Therapy can be a space where you get to be yourself, not the persona you present to the world. I aim to create a safe place for stories that aren’t always told, whether you’re someone who doesn’t normally talk about their feelings and problems, you’re part of a marginalized group, or you have invisible trauma. It’s the one hour of the week that is all yours, a small breathing space carved out of the noise, where you can start untangling the stubborn knots that keep happiness at arm’s length.

Creating a place for stories that aren’t always told

Starting therapy is like starting any meaningful journey, a little intimidating and absolutely normal to question. But you’ve tried handling things on your own for awhile and these issues keep weighing on your mind and your thoughts keep spiraling. If you are overwhelmed, anxious, depressed, confused or going through a life transition, therapy can be a great way to get support as you move through a difficult time. Sometimes it takes another person and a dedicated time and space to help untangle some of these issues. Clients often say the conversations leave them feeling lighter and that they have more clarity.

Areas of Specialization:

• General anxiety, panic attacks and stress

• Relationship challenges

• Feeling depressed, lonely or lost

• People-pleasing and codependency

• Exploring identity and self (quarter-life, mid-life crisis, cultural/ethnic, sexual orientation)

• 1st, 1.5 and 2nd generation Asians and Asian-Americans

• Empaths

• Anxiety in relationships 

• Trauma - C-PTSD, complex/childhood, relational, or intergenerational trauma

• Singlehood and dating

• Life transitions such as changing careers, moving, divorce or break-up

• Adult children of immigrant parents

• Navigating difficult family dynamics

• Difficulty creating or maintaining intimate relationships

• Building self-esteem and confidence

• Social anxiety and shyness

• Improving conflict and communication skills

• Disordered eating

• Grief and loss

From the outside, your life checks a lot of the boxes. You want to be grateful and you tell yourself to tough it out, reminding yourself that others have it worse. Still, anxiety keeps you up at night and your mind won’t quiet, ruminating about possible things that could go wrong in the future or replaying conversations or events in your mind that you wished you could do over.

You expect so much of yourself, always aiming to be the kind of friend who listens even when you’re exhausted and the employee who never misses a deadline. The minute you think you’ve missed the mark, the inner critic kicks in, loud and unforgiving.

Maybe you snapped at your partner after a long week, the small disagreement kicking up old resentments that were never laid to rest. Or you keep having the same arguments with your mother, but this last unresolved message from her feels different.

You might be sitting with the big questions: What am I meant to do with my life? You’re struggling to find your purpose and what you’re passionate about and have hit a quarter or mid-life crisis. Maybe you bagged that job right out of college, the kind that sends a satisfied smile to your parents’ faces, yet the day-in-day out feels flatter than you’d hoped and you’re asking, is this really the finish line?

You’re noticing the same patterns in your dating life, pushing someone away if they get too close, having a crush on the one person who can’t be yours, or feeling anxious and insecure in relationships. Everyone else seems to be locking down serious relationships and it feels like you’re falling behind your peers. 

Or you may have found that person you thought was the one but now you’re facing issues in your relationship that you don’t know how to address. You could be going through a break-up or divorce and it feels like the rug has been pulled out from under you. You’ve just moved to the city and you feel lonely and it feels harder to make friends than it did before.  

These are just some of the issues that I’ve helped clients work through. Can you relate?

How can therapy help?

When you process what’s weighing on you with another person, the load feels lighter. Setting aside weekly time to share your thoughts, emotions and experiences creates the space to see things differently. You may notice pieces you hadn’t realized were there and that recognition can point you in new and meaningful directions. Together we’ll look at what we uncover and these insights can allow you to connect to yourself, to the people in your life and the world in a deeper, richer way.  

How do I start therapy?

I recognize the courage it takes to reach out for support. That’s why it matters so much to find a therapist who feels like a warm, skilled, and non-judgmental companion for the road ahead. I’m a licensed San Francisco therapist with more than a decade of experience who provides therapy to individuals and couples who are tired of feeling stuck and ready to try something new. Therapy can be an opportunity to not only alleviate your symptoms but also to discover more about yourself in order to create lasting and meaningful change. Contact me for a free 15 minute phone consult to see how I can help!