Where I grew up...
I was born in New York but grew up on the other side of the country in California. I never imagined that I would leave California, but shortly after getting married, my husband and I moved to Korea. As a Korean-American with conversational Korean under my belt, I naively thought, “no problem!” Little did I know what a culture shock it would be and how difficult it would be to navigate simple things like mailing a package at the post office. In spite of the many embarrassing and challenging moments, I loved living in Korea.
My professional training
My academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California, Irvine and a Master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Children, Youth, and Families from California State University, Long Beach. I have had the opportunity to work with chronically mentally ill adults in a day rehabilitation program, immigrant children and their families at a non-profit community center in Los Angeles’ Koreatown, and at-risk children, adolescents, and their families at one of the largest community mental health centers in Los Angeles County. Most recently, I have been working primarily with expatriates living and working in Korea through private counseling centers. In addition to providing psychotherapy services to clients, I offer supervision to bachelor’s and master’s level counselors and clinicians.
I have extensive training in treating mood disorders and anxiety disorders through evidence based interventions. I take an integrative approach to therapy with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Psychodynamic Therapy being my primary orientation. I believe that treatment must be strength-based, leveraging skills and interests clients already possess. I consider my role as a therapist a privilege my clients offer me as they invite me into their lives to help them learn, grow, and heal.
When I'm out of the office...
I enjoy running, biking, and spending time with my husband and twin boys. I also enjoy watching about 10 minutes of any show on Netflix and sleeping through the rest.