**TRIGGER WARNING** This episode covers sensitive subject matter and is not suitable for all listeners. If this topic could be a trigger for you, listen to this episode with a friend, a sibling, a loved one or a parent so you can talk about any emotions that come up for you. The contents of this episode are not intended to replace therapy and should not be taken as such. If you need immediate help, please call the crisis hotline listed below in our resources.
In this episode, I sit down with Lia Athena, a young, biracial, queer author and background actor in New York City. She’s appeared in films and shows such as Gotham, SVU, and Billions.
Lia is inspired by the world around her and embraces her creativity and emotions to write stories that feel real and pull readers into her imagination.
Listen in as we talk about:
What it was like growing up with both Korean and White cultures
Growing up with confusion around her sexuality, and how she knew she was attracted to girls
How Lia worked through life’s lonely moments, living in a more rural area
Leaving College and moving back home to pursue acting and writing
Her inspiration in writing her book, and how her own writing frightened her
Susan E. Casey, MSW, MFA, is an author, a licensed mental health clinician, a certified bereavement group facilitator, a certified life coach and a podcaster. Throughout the past 29 years, Susan has worked in hospice, in-patient, and home-based settings with teens and adults, and taught numerous courses to executive leaders and clinicians.
Currently, Susan works for a measurement-based care organization, providing clinical coaching to therapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists countrywide to improve mental health outcomes for youth and adults.
Susan’s blog on her website, susanecasey.com, chronicles her grieving process following the death of her younger brother. Her fiction has won numerous awards, including first place in the PEN/Nob Hill Literary Contest and Green Writer’s National Literary Contest. Rock On: Mining for Joy in the Deep River of Grief is her first work of nonfiction published on February 14, 2020 by Library Tales Publishing. Both Susan’s professional and creative work have been guided by her deep belief that every individual has purpose and inherent strengths and deserves the opportunity to reach their own unique potential. Please be sure to check Susan's podcast, L.E.A.P https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/trailer-welcome-to-the-l-e-a-p-podcast-with-susan-e-casey/id1573809035?i=1000526765528
Susan lives in Maine with her husband Steve and miniature aussidoodle Rocky
View all posts by susanecasey.com