The Invisible Water: How Culture Shapes Mental Illness and Healing

“I don’t know who discovered water, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a fish.” Like a fish in water, we rarely notice the cultural forces that surround us every day—especially when it comes to our mental health. Join UCSF psychiatrist Dr. Descartes Li as he dives into the invisible cultural currents that shape the human mind. From the American emphasis on “talking it out” and finding your “true self,” to the physical experience of distress in other parts of the world, this fascinating lecture will reveal how deeply our beliefs and cultural norms construct our understanding of illness, suffering and healing. About the Speakers Our speaker today is Dr. Descartes Li, a professor of clinical psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Dr. Li has spent his career at the intersection of clinical care, medical education and cultural psychiatry. Recognizing the unique mental-health needs of diverse populations, he founded and directed the UCSF Asia America Clinic to provide specialized care to the Bay Area's Asian American community. In addition to his focus on cultural psychiatry, Dr. Li is a highly respected clinical leader, serving as the director of both the UCSF Bipolar Disorder Program and the Electroconvulsive Therapy Service. He recently completed a five-year tenure as UCSF's vice chair for education in psychiatry, and his impact on global medical education includes serving as a distinguished professor at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. A returning speaker to Commonwealth Club World Affairs, Dr. Li brings decades of frontline clinical experience, a passion for understanding the human mind, and a commitment to humanistic care. A Psychology Member-led Forum program. Forums at the Club are organized and run by volunteer programmers who are members of The Commonwealth Club, and they cover a diverse range of topics. Learn more about our Forums. Organizer: Veronica Ortega & Patrik O'Reilly Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Invisible Water: How Culture Shapes Mental Illness and Healing is an episode from Commonwealth Club of California Podcast by Commonwealth Club of California.

This episode is 73:12 long.

This episode was published on Apr 29, 2026.

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