Research
WEALTH Research Program
WEALTH (Wellness, Emotional ALignment, and inTergenerational Healing) creates space for Vietnamese American young adults to have conversations about historical and intergenerational trauma. WEALTH is a 5-week program with 90-minute weekly sessions.
Development
I created WEALTH in 2023 for and with the Vietnamese American community. The curriculum was shaped from over six months of conversation with community members and hired consultants who provided feedback on session topics, activities, duration, group size, and target age.
Curriculum
Each session builds on the one before and follows a similar structure. The content includes psychoeducation on topics of intergenerational and historical trauma, communication, attachment, and intergenerational healing; mindfulness and compassion practices; group discussion; and reflective activities.
Progress
WEALTH has been piloted three times at a major university in the Denver metropolitan area with a mix of college students and broader community members participating. Initial results show that participants benefited greatly from the program,
Impact & Future Directions
Using qualitative narrative analysis, findings confirm that historical and intergenerational traumas are critical issues in the community which manifest beyond clinical symptomology, including diminished sense of identity. More importantly, healing was expressed by individuals and the group as shedding light on a silenced topic, realizing shared experiences, and developing critical consciousness about the historical and political underpinnings of their lives.
My hope is for WEALTH to continue expanding and scaling up to expand its impact.
If you are interested in learning more, collaborating, or offering WEALTH for your community or local organization, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.
Selected Research Publications
2024
To, M.N., & Schuman-Olivier, Z.
Integrating choice points into mindfulness training for the dissociative subtype of PTSD: A case report. Psychiatry Research Case Reports, 100218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psycr.2024.100218
2022
Datko, M., Lutz, J., Gawande, R., Comeau, A., To, M.N., Desel, T., ... & Schuman-Olivier, Z.
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Increased insula response to interoceptive attention following mindfulness training is associated with increased body trusting among patients with depression. Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, 111559. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111559
2023
To, M.N., Beltrán, R., Dunbar, A.Z., Valdovinos, M.G., Barillas Chón, D.W., Pacheco, B.A., Hunte, O., Hulama, T.
Like water, we re-member: A conceptual model of identity (re)formation through cultural reclamation for indigenous peoples of Mexico in the United States. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy7040090
2019
Gawande, R., To, M.N., Pine, L., Griswold, T., Creedon, T., Brunel, A., Lozada, A., Loucks, E., Schuman-Olivier, Z.
Mindfulness training enhances self-regulation and facilitates health behavior change for primary care patients: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 34, 293-302. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-018-4739-5
Selected Presentations
2025
To., M.N. (Accepted, 2025, Jan 15-19). Healing historical trauma among Vietnamese Americans: Feasibility and acceptability of a pilot contemplative-based program (Oral Paper Presentation). In C. Elsaesser (Chair), Leveraging inner transformation for social transformation: Examining the role of mindfulness in supporting health equity, Society for Social Work Research 29th Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.
To., M.N. (Accepted, 2025, Jan 15-19). The role of contemplation in healing historical trauma: A scoping review (Poster Presentation). Society for Social Work Research 29th Annual Conference, Seattle, WA.
2024
To., M.N., Sliva, S., Valdoninos, M. (2024, Jan 10-14). Impacts of an engaged mindfulness on women residents in a community correctional facility: A focus group narrative analysis (Oral Paper Presentation). In D. Littman (Chair), Narrative analyses of justice processes, Society for Social Work Research 28th Annual Conference, Washington D.C.
2023
To, M.N. (2023, Jan 12-16). Vietnamese American perspectives on Western secular mindfulness: A phenomenological study. (Oral Paper Presentation) Society for Social Work Research 27th Annual Conference, Pheonix, AZ.
