Therapy for Korean American women and bicultural lives
Online therapy for Korean and Korean American women, couples, and adult children of immigrants, in Seattle and across Washington State. You don't have to explain where you come from before we can start.
Maybe this sounds familiar
You were the one who filled out the forms, made the phone calls, and read the letters for your parents.
Your parents gave up a lot so you could be here, and you feel it every time you want something different.
Saying no feels like betrayal, even when you're running on empty.
You're accomplished on paper and quietly exhausted underneath.
You love your family, and you need distance from them, sometimes in the same breath.
Your partner doesn't quite get why one call from home can undo your whole week.
None of this means something is wrong with you. It means you learned to survive, and to love, inside two sets of rules at once.
Han, and the things that go unsaid
There's a word for part of this, han (한): the grief, resentment, and things left unsaid that get carried quietly for years. Sometimes it's yours. Sometimes it was handed down. You don't have to explain it to me. We can take it slowly, at your pace.
When being the capable one starts to cost you
Taking care of everyone can become the way you know you matter. You anticipate what people need before they ask. You hold it together for the family, at work, and in your relationship, and there's very little room left for what you want.
Some people call this codependency. I care less about the label and more about what it's like for you to live it. Together we can look at where the pattern came from, what it protects, and what you'd like to keep. You've been the capable one for a long time. In here, you get to put it down.
Couples between cultures
When two people come from different families, and sometimes different countries or languages, the rules can clash in quiet ways: how you show love, how you handle money, what you owe your parents, how holidays work, who gets a say. I work with Korean American couples and intercultural and interracial couples to name those unspoken rules and find a way of being together that works for both of you. More on couples therapy.
Parents, adult children, and the space between generations
Sometimes the hardest conversations are with the people who raised you. Therapy can help you understand your family's story, set boundaries without cutting ties, and find words for what has been hard to say in either language.
How Korean shows up in our sessions
Our clinical work happens in English. I'm conversational in Korean, so you're welcome to use Korean phrases, family sayings, or cultural expressions, and I'll understand what you mean.
Why this work matters to me
I grew up navigating two cultures at once, and it shaped how I understand identity, family, and connection. My style is gentle but direct, with some humor along the way. Read my story.
Practical details
Sessions are online for people located in Washington State. I'm in-network with Aetna, Cigna/Evernorth, First Choice, Regence, Premera, Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare (commercial and Medicaid), and Medicaid Wellpoint, and a limited number of sliding scale spots are available. Full details are on my Fees and insurance page.
Questions
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No. Whether you speak Korean fluently, a little, or not at all, you're welcome here.
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Our clinical work is in English. I'm conversational in Korean, so Korean words, family sayings, and cultural references are welcome, and I'll understand what you mean.
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Yes. I work with adult children of immigrants from many backgrounds. If you've lived between two sets of expectations, a lot of this will feel familiar.
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Yes. I see couples as well as individuals. Couples sessions are $180.
Let's see if it feels right
Book a free 15-minute call. It's a conversation, not a commitment.