Mental health therapy for teens struggling with intense emotions. Dialectical Behavior Therapy – online & in-person in Seattle, WA. 🌼
Parents – does this sound like you?
Your teen experiences every situation with deep emotional intensity. Like a leaf in the wind, the slightest breeze seems to send your teen – and your family – into a spiral. You tiptoe on eggshells around them because you feel helpless on how to support them, and you are terrified that they might make a split-second decision or take things too far. You don’t want to put them through the hospital system, but you want to make sure they get the care they need. If this resonates with you, you’re in the right place.
I support teens who struggle with self-harm, suicidal ideation, and emotion regulation challenges. Using DBT, I will help your teen and your family learn effective ways to manage emotions, recognize behavioral patterns, and develop meaningful life goals. DBT is not a suicide prevention treatment, it’s a treatment to help your teen create a life worth living.
The teenage years are a chaotic time full of growing pains, unpredictability, and confusion, for both you and your teen. If you are looking for a therapist that can provide high acuity care while still allowing your teen the time and freedom to attend school/work, see friends, and live their life, I am here for you.
My Approach:
Healing requires an understanding of your current context, your past history, and your future direction for where you want to go. I specialize in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help you create a life you want to live. In our work together, you will learn more effective ways to manage your emotions, recognize your behavioral patterns, and work towards life goals that feel meaningful to you. I honor and value the expertise that you bring into session, and together we will move you towards deeper healing, self-discovery, and real-world changes.
I provide support for teens and young adults around the following:
- suicidality and self-injury
- emotion dysreguation
- borderline personality disorder
- anxiety
- depression
- post-traumatic stress disorder & trauma
- life transitions & stressors
- self-esteem
I recognize that even with the best intentions, our current healthcare system inevitably causes harm, especially onto individuals from marginalized communities. I am adamant about being in a constant state of learning and self-reflection so that I provide culturally informed, responsive treatment. As a result, I am especially passionate about working with autistic clients and with Asian populations.
Specializations:
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
You’ve tried everything you can, and still…
You struggle to manage your emotions, and you don’t understand why your mood seems to go from 0 to 100 at the drop of a hat. Because you feel so deeply, things that seem harmless to other people cause you immense pain, panic, and distress. You feel hopeless about the future and sometimes hurt yourself in the process of trying to manage it all.
You are in the right place.
Learn more about Comprehensive DBT and how it can help you.
I am intensively trained in DBT and am currently working under the supervision of Drs. Jared Michonski and Erin Miga in the Seattle Training in Adult, Adolescent, and Relationship (STAAR) Fellowship Program. I currently offer Comprehensive DBT in my practice.
My past experiences with DBT include providing DBT-informed skills groups for adolescents with eating disorders partial hospitalization and residential settings, and DBT-informed individual sessions and skills groups to adolesescents with mood disorders in intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization settings. I also have been and continue to be involved in research looking to adapt DBT for autistic young adults.
Asian Mental Health Support
Can you relate to this?
You have gathered the strength to seek out mental health support, but you want to find a therapist who can relate to your Asian identity. You want to work with someone who understands the cultural nuances that come with being Asian (responsibility to your family, respect for authority, academic and work pressure… the list can go on and on!) so you don’t have to explain it all to someone who just doesn’t get it.
You are in the right place.
Learn more about me and my approach to Asian Mental Health.
As a second generation Asian American, I have personally experienced how therapy is often rooted in Western cultural beliefs, and how that can create barriers to care for Asian & BIPOC clients in therapy. I am intentional in my own learning and advocacy work to support clients from the Asian community, especially around cultural nuances that may be overlooked in the Western lens of mental health (i.e. family relationships, acculturation challenges, identity development, and so much more)!
I also recognize that while some of my experiences as an Asian person might overlap with yours, my experiences are not exhaustive of the East Asian, Asian, and Asian American experience. I invite you to bring your own expertise and lived experiences to our sessions, and I make a commitment to you that I will continue to examine my own biases and background so that I can show up better for you in the therapy room.
Autism & Neurodivergent Affirming Care
Does this sound like you?
You are exhausted from constantly having to educate “professionals” about your neurodivergence and what it means to be autistic. You are exploring your autistic identity and want to find a therapist that can affirm your neurotype instead of trying to “treat” or “fix” it.
You are in the right place.
Learn more about my approach to Autism & Neurodivergent Affirming Care.
I strive to continuously educate myself and recognize the ways in which society has and continues to disenfranchise and disables autistic and other neurodivergent individuals. In my research and clinical career, I have had the honor of hearing directly from autistic people about their experiences in the various systems of care in our society. Their stories have both enraged me and invigorated me to be an advocate and to show up better for them.
As a non-autistic person, I recognize my privilege and the limitations of my understanding that come with it. I intentionally seek out autistic voices and lived experiences to educate myself first-hand on how to best support my autistic clients. For example, a lot of my initial learning and continued understanding of the Neurodiversity Paradigm is pulled from Dr. Nick Walker’s work. I also would like to make clear that I subscribe to the social model of disability.
I recognize that my learning will be a lifelong journey. If what I say resonates with you and it sounds like I could be a good fit for you, I hope that we can collaborate together in the therapy space. I look forward to walking alongside you!
Finding a therapist can be intimidating! Here is a little more about me to help you get a feel for who I am:
Note on Fees:
I am currently an out of network provider and only accept private pay. However, I can provide you a superbill that you can submit to your insurance for out of network reimbursements, if that is covered under your benefits plan. Please confirm your coverage with your insurance provider.
Making mental health services accessible is important to me, and I recognize that financial barriers often prevent people from receiving the services that they need. For this reason, I reserve 2 “pay what you can” spots on my caseload to provide reduced-cost services based on individual circumstances. Please reach out to me to learn more.
Office Photos!
