527: A Decolonized Perspective On Attachment Theory with Linda Thai

527: A Decolonized Perspective On Attachment Theory with Linda Thai

From Therapy Chat by Laura Reagan, LCSW-C

May 12, 2026 · 1h 9m

About this episode

Linda Thai discusses a decolonized perspective on attachment theory and its connection to intergenerational trauma and cultural displacement.

What if our understanding of human connection is missing the very ground beneath our feet? This week I welcomed back my friend and colleague Linda Thai as she challenges Western psychology and offers a decolonized lens on attachment theory, moving beyond individual dynamics to explore how intergenerational trauma is inextricably linked to our displacement from land and culture. Linda is a former child refugee from Vietnam who, with her family, took refuge in Australia during the Vietnam War and is now based in Alaska. From the indigenous wisdom of Alaska to the historical echoes of the Great Irish Migration, Linda illustrates how "grief is the great metabolizer" and why true secure attachment requires reclaiming the ancestral rituals and land-based practices that modernity has stripped away. Join us for an essential conversation on rediscovering our place within the larger metabolistic web of life to foster collective healing and authentic cultural reclamation. Linda Thai, LMSW is an internationally-regarded trauma expert who understands the wounds of war, refugitude, and migration, and the lingering imprints of authoritarianism, military occupation, and colonialism echoed…

People in this episode

Host: Laura Reagan

Guest: Linda Thai

Topics covered

  • attachment theory
  • decolonization
  • intergenerational trauma
  • cultural reclamation
  • collective healing

Keywords

  • attachment theory
  • decolonization
  • intergenerational trauma
  • cultural reclamation
  • collective healing
  • Vietnam War
  • refugee experience
  • indigenous wisdom

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Vietnam, Australia, Alaska, Ireland

More episodes of Therapy Chat

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Therapy Chat podcast page.