Welcome! I’m Justin, and I’m passionate about helping people navigate these moments of uncertainty, self-discovery, and transition. I believe that everyone deserves the opportunity to explore who they are, what matters to them, and what kind of life they want to create, without judgment or pressure to conform to someone else’s expectations.

Growing up and finding your place in the world isn’t always easy. Between navigating family expectations, figuring out who you are, making decisions about school or your career, and trying to build meaningful relationships, life can sometimes feel like an endless series of questions without clear answers.

Maybe you’re a teenager trying to understand your identity while feeling pressure to fit in. Maybe you’re a college student wondering whether you’ve chosen the right path. Or perhaps you’re a young professional who has spent years pursuing what you thought you should want, only to realize you’re not entirely sure what you actually want for yourself.

If any of this resonates with you, you’re certainly not alone.

As a physician, educator, and life coach, I’ve had the privilege of working with individuals from diverse backgrounds and at different stages of their lives. My experiences have taught me that sometimes what we need most isn’t someone to tell us what to do, but someone who will listen, ask thoughtful questions, offer perspective, and help us discover our own path forward.

Life Coaching with Me

I view life coaching as a collaborative partnership centered on two goals:

1. Helping you gain clarity about your values, strengths, priorities, and the direction you want your life to take.
2. Empowering you to take meaningful action by developing practical strategies, building confidence in your decisions, and creating realistic goals. I also love looking at data, and am more than happy to help you research to make informed decisions as well.

Our work together begins with getting to know you. We’ll explore your background, your experiences, the challenges you’re navigating, and what you hope to accomplish. From there, we’ll identify meaningful goals and develop actionable steps toward achieving them.

I recognize that growth is rarely a straight line. Our priorities change, unexpected challenges arise, and sometimes the goals we initially set no longer reflect who we are becoming. That’s completely okay.

My role isn’t to provide you with all the answers. It’s to help you ask the right questions, recognize the strengths you already possess, and feel more empowered to make decisions that align with your authentic self.

Areas of Focus

Adolescence and young adulthood are periods of tremendous growth, but they can also bring uncertainty, pressure, and difficult decisions.

Whether you’re transitioning into high school, preparing for college, adjusting to university life, or trying to figure out what comes next, it can feel overwhelming to balance your own interests with the expectations of parents, teachers, peers, and society.

Throughout my career, I’ve worked extensively in education and mentorship, including middle and high school education, academic advising, college admissions counseling, and teaching students from diverse backgrounds.

These experiences have given me an appreciation for the academic, social, and personal challenges that young people face.

I believe young people benefit from having supportive adults who take their perspectives seriously, encourage curiosity, and empower them to make decisions for themselves.

My goal is to be one of those supportive figures as you navigate the next chapter of your life.

Career Exploration, Professional Growth, and Life Transitions

There’s often an expectation that we should know exactly what we want to do with our lives.

Choose the right major. Get into the right school. Find a successful career. Keep moving forward.

But what happens when you begin questioning whether the path you’ve chosen is actually the one you want?

Perhaps you’re uncertain about your career direction, considering a major professional change, or struggling to reconcile your personal interests with expectations from family or society.

Having navigated several educational and professional transitions myself, and having mentored students and trainees throughout my career, I appreciate how challenging these decisions can feel.

Rather than focusing solely on conventional definitions of achievement, I hope to help you develop a vision of success that reflects your own values and priorities.

LGBTQ+ Identity, Self-Discovery, and Authenticity

Discovering and embracing your identity can be both exciting and challenging, particularly when your sense of self doesn’t align with the expectations of your family, community, or society.

For LGBTQ+ adolescents and young adults, questions surrounding sexual orientation, gender identity, relationships, belonging, and self-expression can be especially complex.

You may be asking yourself:

• How do I become more comfortable and confident in who I am?
• How do I navigate expectations from my family or cultural community?
• How do I build meaningful friendships and relationships where I feel accepted?
• How do I make decisions about coming out, or whether I want to come out at all?
• How can I pursue my own goals while maintaining relationships with people who may have different expectations of me?

