Racial Identity

I am Half-Korean and Half-Italian, and my parents are 1st and 2nd generation immigrants to the US. Therapy has historically been a "white" thing to do, and has not always been a safe experience for people of color. I enjoy working with people of all intersecting identities, and work to remain culturally humble as a person and clinician. Therapy can be a helpful place to address issues related to racial identity, racial trauma, or navigating multiple cultures.

I am a cultural worker and community organizer of Historic Filipinotown. Additionally, I have provided mental health services and inclusive programs for BIPOC communities that address ethnic development, acculturation, and cultural values.

I have experience working with folks who want to process their racial and cultural experiences and the ways in which they are impacted. I have also worked with people who feel disconnected from their racial and cultural identities.

I can accompany you in your journey of navigating the complexities of being your true self in a society that may not value your unique point of view. You may face competing demands to fit into mainstream American society and into your respective cultural groups. This may lead to having double or triple the expectations, as you are trying to please various audiences. I can assist you in making sense of the different contexts you have existed in and how these have influenced your wellbeing.

We are a multicultural practice specializing in Asian American mental health and BIPOC populations. Our providers identify with AAPI identities in one way or another. We merge our lived experiences with specialized clinical training to give you the most effective, culturally sensitive mental health care.

As a black man in America i first hand understand and have the lived experience of what it is like being black in this country. As a first generation African American, i also have the lived experience of being raised in two different cultures and navigating the different cultural dynamics.

Race means a multitude of things depending who you ask. I have been working with BI&POC communities my entire career with a specialization in mixed individuals navigating their own identity.

At my other practice, Anise Health, I work with clients from the Asian and Asian American community, and we specifically specialize in giving culturally-responsive care. I have been working with clients who are first-generation immigrants, children of immigrants and refugees, and biracial clients and helping them understand their racial identity more, in addition to helping them understand their generational trauma and relationship with their parents.

As a multiracial person myself, I understand the complexity of race and culture and it impacts our sense of identity, self and belonging. In order to develop a positive sense of self, it is imperative that we be allowed to explore and connect to these aspects of ourselves. It is my passion and pleasure to be able to provide this space to my clients of all backgrounds and experiences, and especially to those who are trans or interracially adopted or those from multiracial homes.

Exploring topics of racial, cultural, and ethnic background as it relates to one’s family origins and personal identity.

As a Black woman who experienced the harm of engaging with multiple systems of oppression, I have worked intentionally to learn how best to support individuals struggling to be themselves in unwelcoming environments. When exploring identity formation and challenging past ideas of self, I employ a step by step model to create space for reflection, acknowledgement of resilience, and integration of the full self.

I am mixed-race Chicanx and racial identity is something that I have been navigating since early childhood. In that way, much of my relationship with racial identity and mental health is informed by the concept of belongingness and thwarted belongingness as well as systemic oppression.

Our aim is to facilitate discussions on fostering and promoting positive racial identity, racial consciousness, and addressing internalized biases. Through multicultural counseling techniques and identity exploration, we empower clients to navigate the complexities of race and racial identity with confidence and authenticity.

Much of my graduate level research and training has been in understanding the complex racial identity development of people of color and White individuals. My dissertation research included examining how Black clients responded to White therapists who overtly broach cross-racial differences in the therapy session.

My expertise is in helping people with multicultural backgrounds integrate their various cultural and racial identities in order to resolve their internal multicultural dissonances.

As a Black therapist, I will give you the space to process your identity and racial trauma, as well as, any challenges that come with navigating a white supremacy society.

I use a mixture of lived experience and clinical knowledge to support my clients in exploring and feeling empowered within their racial identities. It can be a complex and vulnerable thing to explore what your racial identity means to you. Having a therapist that can guide and support that exploration and self-understanding without judging or having any kind of feels about it can be liberating! I love creating that space for BIPOC folks to exist and explore themselves without judgement.