Emotional Issues and Attachment Trauma
Traumatic relational experiences and unexpressed emotions can trap us in loneliness and helplessness. When we are overpowered by painful experiences and stuck in emotions like anxiety, depression, anger, or fear, our own power gets suppressed. The healing process involves co-creating a safe relationship in which we can express ourselves without worries of being judged or ignored and without fear of emotional breakdowns that could destroy ourselves or our relationships. This space allows you to release your emotions, to be seen and heard, and to let your feelings flow. It will awaken your transformative power and reconnect with yourself with a sense of genuine and openness. If you have never experienced secure attachment, we can work together to establish and experience it. Together, we will bring your wounded parts back to yourself. In this space, you can also learn to develop healthy communication patterns that will help you be better understood and seen in relationships while seeing and feeling others and rebuilding trust and connections with others and the world.

 

Adolescent Issues and Parental Empowerment
Unlike traditional adolescent counseling, which focuses mainly on adolescents, I emphasize collaboration with parents and empowering families to work together toward their goals. I believe that so-called "problems" exist as adaptations to the environment. So, as parents, we can change the environment to help our children change their adaptive “problems”. Therefore, our children are not fighting their "problems" alone, while as parents, we do not need to feel anxious and helpless about things beyond our control (like changing our children). Many parents have never been exposed to diagnoses like ADHD and depression or issues like LGBT and trauma until their children have one, and you may feel lost in not knowing how to empathize and help with your children’s experiences. In therapy, we can explore how these diagnoses and issues affect our children and enrich our knowledge, skills, and resources to effectively support them through difficulties, promote changes, and establish positive connections and secure trust.

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Couple and Family Relationships
The ideal partner or parent/child does not exist. Intimate relationships are often accompanied by conflicts and pains. We might repeatedly argue or go through a cold war due to similar issues or feel hurt because emotional needs or expectations are not met. Early traumatic experiences can also carry into and influence the present relationships. Relationships can sometimes fall into crisis due to disappointment, misunderstanding, neglect, betrayal, and other factors. I bring a trauma perspective to help you identify the wounded parts, embrace each other’s vulnerabilities and flaws, repair the cracks in your relationship, and create a deeper and stronger connection. Furthermore, differences in personality, generational and sociocultural backgrounds, religious/spiritual beliefs, socioeconomic status, level of education, and so on also influence our communication styles, expectations of the roles, lifestyle habits, and values, which in turn shape our relationship dynamics. In this non-judgmental space, we can set common treatment goals, learn the relationship and each individual within it from multiple dimensions, and enhance the ability to love and solve problems together. 

I am particularly experienced in empowering adult children to re-examine and rebuild your relationship with your parents and empowering parents to repair parent-child relationships. I also work a lot with clients in non-traditional relationships, such as open relationships and situationship, helping you address unique challenges and find a more comfortable and sustainable way of being together.

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Anticipatory Grief, Grief, and Loss
Death and loss are inevitable parts of life—although unavoidable, how we experience grief and cope with loss depends on ourselves. Grief is a common and normal reaction to the death of our significant ones, a breakup, loss of job, health, familiar environments, and so on. Every person’s experience of grief is complex and individualized, and strategies for adjustment and coping are different. I hope to be a stable presence for you through this turbulent journey, accompanying you through the long valley of grief and helping you find your own healing path and resilience. Together, we can integrate the loss into your life and embark on the rest of your journey.

Sometimes, we anticipate an upcoming loss and experience anticipatory grief, such as when our loved one is seriously ill or near death, or when we are about to lose our visa status. This can bring fear, anxiety, helplessness, and sadness. I will help you navigate the impending loss and balance your current life with the upcoming pain of loss. In the face of uncontrollable and unavoidable loss, you can still care for your grieving self while maintaining a sense of control over your life, living in a way that minimizes regret during this phase of anticipatory grief.