My Ngoc To is a PhD Candidate at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work
Hello there! I am a generation 1.5 Vietnamese American whose life path centers around creating avenues for individual and collective healing. I studied neuroscience at Harvard before getting an MSW from Simmons University with a specialization in trauma work. As a social work scholar, I conduct community-engaged research on how contemplative practices can heal historical and intergenerational healing among immigrant and refugee communities. I explore themes of healing also in my creative work as a writer and artist. My outer work runs parallel to my inner work; I have a dedicated meditation practice and have taught mindfulness extensively in various clinical, university, and community settings.
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I was born in Long An, Vietnam, a small town one hour south of Saigon. My parents moved to the US when I was a year old, and I grew up outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Right now I live in Colorado with my partner and cat, Mr. Squish. My name, pronounced “ME knock,” means "beautiful pearl," and my family nickname "Buoi" means Pomelo. These days I wear many hats as a social work scholar, educator, mindfulness teacher, clinician, and writer. I sustain my humanity through hobbies such as rock climbing, cooking, and being outside in any capacity.
Please call me by my true names, so I can hear all my cries and laughter at once, so I can see that my joy and pain are one.
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- Thich Nhat Hanh
About
Social Work Scholar
I am a community-engaged scholar, critical mindfulness researcher, and interventionist. My work focuses on bringing critical perspectives into mindfulness research, promoting well-being among immigrant and refugee communities, and unpacking historical trauma through strengths-based approaches. ​In 2022, I received a Mind & Life Varela Grant to further my work, which has led me to develop and pilot a novel intervention called WEALTH (Wellness, Emotional ALignment, and inTergenerational Healing). Selected publications are listed here. ​
Educator
I have taught both MSW and undergraduate students from traditional and nontraditional backgrounds at several universities. My teaching praxis draws from critical, feminist theories which seek to make the classroom space one of liberation, exploration, and co-discovery of knowledge. I extend my role of educator beyond the classroom to include numerous community workshops and speaking engagements.
Mindfulness Teacher
I grew up in a Buddhist family and started to practice Vipassana meditation in 2017. At around the same time, I started working at the Center for Mindfulness and Compassion and have since then taught mindfulness in various capacities and modalities, including Koru Mindfulness and Mindfulness Training in Primary Care. I previously served as Mindfulness Director for Mindfully, a Vietnam-based startup that offers mindfulness meditations in Vietnamese, and am highly involved in service with the Rocky Mountain Vipassana Association. I offer guided meditations at no charge on Insight Timer and have developed numerous community mindfulness workshops.
Clinician
I am a Licensed Social Worker (LSW) in the State of Colorado dedicated to serving the needs of marginalized, or minoritized populations, with special focus on immigrant and refugee communities. My clinical journey has included work with Asian-American survivors of intimate partner violence, Vietnamese immigrants and refugees at large, and grieving children and families. Currently I channel my clinical work focuses on developing WEALTH.
Writer
I have a longstanding love for creative non-fiction which took shape from when I started writing for the Harvard Advocate. During those undergrad years I also published The Washing Room, a creative non-fiction account of the intergenerational trauma and resilience within my own family. I have also published creative works in The Guardian and the Huffington Post, and Modern Poetry in Translation. My writings and reflections were also featured on the Embodied Podcast. Some musings and insights are also captured in this blog.