I’m a Korean American trauma therapist and the daughter of immigrant parents who, like many, prioritized achievement over emotional connection. I grew up in a household shaped by high expectations and limited emotional availability, where success meant excelling: getting straight A’s, attending an Ivy League university, and pursuing a prestigious career in fields like investment banking, medicine, or law. My parents’ relationship was also marked by conflict, abuse and ultimately divorce, which quietly shaped how I understood love, safety, and connection.
I followed the path that was expected of me, beginning my career in investment banking on Wall Street. After four draining years, I felt a pull toward something more creative and authentic. I transitioned into fashion, working in strategy at a major retailer before eventually raising capital to launch my own fashion label. Although the business ultimately closed after five years, it sparked something important in me, a deep curiosity about people. I became fascinated by understanding what motivates us, what we long for and what drives our decisions.
That curiosity led me to startups that focused on consumer growth and behavior. But over time, I began to feel disconnected from the work. Promoting consumption no longer felt meaningful. I found myself searching for something deeper: purpose, impact, and a way to connect more authentically with others.
Throughout these transitions, therapy was a constant source of support. It helped me navigate the stress of high-pressure careers, process the grief of my startup’s failure, and cope with experiences of discrimination in the workplace. But it wasn’t until I began my Master’s in Clinical Psychology that I truly understood the extent of my own childhood trauma and how it had been shaping my relationships, my work, and my sense of self.
Discovering EMDR therapy was a turning point. Through this work, I was able to process experiences I hadn’t fully understood before and begin to feel a sense of relief, clarity, and self-compassion that I didn’t know was possible. I’ve used EMDR to treat not only my childhood trauma, but relationship trauma as well as workplace trauma. It transformed my life and it’s the reason I do this work today.
I now specialize in helping individuals who may not even realize how much their past is affecting their present. Trauma doesn’t always look obvious. It can show up as anxiety, depression, ADHD, burnout, or recurring patterns in relationships that leave you feeling stuck, disconnected, or not enough.
My work is grounded in empathy, curiosity, and a deep respect for your story. Whether you’re navigating high achievement, cultural expectations, career challenges, relationship struggles, or a general sense that something isn’t quite right, therapy can be a space to understand yourself and your relationship patterns more fully and to begin creating meaningful change.
You don’t have to carry it alone.