My Approach/About Me
My work with refugees and immigrants is the backbone of my therapy practice. My clinical experience in the refugee resettlement program taught me to recognize each client's unique cultural experiences, treat PTSD and trauma, and honor each person's resilience. I have become an investigator of my client’s cultural resources and migration stories, and have learned to not “marry” a particular theoretical model and then apply it to all issues, but instead approach each element individually within the context of the lived experience.
Serving Chinese families in Boston for over a decade has equipped me to facilitate healing conversations with individuals and between generations. By exploring the impact of migration stress (i.e., marginalization, discrimination, poverty, etc.), trauma, gender roles, and intergenerational themes, I apply Murray Bowen’s concept of differentiation in simple, applicable interventions to help individuals establish a healthy boundary, find one’s authentic voice, and achieve optimal self-realization in a collective culture. Differentiation is the process of becoming distinct or different and is a life-long process and project. My work deliberately avoids analyzing an individual’s pathology; rather, I choose to adopt a bird’s-eye view to survey the mutuality, interconnectedness, interdependence, and the impacts of social-political events on family relationships.
Couples also undergo significant challenges in U.S society today. In my clinic, outwardly successful professionals learn to grow their relational intelligence. John Gottman’s method, Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Edward Tronick’s perspectives on discord, mismatch, and the repair of relationships all contribute to my treatment to deal with perpetual issues and couple dynamics in a more constructive way.
The Covid-19 pandemic has additionally created an epidemic of loneliness and ruptured relationships. Coping with uncertainty might be a universal experience, and an individual’s local pandemic is unique in his/her own context, adding specific urgency to pre-existing conditions. As everyone prepares to return to a more complex lifestyle while navigating modern relationships, it is a great opportunity to practice building resilient skills and managing anxiety and uncertainty. My work with my clients emphasizes self-compassion and self-love in order to foster optimal personal growth.
My life experiences encompass living in the Eastern hemisphere and Western hemisphere, and working with people on the East and West coasts of the U.S. I find it enriching to carefully examine issues from different angles and not “boxing people in” with narrowly-defined categories.
My work with refugees and immigrants is the backbone of my therapy practice. My clinical experience in the refugee resettlement program taught me to recognize each client's unique cultural experiences, treat PTSD and trauma, and honor each person's resilience. I have become an investigator of my client’s cultural resources and migration stories, and have learned to not “marry” a particular theoretical model and then apply it to all issues, but instead approach each element individually within the context of the lived experience.
Serving Chinese families in Boston for over a decade has equipped me to facilitate healing conversations with individuals and between generations. By exploring the impact of migration stress (i.e., marginalization, discrimination, poverty, etc.), trauma, gender roles, and intergenerational themes, I apply Murray Bowen’s concept of differentiation in simple, applicable interventions to help individuals establish a healthy boundary, find one’s authentic voice, and achieve optimal self-realization in a collective culture. Differentiation is the process of becoming distinct or different and is a life-long process and project. My work deliberately avoids analyzing an individual’s pathology; rather, I choose to adopt a bird’s-eye view to survey the mutuality, interconnectedness, interdependence, and the impacts of social-political events on family relationships.
Couples also undergo significant challenges in U.S society today. In my clinic, outwardly successful professionals learn to grow their relational intelligence. John Gottman’s method, Sue Johnson’s Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Edward Tronick’s perspectives on discord, mismatch, and the repair of relationships all contribute to my treatment to deal with perpetual issues and couple dynamics in a more constructive way.
The Covid-19 pandemic has additionally created an epidemic of loneliness and ruptured relationships. Coping with uncertainty might be a universal experience, and an individual’s local pandemic is unique in his/her own context, adding specific urgency to pre-existing conditions. As everyone prepares to return to a more complex lifestyle while navigating modern relationships, it is a great opportunity to practice building resilient skills and managing anxiety and uncertainty. My work with my clients emphasizes self-compassion and self-love in order to foster optimal personal growth.
My life experiences encompass living in the Eastern hemisphere and Western hemisphere, and working with people on the East and West coasts of the U.S. I find it enriching to carefully examine issues from different angles and not “boxing people in” with narrowly-defined categories.
