Hi, I’m Jacqueline!

I grew up in a Chinese, immigrant, multigenerational household in the East Bay Area and spent most of my adult life living in San Diego. As the oldest child of immigrants, I was the first in my family to do a lot of things – be born in the United States, graduate college, go to therapy, and marry outside of my race/culture, just to name a few. As much as these experiences have positively shaped who I am today, they were not easy and I often felt alone navigating life and the heavy weight of cultural expectations. 

I believe we all deserve to experience belonging in a socially just world where we feel safe, understood, loved, and deserving of a life of dignity. As a therapist, my goal is to help people navigate life – especially when it feels hard and lonely – to find a sense of belonging and access the resources and power to determine their own futures.

I am a therapist and I am also a community organizer, social worker, and restorative practices facilitator. I have over a decade of professional experience as a nonprofit leader, advocating for youth, community power, mental health, workers’ rights, and alternatives to incarceration.

Working With Me

I want to acknowledge that starting therapy (especially if it’s your first time!) can feel scary and daunting and finding the right therapist for you is so important. Therapy with me is warm, collaborative, and deeply relational. I encourage curiosity, humor, and reflection in sessions. I strive to cultivate a strong therapeutic alliance and create a brave and supportive space where you feel safe to be yourself. Together, we’ll go through the process of learning and unlearning, discovering your true self, healing past traumas, and challenging yourself to grow.

We’ll begin with a conversation about what brings you to therapy and where you are in your journey. I may ask you questions about your background and cultural identity, support system, interests, coping skills, thought patterns and behaviors, and more. I believe that you are the expert on your own life and as your therapist, I am a companion and guide. 

I am passionate about psychoeducation and bridging the micro and macro, balancing individual and community healing with the importance of understanding the systems and environments around us that continue to cause harm. I use a combination of Narrative Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Bibliotherapy, and Mindfulness and Somatic Practices. 

Therapy for Anxiety

Anxiety can be crippling. The internal feelings of worry, pressure, and panic that you can’t control affect all aspects of your life. I have spent my entire life as an anxious person and have sought help managing and identifying the root causes and triggers of my anxiety. I understand how painful it can be when anxiety takes over and also the joy of what life can feel like when anxiety is not in the driver seat. Through self-exploration, identifying triggers, and somatic work, I can help you find your center and access the tools you need to lead a more empowered, authentic, and grounded life.

Therapy for Burnout, People-Pleasers, and Highly Sensitive People/Empaths

We spend so much of our waking hours at work trying to survive capitalism and a culture of hustle and overworking to the point of burnout. We are socialized to see overworking as a badge of honor and a symbol of our self-worth. I’m here to tell you it is not. It is easy to get caught in an unforgiving stress cycle, especially for people who are also people-pleasers, perfectionists, and highly sensitive or empaths. 

Working together, we’ll take a step back to explore what’s important to you, your values in life, what brings you joy and energy, and what boundaries you can set to live a healthier and more balanced life.

Therapy for Grief & Loss

Grief and loss is one of the most universally human experiences and yet it can be lonely and isolating. Whether you are experiencing the grief of losing a loved one, anticipating a death, collective grief, or grieving the end of a marriage or friendship, therapy can be a healthy place to process your grief and any other complex emotions that are connected to that grief. I will be there to help you hold the emotional weight of grief and be present with you as you make meaning of your experience.

It is an honor and gift for me to join you on your journey towards the life you want to live.

Registered California Board of Behavioral Sciences Number: ASW 132302

Supervised by Nadia Islam, LCSW 24725