As a gay Chinese American physician with a professional focus on LGBTQ+ health, I recognize how deeply identity, culture, family, and community can shape our experiences.

I am particularly passionate about supporting LGBTQ+ individuals and those navigating multiple cultural identities. My goal is to create an affirming, nonjudgmental space where you can explore these questions at your own pace, without feeling pressured toward any particular decision or outcome.

Together, we can explore your values, identify supportive relationships and resources, and develop practical strategies for navigating life with greater confidence and authenticity.

Cultural Identity, Family Expectations, and Finding Your Own Path

For many individuals, particularly those growing up in immigrant or multicultural families, personal decisions can feel inseparable from family expectations and cultural values.

You might feel torn between pursuing independence and honoring your family’s sacrifices. Perhaps you’ve grown up with strong expectations around academic achievement, career success, relationships, or what it means to be a good son or daughter.

You may deeply value your family while also wanting the freedom to make your own choices.

These experiences can be particularly complicated when navigating LGBTQ+ identity alongside cultural or familial expectations.

As a Chinese American who grew up in Los Angeles, I appreciate the importance of approaching these conversations with cultural humility, nuance, and respect.

Our work together may focus on clarifying your own values, developing communication and boundary-setting skills, navigating difficult decisions, and finding ways to honor your relationships without losing sight of your individuality.

I don’t believe there is one correct way to balance cultural identity, family, and personal independence. My hope is to help you discover what that balance looks like for you.

My Coaching Approach

My approach is collaborative, strengths-based, culturally responsive, and action-oriented. I draw upon established coaching frameworks while recognizing that every individual brings their own experiences, values, and goals. I believe that some of the most meaningful conversations begin with a simple question: What kind of life do you want to create for yourself? I’d be honored to explore that question with you.

Person-Centered: I believe you are the expert on your own life. My role is to listen with curiosity, understand your perspective, and support your ability to make informed decisions. I strive to create an environment where you feel respected, understood, and comfortable being yourself.

Strengths-Based: We often spend so much time focusing on what we lack that we overlook the strengths and resources we already possess. Together, we’ll identify your abilities, past successes, and sources of support, and explore how you can build upon them.

Solutions-Focused: While understanding challenges is important, I also believe in translating reflection into meaningful action. We’ll work collaboratively to identify realistic goals, explore possible solutions, and develop practical steps toward the changes you want to make.

Values-Driven: Rather than defining success according to external expectations, we’ll explore what matters most to you. My hope is to help you make decisions and pursue goals that reflect your own priorities and aspirations.

Above all, I approach coaching with the belief that meaningful growth comes from feeling empowered to make choices for yourself, rather than being told who you should become.

A Little About Me

I am a family medicine physician, educator, and LGBTQ+ healthcare fellow at UCLA, where I also serve as a Clinical Instructor. I completed my medical training at Boston University School of Medicine and my Family Medicine residency at Keck Medicine of USC, where I served as Chief Resident. I also hold a Master of Science in Global Medicine from the University of Southern California. Throughout my career, I’ve been passionate about education, mentorship, and advocacy. My experiences include teaching and counseling middle and high school students, college admissions advising, medical education, sexual health education, and supporting LGBTQ+ communities. As a gay Chinese American born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles, I bring both personal perspective and professional experience to my commitment to helping young people navigate identity, belonging, and life transitions.

Outside of my clinical and educational work, I am actively involved in community organizations focused on reproductive health, LGBTQ+ advocacy, and expanding access to inclusive healthcare. I am a run club/Lagree/Bunda regular, LA foodie, and wannabe polyglot currently working on my Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish speaking skills!

Life coaching is a goal-oriented, nonclinical service and is not a substitute for psychotherapy, psychiatric care, or other mental health treatment. When appropriate, I can help clients identify additional resources and professional support.