Welcome. Therapy is an opportunity for you to breathe, unpack, process, and heal.

Nice to meet you, my name is Joanna. I’m a psychotherapist and Asian therapist in New York and New Jersey, specializing in working with adolescents and adults around issues of identity and self-esteem. Together, you and I will work together to figure out how to get you closer to the life you want to be living and what strategies would be best suited for you and your goals.

I know how nerve-wracking it can feel to take that step of asking for help. I have been there, and I know it takes a lot of courage and strength. That is why it is important to me that you have a safe, non-judgemental space to be who you are so that we can explore and process your emotions together. As your therapist, my role is to hold space for you— space to process, reflect, and examine yourself. What parts of your life could be going better? What is getting in the way of you achieving your goals?  The therapeutic process can be a valuable tool that can help bring you closer to the person you hope to be. I would describe my style as warm, empathic, and authentic.

To others, you feel like an imposter in your career or relationships. You feel like you are flailing through life and constantly questioning yourself. You feel like everyone has it all together while you are barely making it through the day. You feel overwhelmed by your emotions and have a hard time letting things go. 

You are not alone. 

I got into this field because of my personal experience navigating my identity as a child of Asian (Korean and Japanese) immigrants. I was constantly juggling the culture and expectations of my home life and those of my outside world. I thought I was the only one who experienced this because no one around me talked about it.

Over time, I came to realize how universal this experience is. Oftentimes, people think they are alone when going through something. When I saw how this connected to mental health and social justice issues in my community, I knew I wanted to do something to help. This led me to study and train in social work, mental health, and psychotherapy in a wide range of settings including community mental health clinics, crisis intervention programs, and inpatient hospital units. 

Therapy for Highly Sensitive Persons & Empath

As human beings, we experience a wide range of emotions. For some, these emotions are much more present and intense. You might have been labeled “emotional” or “dramatic” by others who do not understand you. Whether good or bad, you find yourself drawn into situations and emotions more strongly than those around you.

As a highly sensitive person or an empath, you have a unique strength to feel things deeply. However, this strength can become a source of stress when you are not able to control your feelings or reactions in your daily life. You feel overwhelmed and misunderstood by others.

Let’s take a closer look at your emotions, feelings, reactions, and more to better understand how you can embrace the range of emotions that come up while also feeling in control and at peace.

I can help you become more confident 

I work with teens and adults struggling with stress, depression, burnout, anxiety, and moodiness. These issues often go hand in hand with self-doubt, self-sabotage, and imposter syndrome. I want to help you become more confident of who you are and develop a secure relationship with yourself and others. We will explore how your past shapes your present, and how you can be more self-aware of patterns and cycles that no longer serve you.

My background and experience has shown me that you cannot understand an individual without understanding the context that they live in. Together, we will explore you, your family, your communities, and society, and how they all shaped and affected who you are today.

My experience has given me the opportunity to hear people’s inner lives, and I consider it a great privilege to listen to their journeys. My approach is non-judgmental and compassionate for you to feel safe and feel heard. 

Therapy for BIPOC, Person of Color, and Immigrant Experiences

As a child of immigrants, I know how complex and exhausting it is to navigate two different cultures, values, and roles. You feel as though it is difficult to find your true identity in a bicultural or multicultural family or as a person of color. There may be times when you find yourself trying to prove to others that you fit in, even when it feels like no one understands what you go through on a daily basis.

As an Asian American woman myself, I see you.

It is challenging to marry the values of these two cultures and develop your sense of self. It is exhausting to experience or hear about racially based incidents that hit close to home. It is hard to find anyone who truly understands the position you are in. 

My professional experience has allowed me to work with people from a broad range of backgrounds and life experiences in New York City and the surrounding areas. Together we can examine the elements of your home life and your new culture. We can discover the values you wish to highlight from each and give you a roadmap to help you create a life that serves you best.

Therapy with Me

Life may not be going the way you pictured it. My role is to be your guide as you examine, explore, and grow a life worth living.

I was drawn to therapy by my desire to help and connect with others. As an Asian therapist in New York and New Jersey, I would describe myself as warm, empathic, and patient. I believe that you are the expert on you, and that you possess strengths and wisdom that have allowed you to overcome barriers in the past. Let’s unearth those strengths and figure out how to use them to help you reach your goals. My ideal client is anyone who wants to seek support, explore challenges, and grow.

Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all process. I will work with you to create a plan that fits your needs. I utilize a trauma-informed and strengths-based approach integrating evidence-based interventions such as ACT, CBT, DBT, MI, existential, humanistic, and person-in-environment perspectives. I value the importance of staying up to date on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology to better support my clients and their goals.

Reaching out for help is not easy, but taking that step can be so worth it. I look forward to connecting with you soon.

Registered New York State Education Department License Number: LCSW 092142

Registered New Jersey Board of Social Work Examiners License Number: LCSW 44SC06147600