This workshop by Tansy Kadoe, LMFT, titled “Healing the Asian American Family: Practices for Repairing Generational Rupture with Honor,” was recorded on April 11, 2026. The presentation was part of the 2026 conference “Our Flourishing, Our Faith: Navigating Rupture and Repair in Asian American Christian Communities,” presented by the Center for Asian American Christianity at Princeton Theological Seminary and the Rosemead School of Psychology at Biola University. You can learn more about this conference here: https://ourflourishing.org/.
"Generational rupture often begins with disconnection from self, others, and the stories shaped by survival, sacrifice, and systemic forces. This workshop invites participants to practice honor by reconnecting to their God-given worth (Self), relating with courage and grace (Other), and sharing vulnerable family stories (Context). Together, we explore how honoring self, others, and context opens pathways for repair so families may stand seen, known, and honored in God’s presence and in one another."
Tansy Kadoe, LAMFT was born and raised in Burma and immigrated to the United States in 1993, following the pro-democracy uprisings of 1988 that disrupted education and intensified civil conflict. She belongs to the Karen ethnic group, one of the largest minority communities in Burma, and remains deeply connected to her people through church, counseling, and storytelling ministries. She and her husband were part of the group that started the Arizona Karen Baptist Church, which now has more than 400 members. Beyond her local community, she has worked closely with the network of 133 Karen Baptist churches across the United States.
Professionally, Tansy initially trained in business, earning an undergraduate degree in finance and economics and an MBA in business leadership. At age forty, motivated by the suffering and needs of resettled Burmese refugees, she pursued a second career in counseling. She earned her Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) from Fuller Theological Seminary in 2016 and has practiced as a licensed therapist in Phoenix since then. She is now pursuing a Doctor of Marriage and Family Therapy at Fuller, focusing on developing models of lay counseling and peer counseling within ethnic churches.
Time Stamps
00:00 Introduction
01:55 Welcome and Purpose
02:59 Tansy's Story and Example of Rupture
06:31 Definition of Family Rupture
07:14 Congruence and Honoring Self, Others, and Context
10:31 Systemic Forces on Self
13:54 Family Messages Collide
19:01 Repair Framework H.O.N.O.R.
19:54 Heart Awareness Scenario
23:47 Observe Patterns and Stances
25:09 Name Cultural Forces
28:19 Open Bridge to Self
33:40 Bridge to Others
35:36 Bridge to Context
39:04 Rest and Closing Meditation
Photo by Erika Giraud on Unsplash
