About Me

From the outside my life appears to have taken many unrelated twists and turns: 1st generation Korean American born in Virginia, Competitive Martial Artist, English teacher in rural China, Rotary Scholar of Japanese Literature, Corporate Executive and, for the last eight years, my training and vocation as a Psychotherapist. Yet to me, my life has been a seamless journey whose vortex is formed by a lifelong inquiry into the connection between the mind and the body across many cultures, body disciplines and spiritual beliefs.

I have had the great privilege of studying under, and training with, great teachers from all over the world. My mentors in Somatic Psychology and Psychoanalysis, in particular, aided me in the excavation of my body and mind in history so I could find a way to connect and articulate the vast array of my experiences. The highlights of my athletic, academic and professional achievements pale in comparison to the uncelebrated events that emotionally challenged and fundamentally changed me: the slow recovery from heartbreak, the loss of my religion, the loss of my mother, my struggles in addiction, and the many years it took to rediscover myself and my purpose through my own therapy. These are the events that continually bloom with deeper meaning in my work in helping others find understanding, meaning and freedom.

Experience

Clearview Treatment Program

Venice, California

• Provided individual and family therapy in residential treatment facility for addiction and dual diagnosis
• Lead four groups each week on Trauma, Grief and Loss, DBT, Body Image and Family of Origin
• Oversaw Residential Eating Disorders Program
• Facilitated six inpatient and outpatient groups each week on Trauma, Grief and Loss, DBT, Body Image and Family of Origin
• Conducted treatment planning and case management for aftercare and legal issues

Akasha Center for Integrative Medicine

Santa Monica, California

• Provided individual and family therapy in a private practice setting
• Editor for bi-monthly newsletter

TD Collister & Associates

South Central Los Angeles

• Provided individual and family therapy for Victims of Crime referred by the Victims of Crime Fund and the D.A.

Eating Disorders Clinic at BHC Alhambra

Rosemead, California

• Provided individual and family therapy for Eating Disordered/Dual Diagnosis adolescent patients
• Facilitated Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Family Dynamics groups

Haight Ashbury Psychological Services

San Francisco, California

• Provided individual and family therapy

Education