Asian Behavioral Health Network (ABHN)

*Telehealth only*

I believe my upbringing as a first generation Asian American raised in a small west Texas town provides me a unique cultural lens into how culture and ethnicity interact with all aspects of our lives including how we see ourselves, approach academics, employment, and relationships. I have 23 years of experience working with diverse ethnic populations. I enjoy working with graduate students, medical students, and working professionals who are experiencing self-doubt, grappling with self-confidence, and are experiencing anxiety or depression. I also enjoy supporting individuals who are struggling with life transitions, work/life balance, and personal satisfaction. I use a variety of theoretical approaches to meet clients where they are, including but not limited to client centered, cognitive behavioral, strength-based, compassion focused, and solution focused therapy. I have had great success helping high achievers, individuals with
tendencies toward perfectionism, and individuals from many walks of life live healthier, less anxious, and more fulfilling lives. If you feel that I can be of support to you, please feel free to reach out to me via email or phone. You can also find more information about me on Psychology
Today. I am in network with all Blue Cross Blue Shield plans.

All people deserve to be loved and cared for. My goal is to provide a space where individuals can share comfortably and be heard. I hope to be someone who is not just there to listen or help with people’s problems but also to walk with them on their journeys. I believe that love is the foundation of care because it strengthens individuals and opens their hearts. Therefore, my goal is to provide loving care to my clients, to build relationships reinforced by trust and security that encourage and guide them.

I received my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree from The University of Texas at Austin in Social Work and Clinical Social Work, respectively. My work experience includes being a school counselor and social worker in the Austin public school system, as well as being a therapist intern at Vida clinic. I am also a Certified Positive Discipline Therapist.

I am particularly interested in working with children, adolescents, and families. I believe that parenting is an important factor in child development and that having a stable parent-child relationship is vital to proper growth. I value hearing people’s stories and learning about their backgrounds because these things help me to gain a better understanding of them. My clients have often told me that they appreciate how I engage them with positivity and affirmation. I do this by utilizing person-centered and strength-based modalities such as expressive art, play, sand tray, in order to meet each person’s needs.

I believe in the therapeutic frame: a dedicated time and place just for you to talk about whatever is on your mind. People may use the space differently. Some to identify things they wish to change (and what gets in the way of change). Others to better understand loved ones and more deeply understand how relationship pattens get reenacted.

Together, we can look at the pieces and make sense of them. We can be curious about what is coming up for you– in your thoughts, feelings and in your body.

I come from a unique background of spending my early childhood in South Korea and navigating the issues of adapting to a new culture after immigrating to the United States. I’m also passionate about raising awareness about the importance of therapy and destigmatizing mental illness in Asian American communities.

My work as a therapist began in California where I received my M.A. in Clinical Psychology and worked extensively in community mental health since 2010 helping individuals to overcome chronic and debilitating issues. Outside of the therapy space, you may find me spending time outdoors with my husband and our three young children, running for self-care and using music and art as my creative outlets.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Board-Approved Supervisor in the state of Texas and have been practicing in the Austin area for over 10 years.

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I am a Pakistani-American Muslim Woman of Color, Texan born and raised, and have learned to take great strength from my bicultural identity. I am bilingual, fluent in both Urdu and English. I believe that identity development is a life-long process – one that connects us to our roots, culture, family of origin, and selves. My own journey to connect to my roots after years of attempting to disconnect from them has shown me how much healing can take place in identifying values and traumas passed down through generations. I have learned that actively working toward incorporating what feels healthy and congruent for me and reconciling what does not has helped me on my ongoing journey toward authenticity and confidence in my identities.

Growing up in a tight-knit Muslim community in Garland, Texas, I am familiar with committed, but unhappy marriages, parent-child conflict, and identity struggles. Being a Muslim in the United States, I know what it can be like to feel different, misunderstood, and even unwanted – and I also know how freeing it can feel to learn to accept yourself fully. These experiences sparked my desire to help individuals and families improve their communication skills and build a shared understanding of love and connectedness both with themselves and their loved ones.

When the day comes when the risk to remain tight in a bud is more painful than the risk it takes to bloom. I stand in awe of your courage to undertake the challenging and life-giving work of therapy.

Together we will explore feelings, thought structures, behaviors, and family patterns; We’ll explore your obstacles as well as your inner strength and resistance.

Our time together will be carved from our common goal of creating a safe space. Here you can experience unconditional acceptance. We will explore the wounded, fragile and vulnerable parts in a safe and healing environment.

I was born and raised in inner-city Dallas as the only child to a Thai-Chinese mother and white American father in a community where not a single other soul looked like me. It was not until my own experience with counseling in college, where I studied Psychology and Social Work at The University of Texas at Austin, that I first began to understand who I was and how cultural systems impacted my self-concept and ability to thrive.

When I am not counseling, I love spending time with my partner of 14 years, hanging out with friends and family, traveling, thrifting, streaming TV and film, finding creative outlets for my inner artsy kid, moving my body ecstatically, singing, trying new restaurants, and attempting to satiate my perpetual curiosity anyway possible. You will soon see that I love dopamine dressing, bright colors, and funky jewelry.