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The Hyphenated Life

Bridging the In-Between Spaces of Intersectional Identities

Coming Soon
The Hyphenated Life Open the full-size image

Contributors

By Han Ren

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Jun 16, 2026
Page Count
208 pages
Publisher
Balance
ISBN-13
9781538771884

Price

$14.99

Price

$19.99 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. ebook $14.99 $19.99 CAD
  2. Hardcover $30.00 $40.00 CAD
  3. Audiobook Download (Unabridged) $24.99

Buy from Other Retailers:

An insightful guide for “Hyphenates” seeking to better understand themselves and help others understand them, too.
 
What does it mean to live a hyphenated life? So many of us exist in a constant state of flux, toggling across the multiple layers of who we are and the diverse spaces we occupy. Perhaps we’re an immigrant or child of immigrants, a person of color, disabled, neurodivergent, queer, or all of the above. Regardless of our identities, we exist in in-between spaces while also trying to fit into the dominant culture. With a foot in multiple worlds, belonging fully to none, it can be hard to just fit in, let alone find belonging.
     Dr. Han Ren, licensed psychologist and a Hyphenate herself, offers solutions for those with intersectional identities who want to fully express who they are across environments. The Hyphenated Life is an inside-out excavation of how existing in marginalized bodies affects the ways folks show up in dominant culture and predominantly white spaces. For Hyphenates seeking to move from the margins to exploring their growth edges, within these pages, you’ll find:
  • perspectives for people with diverse backgrounds and multiple identities to understand themselves more fully,
  • frameworks for those who hold dominant identities and privilege, to better understand the invisible battles their peers face,
  • action-oriented exercises and reflection questions to support identity exploration and integration
     With evidence-based tools, stories, conversations, and insights, The Hyphenated Life will resonate with anyone who is navigating the intricacies of their multicultural, intersectional identity development.

Genre:

  • “Instead of another narrow self-help framework to squeeze into, The Hyphenated Life helps you inhabit the richness of all the identities and roles you hold.”
    Alyson Stoner, award-winning entertainer, founder/CEO of Movement Genius, New York Times bestselling author of Semi-Well-Adjusted, and certified mental health practitioner
  • “This book fills an essential hole. With clarity and care, Dr. Han Ren offers a deeply grounded and accessible guide through terrain that is often oversimplified or ignored altogether. It is a rare combination: intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant.”
    Laura Danger, educator and author of No More Mediocre: A Call to Reimagine Our Relationships and Demand More
  • "In The Hyphenated Life, Dr. Han Ren offers us a profound exploration of what it means to navigate the in-between spaces between cultures, expectations, and self. It is a moving guide for finding wholeness in our hyphens.”
    Natalie Y. Gutierrez, LMFT, author of The Pain We Carry & The Pain We Carry Workbook
  • “In The Hyphenated Life, Dr. Han Ren expertly synthesizes personal and professional experience to offer readers a powerful new way of understanding themselves and others. Her gift for simplifying complex ideas in a relatable and meaningful way is on display as she unpacks the 'too much, not enough' beliefs that are often described by those holding multiple marginalized identities.”
    Annie Farmer, PhD, licensed psychologist, Epstein survivor, advocate and educator for child sexual abuse and exploitation
  • “Dr. Han Ren will help you to learn more about building a strong relationship with yourself and others through her story.”
    Dr. Raquel Martin, licensed clinical psychologist, scientist, professor, podcast host, content creator

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Han Ren

About the Author

Dr. Han Ren is a hyphenated professional: licensed psychologist, licensed specialist in school psychology, speaker, content creator, former special educator, and adjunct professor at the University of Texas. She is also a mother, spouse, first-generation immigrant, and product of China’s one-child mandate.

Dr. Ren holds a doctorate in School Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin, and a Master of Education in Special Education from the University of Houston. She was an adjunct professor at the University of Texas, teaching both an undergraduate lecture course in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences and an intimate seminar in Special Education. Prior to her graduate studies, Dr. Ren taught pre-K special education for three years in a Title-1 school as part of Teach for America.

Learn more about this author