The longer version…

My background…

I was born in Taiwan and immigrated to Southern California when I was 4 years old. I am that “third culture kid”.

I have been in Washington state for over 10 years now.

I graduated with my master’s degree in Social Work from USC in 2011. I believe my social work training was pivotal in viewing mental health conditions in the context of someone’s environment and the society/culture they are a part of. It really instilled how to work with individuals from a social justice and anti-oppression lens in my work.

My professional experience has mostly been in the medical setting as a medical social worker, both in hospitals and outpatient/primary care settings, providing acute, short-term, and long-term support and therapy. I have supported many individuals and families through navigating the complex healthcare system, adapting to and making sense of their chronic health conditions and its impact on mental health and wellbeing, and the frustrations of the larger ecosystem we live in.

My therapeutic approach is anchored in…

• Humanistic & existential philosophy — I value your individual lived experience and believe you are the expert in your life. I look to you to teach me and help me understand your perception and understanding of the world.

• Collaboration & partnership — I value your input into your therapy journey to make sure what we’re working on in session is what’s most important to you. I expect you to let me know if something isn’t working well and/or if you want to shift focus.

• Humility & compassion — This is related to the first bullet point. I am grateful for your trust in me as your guide through your journey in therapy.

• Humor & creativity — I value the use of humor (when appropriate) because it’s such a fundamental human experience that helps strengthen the therapeutic alliance and helps make therapy more fun. I value outside-of-the-box thinking — including pop culture and gaming — especially if it helps you connect the dots in therapy.

• Growth & improvement — I value continuous growth for my clients and for me as a therapist. I appreciate honest feedback from my clients to make sure they’re receiving the most relevant care from me and to improve my therapy practice.

Fun facts?

I have 3 cats, who sometimes make an appearance in session. If that is bothersome to you, please let me know and I can make sure they won’t sneak into my office during sessions. I enjoy eating all kinds of food, weightlifting, podcasts (sci-fi and horror audiodramas and boring podcasts that help me learn), video games, board games, and philosophy.