Companionship on the
Road to Self-Healing &
Transformation
We all know how difficult it is to move furniture by ourselves. Emotional work is similarly daunting. Now imagine that therapy is like lifting a heavy couch with a friend: if I grab one end, and you grab the other, we can do what seems impossible alone.
It’s challenging to get to the heart of suffering when you’re struggling with overwhelming emotions. And as a complex individual shaped by cultural, familial, and environmental factors, there is a lot to navigate.
Our nature doesn’t make it any easier. The human brain has evolved with a negativity bias that has kept our ancestors alive but isn’t productive for emotional growth and healing.
The good news is that you already have the wisdom within to cultivate transformation – you just need help awakening and strengthening it.
I lead you uphill, against the negative grooves in your mind to a place where you can cultivate gratitude and acceptance. I use a strength-based approach to amplify your existing resilience, and privilege what’s already working. By showing up as a companion to reinforce the positive, I help you find healing, as well as your place in the world at large.
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Who I Work With
My clients have different goals and backgrounds: some come in to work through a specific life challenge. Others are struggling with emotional and mood disorders, like anxiety, depression, anger, and PTSD. But all of my clients have something in common: they share a strong desire to meet goals that give them freedom in their choices. It’s an honor to facilitate healing for clients who believe in the value of the therapeutic process and are motivated to do the work of transforming their lives.
As a bilingual therapist, I’m also a great fit for Asian Americans, Chinese Americans, and international students that want to work with a therapist that has shared cultural experiences.
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Specialization by Diagnosis
I specialize in helping individuals find the tools to manage debilitating conditions that interfere with their ability to work, maintain relationships, and participate in the activities they enjoy. When a series of dysregulations are identified as an illness, I can help clients find clarity around their diagnosis, and their options moving forward.
In the case of clients working with other professionals, I’m happy to collaborate with psychiatrists, social workers, and case managers to give clients the multidisciplinary care they need to restore their functionality in daily life. Although I see clients with many other diagnoses, these are the conditions I work with most frequently:
Anxiety
Fear is a normal emotion healthy people experience, but individuals who find their lives upended by feelings of persistent worry and panic may be suffering from an anxiety disorder. Symptoms of anxiety include restlessness, difficulty concentrating, irritability, insomnia, muscle tension, digestive issues, and a feeling of impending danger.
Depression
Depression is misunderstood and even stigmatized as weakness or laziness. But those suffering from depression experience a loss of interest in life that deeply affects their ability to function. Symptoms of depression include changes in appetite and sleep patterns, difficulty concentrating, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or guilt, and even thoughts of death or suicide. Depression can also cause physical symptoms such as body aches, headaches, and digestive problems.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a traumatic event, including natural disasters, accidents, or acts of physical or emotional violence. Complex PTSD arises with repeated instances of emotional trauma. PTSD causes a range of symptoms, including re-experiencing trauma through flashbacks, avoidance of potentially triggering situations, and negative changes in beliefs and feelings. People with PTSD may also experience hypervigilance, low self-esteem, difficulty sleeping, irritability, anger, and concentration problems.
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Sharing Solutions for Emotional Wellbeing
Achieving wellness is more than overcoming illness.
Like many of my clients, you may not meet the criteria of a psychiatric disorder. Therapy is not just for reducing pain and pathological symptoms, but also for promoting vitality. I am dedicated to providing a safe environment to nurture your personal growth so that you can thrive and flourish.
To affect personal change, I equip my clients with tools that help them grow – even in the face of adversity.
Emotional Regulation
Although we cannot control many things in the world, we can change our relationship to our thoughts and feelings. Emotional regulation is the ability to recognize and understand your own emotions, and effectively manage and express them. It’s a necessary skill that enables you to handle emotional disturbances, such as anger, stress, anxiety, shame, and depression.
I help you cultivate awareness of your emotions, and guide you through growing a tolerance and accessing the appropriate tools for the more painful ones. I even teach you how to befriend your feelings, so you can stop experiencing them as threats.
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Interpersonal Effectiveness
Interpersonal effectiveness is your capacity to effectively communicate and navigate relationships. It involves being able to assert your own needs and boundaries, as well as being able to effectively listen and respond to the needs of others. Developing interpersonal effectiveness skills can help with issues in your relationships, such as resentment and codependency.
Healing from Trauma
When dealing with unresolved trauma, many of us are stuck in one of five reactions: fight, flight, freeze, fawn (people pleasing), or fix. These responses cause our brains to constantly secrete stress hormones that harm our mental and physical health. But handling and resolving trauma on our own can be incredibly difficult.
I strive to establish secure attachments with clients to counteract the overwhelming aloneness in exploring scary experiences. By utilizing research-backed tools to access the power of neuroplasticity, I give clients the tools to rewire their thoughts, and maximize their brain’s potential to change.
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Developing a Sense of Self
Developing a sense of self is an important aspect of personal growth that refers to your sense of identity, as well as the beliefs and values that shape who you are as an individual. Through developing a healthy relationship with yourself, you can access your inner wisdom and cultivate a drive to pursue your mission in life. This process empowers you to overcome issues like low self-esteem, toxic shame, self-loathing, and self-sabotage.
Nurture Your Wounded Inner Child
We all have many different aspects to our inner world, and as a result, struggle with conflicting thoughts and feelings. Some parts of us are wounded and stagnant due to unhealed trauma, and we may even feel torn by the different voices in our heads. Becoming familiar with the different parts of yourself is a critical step in restoring healthy relationships with yourself and others. I help you meet your shadow, instead of ignoring or silencing your most shameful parts.
By recognizing yourself fully, you open up the door to reparenting yourself. In this process, you learn how to meet your own needs as an adult, which helps you heal from your developmental wounds. When you heal your inner child, you can find joy, and move from a black-and-white way of thinking to a more nuanced worldview, enabling you to handle and resolve inner conflicts.
Anger Management
When you are unable to manage your anger, you suffer major problems in your life and relationships. I believe that anger is an aggressive mask for pain. I help you obtain effective anger management skills, which involve employing relaxation and communication techniques, as well as exploring healthy coping mechanisms. These techniques empower you to meet your underlying needs and tend to your more vulnerable feelings –instead of driving your loved ones away.
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Do you have questions about my practice?
READ MY FAQSession Structure and Pricing
I accommodate clients seeking both long-term and short-term engagements. The frequency of sessions is determined by your individual goals and needs.
$200 per 50 minutes
In this meeting, we establish your therapeutic goals. I then provide you a roadmap, outlining the work we will address for the next 5-10 sessions.
$175 per 50 minutes
$260 per 75 minutes
$350 per 90 minutes
As an out-of-network provider, I can provide invoices to submit to your insurance plans if out-of-network benefits apply.
Do you have questions about my practice?
READ MY FAQ.svg)
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Interested in Working Together?
Send Me a Message
