Holistic Therapy for 2nd Gen Immigrants in Granada Hills, Northridge & online across CA
Heal generational trauma,
write your own story.
Erasing yourself isn’t serving anyone.
Maybe you…
are freaked out you will be discovered as a professional fraud by your new colleagues and supervisor.
Are moving your relationship forward into your next chapter but you’re afraid that your parents won’t approve your decision. You long for the freedom to chart your path but you feel obliged to honor your parents’ wishes (and also worry how your family might perceive you).
Have been trying your whole life to serve your parents and bring them happiness after all they’ve done to come here. They don’t talk about the wars, internment, or displacement, but your bones know it’s real. But their expectations haven’t caught up to this decade, let alone this century, and you’re over explaining the new ways.
Were feeling settled about you and your partner’s decision to not have kids, but you’re starting to name your childhood dysfunction and now you’re re-evaluating the decision. What really matters to you, and why? Are you avoiding out of trauma, or because this is what you truly want?
You find all this taking a toll.
You might find yourself…
Ruminating on every comment and interaction in team meetings overthinking what to say, and clamming up
Frequently irritated at your parents –For “respect your elders” comments (or non-verbals) but also feel guilty for feeling that way.
Feeling the tick of your biological clock as you re-contemplate having kids.It’s taking up mental space and you’re having a hard time planning the future. How to decide?
Vacillating between complying with your parents’ wishes and a deep-seated desire to move far away and just do your own thing. 
I’m curious…
how is this working for you?
How therapy for 2nd gen immigrants works
Imagine…
What could change after therapy with me:
Waking up and focusing on your goals for the day, not just appeasing everyone else’s desires.
Confidently speaking up about your opinion in team meetings
Slowing down and being present with what your body is telling you. Honoring your limitations and not feeling guilty.
Feeling more confident and freedom to rewrite your family story. You don’t have to repeat generations of the same behavior.
What do you notice in your body as you picture this?
In our work together, we will…
Slow down, breathe and notice your sensations without judgment.
Gently tap in resources that reinforce your strengths.
Get real about what you actually feel and set intentional boundaries to care for yourself.
Settle into a pace of deeper listening to yourself–all the feels you had to bury to appease your elders, parent your siblings, or caretake your partner. Honor all the different parts of yourself that show up because they are telling us valuable information about what you need.
Dig deeper into identifying what you believe about how to live: not just reflexively doing what’s expected in American culture or your family of origin, but finding what resonates with you.
Recognize and reprocess with EMDR core beliefs that aren’t serving you anymore. Re-wire your neural networks with adaptive beliefs that capture the nuance of your hidden resilience.
Imagine a weekly time when you get to hit “pause” on all the voices so you get to explore and befriend your deep, inner voice.
I’m a second-generation Korean American who’s worked with this population for years.
I am excited to help you…
Break free from old scripts and into a new story
Feel hope of rewiring generational patterns that kept your family stuck
Speak up about your opinions without guilt
Practice self-acceptance and compassion
Not shrink back out of fear and show up more fully in relationships
Embrace your full multi-cultural identity without shame.
FAQ
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Generational trauma refers to trauma responses that have been passed on from one generation to another, often unconsciously. Research shows that descendants of Holocaust survivors have altered stress hormone regulation due to changes in how certain genes respond. Ways of behaving, thinking and believing that have been normalized in your family don’t have to be that way anymore. Once you recognize it, you can do something about it. Coming to therapy is a great first step to take back your family’s story.
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Therapy with me can empower you to find your voice when all the voices of your elders threaten to drown yours out. Rather than being forced to choose between them and you, you get to dig deeper and navigate the subterranean levels of your heart– what desires, yearning, and values matter to you. Let’s imagine a life worth living from this place.
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You don’t need to spell out all the details of the mental load of carrying a bicultural identity–I get the nuances of trying to fit in at home, work, with friends, and not always feeling like all of you gets to show up. The cumulative weight of micro-aggressions, code-switching, of not feeling like you have to be on guard in certain settings, is a lot. Along with my lived experience as a Korean American, I have over ten years of working with BIPOC individuals who can let down their guard and breathe a little deeper when we’re together.
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You can expect a time that’s completely carved out for whatever emotions, beliefs, thoughts and sensations occupy you. I will be deeply present with you. You will feel space to share whatever part of your story feels right to you, and we will identify some goals that align with you. You may feel yourself unclench and unfurl as you relax and welcome all parts of yourself.
Your family’s past doesn’t have to dictate your future.
Let’s re-write the script together.Book a free 20-minute phone consult today.
