In the last episode, we talked about how the world is a bit of a backwards pace and not aligned with the seasons. This sub-episode will give you more educational and constructive detail about the Traditional Chinese Medicine information on what the seasons are associated with and how to approach it from a physical and mental health approach. This includes basic details about what foods to eat, how to prepare them according to the season, and what you can expect in terms of physical and mental health ailments that tend to come with each perspective season. These TCM Talks are meant to give you the educational foundation to understand the mystified concepts of Chinese Medicine so you can gain some control of your own health.

Welcome to our first episode of TCM Talk Therapy! In this episode, Jen and Grace will discuss what seasonal living according to Traditional Chinese Medicine and 5 element theory means, and how this can affect our mental health. 

If you enjoyed this episode, please like it, share it and tag us! We would love to hear from you!

Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/c/tcmtalktherapy

Follow our podcast on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tcmtalktherapy/

Follow Jen on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/acu.by.jen/ 

Follow Grace on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegracechan/

https://www.instagram.com/thegracecares/