I am currently a Licensed Associate Professional Counselor and Provisional Registered Art Therapist currently pursuing my full clinical licenses in both fields. Before I began this work, I began as a hobby baker who unexpectedly became known as a “cookie activist.” Baking and the creative process helped me heal in tremendous ways, and those experiences are what led me to study art therapy. I believe healing can take on many forms and that people deserve access to diverse ways of caring for themselves. I am also an art therapy graduate who left with a deep questioning of academia and the systems of care that shape our field. I still believe deeply in collective care and am delighted to be able to return to my therapist journey at Transitional Characters, where questioning is embraced as part of a shared process of doing and being better.

What I’m Passionate About

I am a Korean American woman, born and raised in Los Angeles during the 90s, and shaped by my lived experiences in Albuquerque, Honolulu, and Pittsburgh. My family history bears the imprint of colonialism, while my own process of becoming has involved navigating identity, cultural expectations, and religious trauma. Because of all this, I empathize deeply with people who carry complex histories and am passionate about supporting how to navigate intergenerational, intercultural, and spiritual tensions.

My Therapy Style

My therapeutic approach is grounded in humanistic values, meaning that I believe each person has an inner wisdom that can guide their healing. Your lived experiences, emotions, and stories hold meaningful truth and will shape our work together. In sessions, I aim to create a gentle, spacious environment for both the difficult and the joyful; to make room for meaning-making, connection, and self-trust. I am bilingual in English and Korean but seek to find the language that feels most authentic for our work together, whether that’s through words, art, breath, or movement.

Who I Work With

I am passionate about working with BIPOC individuals and people navigating questions of identity, belonging, and purpose. I especially enjoy supporting young adults and adults who may be moving through transitions, feeling stuck, or learning how to care for themselves amid academic pressures, work stress, family expectations, or shifting relationships.

Much of my work includes supporting people experiencing depression, anxiety, burnout, grief, and the lingering impacts of trauma. I value helping clients make sense of their internal worlds, reconnect with their own voice, and build more ease, stability, and self-trust.

My past experiences include individual and group work related to trauma and crisis stabilization, supporting older adults navigating shifts in identity, memory, and physical ability, and working extensively with children in both academic and therapeutic environments. While my background spans a wide range of ages and contexts, I am open to working with individuals across the lifespan and welcome anyone who seeks gentle, culturally attuned support.

Me When I’m Not a Therapist

With full transparency, I have a very public-facing life due to both the circumstances I was born into and because of my work in art, writing, baking, and community advocacy. I am a 4th Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do and help carry on the legacy of my father who is a pioneer of the martial art form in the Western world. My public presence never overrides the confidentiality or safety of our work together, and I only share this in hopes that my openness supports our connection rather creates distance.

Outside of the things I do, the person I am is deeply introverted and cherishes quiet moments watching a ton of old and new shows with my fiancé.