Vy Pham (she/her)

A lot of folks seek therapy to improve their self-esteem. Oftentimes the concept of low self-esteem actually has a narrative rooted in trauma, attachment, societal expectations, systemic oppression, and capitalism. I find great joy in helping my clients explore the origins of any negative core beliefs they may be carrying, examine their internalization of external factors, and realize their inherent self worth and value.

As a long time participant in mental health and social services myself, I understand firsthand the needs and systemic shortfalls that people marginalized by dominant culture face when trying to access tailored and anti-oppressive mental health care. I’m passionate about changing this narrative and landscape, and welcome these conversations into the therapeutic space. Let’s talk about the trauma of all the “isms” (racism, sexism, ableism, classism, colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, etc)

My experience as a first generation immigrant and refugee from Vietnam permeates through my work as a mental health therapist. My family escaped Vietnam in fear of political persecution. When we arrived in the United States we were forced to assimilate in order to survive. The trauma of displacement, war, loss of identity/community/culture has shaped my upbringing. This firsthand experience allows me to truly empathize with those yearning for belonging and acceptance.

I am a trained Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. EMDR is a modality that uses bilateral stimulation to reduce distressing symptoms of trauma/anxiety and develop positive adaptive beliefs. If you find that retelling your trauma over and over has been unhelpful and potentially harmful, EMDR may be a good fit for you. This modality helps guide the brain to dislodge fixed negative core beliefs developed from trauma, keeping verbal narration to a minimum.

My approach is always "person-in-environment." We do not heal in isolation. How will what you practice in therapy carry out in your daily life? How will it impact your relationships? How will it impact your community? What does your community look like? What do you want it to look like? What does healing in relationship to others look like? What does it look like in a global pandemic? Although our sessions may be individualized, my focus will always lead us back to collective care.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an approach that uses a person’s motivating values, mindfulness, and acceptance to help them move through difficult experiences. ACT liberates us from suppressing unwanted thoughts and emotions, and instead guides us towards acceptance and then action. It accepts that suffering is part of life however does not define it. Using ACT, we will explore what brings us joy and how to move towards the life we desire for ourselves.