Hyun-Yong is an entomologist and PhD candidate at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. I reached out to him because when I met him a few years back, I appreciated his thoughtfulness and his quirkiness. He's someone who doesn't fit neatly into categories—a person who might be described as contrarian or sui generis, someone of his own kind. In his work as an entomologist, Hyun-Yong also draws from his training in environmental philosophy, especially the phenomenological tradition, which centers on observing the world, its things, and its occurrences neutrally—with curiosity and wonder. From the beginning, his work has explored the blurred boundaries between “nature” and “artificiality,” asking how biodiversity can flourish in spaces shaped by both humanity and ecology. That includes hybrid landscapes such as solar fields in the Northeastern U.S., or the Demilitarized Zone between North Korea and South Korea, where Hyun-Yong is originally from. In this conversation, we trace Hyun-Yong’s journey from his childhood fascination with insects to his current projects as a doctorate student. We talk about ADHD as both a challenge and a source of focus for him, and his use of poetry to describe nature exactly as it is. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox

María Verónica Laguna is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, clinical supervisor, and psychoanalytic psychotherapist in private practice in Uruguay. She spent over a decade working in New York City, where she taught Social Work at Mercy University and served as an instructor at the Metropolitan Institute for Training in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. She is the co-author of From Grad School to Private Practice: A Roadmap for Mental Health Clinicians and has forthcoming chapters on immigrants’ self-states and critical psychology. Her work spans continents and disciplines—she founded The Bicultural Collective to support bicultural individuals and the clinicians who serve them, and leads Psychoanalysis and Social Justice, a collaborative database curating events and resources at the intersection of clinical practice and activism. She also explores the intersection of music and mental health, facilitating workshops on tango’s therapeutic power and on learning Spanish through Latin American protest songs. I first met María through that protest songs group, and then discovered we share other interests—psychoanalysis, social work, and the experience of migration from the Southern Cone to the United States and back again. She is warm, good-hearted, and passionate, and it was a joy to connect with her for what I hope is the first of many conversations. In this hour, we talk about the role of immigration and otherness in the consulting room, the cultural roots of psychoanalysis in the Southern Cone, and what it means to work towards a psychoanalysis for the people. We explore how music and movement can be tools for healing, how to channel anger into social change, and how clinical work, activism, and art can meet in the service of collective wellbeing. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox

Hanna Śmiałowska is a traveller who found the meaning of her life in helping people through circus and other arts. She was born in Poland but feels like a citizen of the world. After eight years of learning about social circus pedagogy in places including Hungary, Germany, Kenya, and México, she’s currently studying art therapy in Buenos Aires and leading multiple social circus projects with deep impact. We discuss her path from hitchhiking in Asia to discovering circus as a vehicle for connection and transformation, and how her nomadic years shaped both her art and her politics. Hanna shares stories from teaching circus in Kenya, launching a social circus initiative in Argentina called Mamboretá, and creating spaces where play, creativity, and community help people heal, feel listened to, and imagine new possibilities. We explore the magic of performance, the reality behind it, and the power of art to foster joy and solidarity in vulnerable communities. Support the project: patreon.com/TherapyfortheWorld Music credits: “Limit 70,” licensed by Kevin MacLeod “Meditation” by Jules Massenet, from the Library of Congress Jukebox