Spilling The Jasmine Tea

spillingthejasminetea
  • 0.0 (0)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

“Spilling the Jasmine Tea" is where culture, identity, and tough conversations meet. Hosted by organisational psychologist Vi-An Nguyen and holistic dietitian Amanda Huynh, this conversational podcast unpacks the 2nd generation Vietnamese-Australian settler experience through personal stories and expert insights. From mental health and menstrual cycles to white supremacy and capitalism, no topic is off-limits. Join us as we challenge taboos, reclaim our narratives, and explore what holistic well-being really means for our community.

Episodes

  1. 5D AGO

    S1E5 | Body Image: Who Benefits From Our Insecurities?

    Disclaimer: Body image can be a sensitive topic and bring up difficult feelings. If you need immediate support, please contact the helplines provided below. Did the aunties comment on your weight over your Lunar New Year celebrations… and now you’re thinking about whether you should go on a diet or exercise more? Yeah, unfortunately our well meaning loved ones can be a major trigger for body image issues. Top it up with the lack of body diversity in media, weight stigma in healthcare and fatphobia in society, and it becomes an ongoing battle for many. Today, we’re going to be spilling the tea on how body image has been weaponised by the ruling class, capitalism and patriarchy to control and oppress us, to the point where we oppress ourselves. Don’t worry, it’s not all doom and gloom. Vi-An and I also share our own body image struggles and how we’ve healed our relationship with it. In this episode, we discuss: 🍵 The racial origins of fatphobia, and how it prevails in modern society 🍵 The concerns around the rise of GLP-1s like Ozempic for weight loss 🍵 How tuning out of the external noise and into your body resists oppression and improves body image Through this hour-long conversation, we hope you’ll remember that the problem was never your body. It’s the systems, structures and stories we’ve been taught. Please join our listening ritual — brew yourself some hot tea and sip along as we spill the jasmine tea on body image. P.S. Apologies for Amanda’s binary gendered language at one point of the episode. We aim to be inclusive of diverse genders but sometimes fall short. We'll always learn and do better. HELPLINES Butterfly Foundation National Helpline - 1800 33 4673 Eating Disorders Australia - 1300 550 236 RESOURCES & LINKS “Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fatphobia” by Dr Sabrina strings Venus of Willendorf Reagan Christine - https://www.instagram.com/ragenchastain Louise Adams - https://www.instagram.com/untrapped_au Amanda Huynh – https://www.instagram.com/heyitsamanda.x/ Vi-An Nguyen – https://www.instagram.com/antampsychology/ CHAPTERS (00:00) Family and body image (07:47) The origins of fatphobia (16:48) The concerning rise of GLP-1s like Ozempic for weight loss (19:43) The harms of weight stigma in healthcare (25:00) How body image is weaponised for oppression (32:43) The beginning of the end of body image issues

    58 min

  2. FEB 4

    S1E4 | Capitalism: More Is Never Enough

    Have you ever felt a bit icky from someone approaching you with "a small favour"? Maybe you've given yourself the ick when you wanted more and more (of money, status, belongings, whatever it is) and realised it doesn't always lead to a sense of fulfilment. We unpack how capitalism trains us to over-give, undervalue our labour, and exploit ourselves long before anyone else does - especially as Asian women and children of immigrants who were taught that being “useful” equals being worthy. We explore what it means to resist a system that dehumanises us, and how we can reclaim our sense of worth, joy, and connection. In this episode, you'll hear: 🍵 Why “ethical capitalism” is a myth, and why self-exploitation isn’t required to survive or succeed 🍵 The ways capitalism impacts our mental, physical, and emotional health 🍵 How reconnecting with others and choosing intentional connection can be a radical act of resistance We don’t claim to have all the answers. This whole conversation is about sitting in the discomfort, naming the systems that shape us, and remembering that you are not broken for struggling in a system that profits from your exhaustion (!!) So take a seat, pour yourself a cuppa and sip along as we spill the jasmine tea.   RESOURCES & LINKS Duong Ocean Dang, Therapist and Supervisor -https://healingandjustice.com.au More on mutual aid - https://www.instagram.com/p/DKxLjcNAGhd/?igsh=MXNuYjNubjZ0eHc2cw== Amanda Huynh – https://www.instagram.com/heyitsamanda.x/ Vi-An Nguyen – https://www.instagram.com/antampsychology/   CHAPTERS (00:00) Transactional vs real connections (07:36) What is valued in a capitalist society (13:18) Capitalist drives burnout (18:08) How to be an anti-oppressive practitioner (23:24) How to practice anti-capitalist values in a capitalist system (29:06) Resistance via community

