Compassionate Trauma Informed Therapy
for adults who struggle with perfectionism, people-pleasing, relationship issues, and unresolved childhood trauma, neglect, and/or abuse
Welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.
Whatever brought you here, I imagine you are curious and yearning to find a safe space where you can tell your story and open those unhealed wounds.
I help stressed out, high performing, and sensitive adults face the painful memories of their past so that they can work towards living a life that feels more fulfilling, less anxious, and more authentic.
Does this sound like you?
You’re extremely generous and kind - you give and serve others, have unconditional compassion for others, see the best in others, and you’re very forgiving of others. But when you think about receiving from others or asking to take up space - you freeze. Receiving is not a verb you’re familiar with.
You’re a high achieving performer - you’re really good at what you do because you're self-sufficient, reliable, and definitely a perfectionist. You have high standards for others, but even higher standards for yourself.
You seem to have it put together - you have a great job, a relationship, you can afford to go on trips, and you have a great style.
But there’s a whole another version of you inside - the one you’re afraid to show others. The one that’s very different from what you portray outside.
You’re Exhausted. Unhappy. Lonely. Aching.
If you’re ready to face the hard stuff you’ve been hiding so that you can actually enjoy the life you’ve created for yourself, then you’re in the right place.
Life is busy.
I understand that you have obligations, responsibilities, and duties to fulfill. I conduct therapy sessions via online using a secure platform so that it is easier than ever to schedule and fit therapy in your life.
If you’d like to speak directly with me to see if we are a good fit, I provide free 15 minute phone consultation. No pressure or obligation to commit!
Here are my specialties
Perfectionism
Every detail matters and if anything is sub-par, your body freezes and your mind is flooded. You feel dread, anxiety, anger, and that inner critic chimes in - “You’re pathetic. How could you fail like this?”. This inner critic motivates you to do better next time but every time it comes up, it feels like it won’t stop belittling you. It’s agonizing. Sure, you’ve achieved a lot, and you probably get a lot of praise and recognition for your performance and achievements. Part of you thrives on it. But deep down you still believe that you’re not enough. Therapy will help you identify where these beliefs and values came from, how they’ve served you in your life, and how they’re holding you back.
Survivors of Childhood Trauma
You grew up in a really dysfunctional family/environment. It’s even hard to put into words what you endured because it’s that painful and you’d rather not talk about it. Your brain randomly flashes moments or images from your past that was really painful and your body goes in fight, flight, or freeze mode. You’re stuck in a constant state of anxiety, you have the worst thoughts about yourself and others, and relationships don’t feel safe. You wish you could tell someone everything that’s happened to you but a part of you is very resistant to this idea. Also, you’re afraid that no one will truly understand. So how could therapy really help? You’ve survived this far, and you feel like you’re actually doing well. But deep down you wish you could tell someone all the ways you’ve been hurt.
People Pleasing Behaviors
The thought of someone not liking you or having negative feelings or thoughts about you feels absolutely dreadful and horrible. You find yourself always paying close attention to other people’s body language, feelings, and you find yourself focusing on what other people want and need so that you can meet those expectations. It feels exhausting though, to always put others first and for you to come last. But you’re deathly afraid that if you put yourself first, you’ll be perceived as selfish and that people will abandon you. You want to be able to put yourself first, to take up space, and to receive - all without feeling guilty and without feeling like your worth only comes from how you serve others.
Relationship Issues
You’re in a relationship but it’s really frustrating to be in it. You smile, you show up, you do things that people in relationships do but you feel like you can’t really connect with that person in front of you. You feel fear - fear that if you showed them who you really are, they’d run away. You feel suffocated - they want too much from you and there’s no room for what you want. You feel resentment - there’s so much you want to say but you bury them deep because you’re afraid of their reaction. You can’t let go of this relationship because you’re afraid of being alone. It’s better to be in this unfulfilling relationship than to be unwanted, right? Whether you’re in a relationship or find yourself in the same type of unfulfilling relationships, therapy can help you understand where these patterns come from and how you can set better boundaries so that you can experience more joy from relationships.
Frequently Asked Questions
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I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist. I received specialized training in systems perspective, which means that I consider the context of your life (i.e. race, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, ability, upbringing, family dynamic, socioeconomic status, generational trauma, and more) to understand your relationship with yourself, and relationship with others. I operate from a non-pathologizing lens and believe that every human being is already worthy and enough. In other words, I want to know what happened to you, not what’s wrong with you.
I’m a very active participant in the treatment process - Figuratively speaking, I come in with a shovel ready to dig with you. I listen deeply to understand, ask questions that you were never asked, challenge you to sit with difficult emotions or different perspectives, and check in frequently to make sure your needs are being met. I do this with unconditional compassion, curiosity, humor, and gentleness.
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My practice is located in Plano, TX. However, I am serving all of Texas and Indianapolis, IN and its surrounding cities via telehealth sessions!
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No, I do not. Currently, everything is provided via online.
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I am not paneled with any insurance. Please see the investment page for more information.
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Therapy is highly customized for each person because everyone has different sets of needs. The number of visits and frequency of sessions will depend on your needs and what’s comfortable for you. Keep in mind that because life can be so unpredictable, some months you may need more visits than others. I will try my best to accommodate to those changes as they come up. I check in with my clients throughout treatment to make sure we are making progress, and we may change the frequency of sessions as appropriate.
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English is my primary language but I can speak, read, write, and understand Korean in limited capacity. You can mix Korean with English in sessions and I am fine with that! (I would actually encourage you to do that, if it feels natural and appropriate to you.) I know that certain phrases/thoughts/emotions are best said or only describable in a specific language so I welcome you to use them, even if it’s in another language I don’t understand!
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I am welcoming of all faiths, spirituality, and religious beliefs. If it’s important for you to talk about them, I encourage you to bring them up in the session. I do not impose any judgment on any beliefs/faiths. I respect and know that for many, spirituality is a crucial part of identity, source of hope, and lived experiences.
Even if you do not subscribe to any faith/spirituality/religion, I welcome you just as you are.