Services
- Individual
- Couples
- Family
- Adolescent/Teen
- Group
About My Clients
I have worked with diverse populations and specialize in working with international students, Asian/Asian American immigrants, and BIPOC identified young adults/adults and the unique challenges they undergo. It can be stressful and painful to undergo these various concerns alone and to not have others understood various cultural nuances. I use a culturally informed and collaborative approach to help people in their unique life journeys and together discover ways to help them feel better.
My Background and Approach
I grew up moving back and forth between South Korea and the U.S. and have lived in the West, Midwest, and East coasts. These experiences led me to pursue a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at the University of Maryland at College Park (2015). I currently am a Tenure-Track Counselor Faculty and Internship Training Coordinator at San Jose State University's Counseling & Psychological Services where I specialize in working with BIPOC and international/immigrant populations especially Asian/Asian American populations. I have an integrated approach and pull from psychodynamic, emotion-focused, and cognitive behavioral theories while considering multicultural factors and contexts. I fundamentally believe that each person has lived their life to the best of their ability, however, have developed various ways to cope that no longer are effective or are considered unhealthy. Hence, I work with my clients together by using the above approaches to develop healthier and balanced lifestyles.
My Personal Beliefs and Interests
I fundamentally believe in the importance of using a culturally sensitive and empowerment-based multicultural approach in which I discuss and explore with my clients their various social identities, cultural values/backgrounds, and systemic factors that impact their lives and presenting concerns. For instance, many minority populations suffer from mental health symptoms due to continued cultural adjustment, navigating dominant cultures, and systemic oppression. These experiences are thus critical to acknowledge, understand, and frame in one's narrative. I myself identify as a Korean/Korean American, 1.5 generation, cisgender-woman, immigrant and hold privileges as well as experiences of oppression that I utilize to relate to and understand my clients.