    35 min

  3. JAN 21

    S1E3 | Boundaries: Respecting My Parents and Myself

    If you grew up in an Asian household, boundaries probably weren’t a thing. Saying “I won’t pick up the phone during work” was never going to land. So how do you set boundaries with parents who raised you in survival mode — and who see you as an extension of themselves? In this episode of Spilling the Jasmine Tea, we unpack the messy, emotional, and often taboo topic of boundaries with Asian parents. From unspoken expectations to guilt, resentment, and the courage to finally choose yourself — Amanda and Vi-An spill the real, unfiltered tea. You’ll hear stories about: 🍵 Growing up as the “default helper” in immigrant households 🍵 Being woken up from sleep because every issue feels urgent 🍵 Enmeshment, guilt, and the fear of “abandoning” your parents 🍵 Why our parents’ nervous systems are wired for survival 🍵 How learning to ask for what you need changes everything Through honest conversation, cultural insight, and a whole lot of compassion, we explore how boundaries don’t break relationships — they help us love ourselves and our parents simultaneously. So brew yourself a warm cup of jasmine tea, and sip along as we spill the Jasmine Tea on boundaries, survival mode, and healing across generations. CALL TO ACTION If you loved this conversation, hit follow and share this episode with a friend who’s navigating boundaries too. RESOURCES & LINKS We Are Here - Cat Thao Nguyen Prentis Hemphill - https://www.instagram.com/prentishemphill/ Amanda Huynh – https://www.instagram.com/heyitsamanda.x/ Vi-An Nguyen – https://www.instagram.com/antampsychology/ CHAPTERS (00:00) What boundaries - or lack thereof - looks like in Asian families (8:46) Unspoken expectations & emotional tests (12:46) Breaking patterns: learning to ask for what we need (23:41) How anti-racism work helped Amanda to speak up (28:21) Amanda's cheeky tactic to set boundaries (30:27) Vi-An's empowering strategy to uphold boundaries

    35 min

  4. 12/10/2025

    S1E2 | Belonging: Where Do I Actually Fit?

    If you’ve ever walked into a room and thought, “Do people like me exist here?” this one’s for you. In this episode of Spilling the Jasmine Tea, we dive deep into the heart of belonging - what it feels like, what it doesn’t, and why so many of us who grew up between cultures still find ourselves asking, “Where do I fit?” We share personal stories that shaped our understanding of belonging, from Amanda’s recent trip back to Vietnam for her grandpa’s birthday, to the moments growing up in Australia that made us question (and redefine) our place in the world. Through these stories, we explore how belonging isn’t about assimilating or earning your spot — it’s about being seen, supported, and understood. Together, we unpack: 🍵 What belonging really means (beyond “fitting in”) 🍵 The loneliness so many of us carry quietly and why it feels harder in an individualistic society 🍵 How sharing our stories lightens the load and helps us find our people So make yourself a warm cup of jasmine tea, and settle into this episode all about finding — and creating — the spaces where you truly feel at home. RESOURCES & LINKS Amanda Huynh – https://www.instagram.com/heyitsamanda.x/ Vi-An Nguyen – https://www.instagram.com/antampsychology/ CHAPTERS (00:00) Welcome and you belong here! (01:23) Community in visiting Amanda’s grandpa (05:53) What belonging really means (10:54) Diverse vs monocultural spaces (14:31) Loneliness and connection (18:06) Belonging in an individualistic world (27:10) Sharing to lighten the load

    33 min

  5. 11/26/2025

    S1E1 | Why We Started

    If you grew up sipping jasmine tea in an English Breakfast kind of world, you’ve probably wondered: where are all the fellow jasmine tea drinkers at? You’ve found us. In our very first episode, we (Vi-An and Amanda) spill on how Spilling the Jasmine Tea came to life — and the perfectionism that almost stopped us from sharing it. From the “98%—where’s the other 2%?” comments we grew up with, to the quiet ways we’ve learned to unlearn, this episode sets the tone for what’s to come: honest, reflective conversations about culture, identity, and what holistic well-being really means for our community. Together, we unpack: 🍵 The story behind our podcast name 🍵 Why we’re learning to savour the process instead of chasing flawless outcomes 🍵 What we hope this podcast will create for our listeners So grab your cup (maybe jasmine tea!) and settle in for a heartfelt first brew. RESOURCES & LINKS Fiona Sutherland – Dietitian and advocate for the Health at Every Size (HAES) approach. Amanda Huynh -  https://www.instagram.com/heyitsamanda.x/ Vi-An Nguyen – Follow on Instagram: @antampsychology

    36 min

  6. TRAILER

    Spilling The Jasmine Tea Trailer

    First episode spills Nov 27! Subscribe to our Substack for to get the tea while it's hot!

    1 min

Trailer

About

“Spilling the Jasmine Tea" is where culture, identity, and tough conversations meet. Hosted by organisational psychologist Vi-An Nguyen and holistic dietitian Amanda Huynh, this conversational podcast unpacks the 2nd generation Vietnamese-Australian settler experience through personal stories and expert insights. From mental health and menstrual cycles to white supremacy and capitalism, no topic is off-limits. Join us as we challenge taboos, reclaim our narratives, and explore what holistic well-being really means for our community.

Information

  • Creator
    spillingthejasminetea
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Spilling The Jasmine Tea