Immigration/Acculturation

Immigration/acculturation brings many demands at once: language barriers, a different culture, and new hopes, expectations, and stressors. These changes can cause issues as individuals and families grow and change, especially between generations. Therapy can help you explore your identity and move forward while holding onto what you treasure most. I speak Spanish at a non-native advanced level and have worked extensively with immigrants and the children of immigrants from Latin America.

I am a bilingual therapist fluently in English and Mandarin. I am familiar with culturally competent therapy and service. Born and raised in Taiwan, I have worked and clinically trained in the U.S in various Asian mental health setting including hospital outpatient department, community mental health clinic, school-based mental health services, and private practice. As an Asian American psychotherapist, I naturally connect with immigration and acculturation issues that clients experience.

Many of my clients are first- or second-generation immigrants, some of whom experience stress related to cultural differences between their current and former homes. I respect clients’ decisions to find ways to honor aspects of both cultures. I am against the idea of treating white, American values as “normal” and anything else as a problem. I am also a descendant of immigrants and have the lived experience of being separated from ethnic traditions by past generations who chose to assimilate.

I'm an immigrant from Greece and the Middle East who is now naturalized in the United States. As someone who identifies as racially ambiguous, I'm passionate about serving immigrant communities and addressing cross-cultural dynamics. I know firsthand how branching out while maintaining a connection to your culture can feel impossible. In therapy, I will work with you through a culturally-humble and culturally-affirming lens to help you navigate these challenging dynamics.

I conduct Immigration Evaluations for: VAWA, Hardship Waiver, U Visa, T Visa, and Asylum cases. I work closely with individuals, families, and their attorneys that are seeking legal haven in the USA for a better, safer, and brighter future. Being an immigrant and a child of immigrant parents taught me firsthand the impact of intergenerational trauma and how challenging it is to be the first one to heal these cycles in a community where mental health is taboo.

Experienced in working with individuals navigating acculturation issues as well as the complexities of the immigration process and aftermath.

Recognizing the impact of systemic oppression on immigrants and child of immigrants, processing the attachment trauma that emerges with deportation, immigration, and the destabilization of the family of origin in pursuit of greater opportunities and economic stability.

During my internship at a youth shelter, roughly half of my clients were either immigrants themselves or came from immigrant families. When I briefly worked in community mental health, I got the opportunity to volunteer at a youth shelter camp in San Diego for migrants from Central America. I also have close loved ones who have immigrated from Mexico whom I treasure.

As the daughter of an immigrant, I grew up torn between two cultures. I acknowledge the internal pressure this creates. I love to work with clients on acknowledging their unique experiences as immigrants and children of immigrants. This includes processing: discrimination, immigration, language loss, erasure, survivor guilt, the grief of having family far away, perfectionism, and many more experiences.

I have the experience not only of having, myself, lived and worked in other countries in my adult life, but of having worked with refugees, immigrants, dislocated peoples, expats living abroad, and persons who have returned to their country of origin, as well as, those unable to return to the country of origin. I have an existential and person-centered non-pathologizing lens through which each person's lived experience is honored and is at the core of the therapeutic relationship.

Specialties include: An Immigration Evaluation adds tremendous value to an immigration case. They are critical in detailing a client's mental health, trauma history, and compelling reasons for leaving their country of origin. Through my work with immigrants and their families, I conduct evaluations to assist with the immigration process. I've conducted evaluations for a wide range of immigration cases, including asylum and extreme hardship waivers.

As an immigrant, I can relate to your experience. I have worked with immigrants and their families through all of my training. I look forward to hearing your immigration and acculturation story. I continue to stay on top of immigrant and racial issues in our country so that I can help individuals from various races and religions as they navigate through their racial identity, immigration story, and the challenges that they face.

In addition to providing therapy, I also conduct Immigration Psychological Evaluations to assist individuals and families in their immigration process. If your attorney suggested that you obtain a report from an immigration evaluation therapist, you’ve come to the right professional. I have worked with individuals from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and I’m experienced in conducting psychological assessments.

I am a Salvadorian Mexican American, and I understand the struggles of feeling like you don’t fit in in either culture. The struggles of having monolingual parents, the stress of having to be their interpreter and scribe, parent to your younger siblings and filter what information comes across into your household. Luckily, I was also witness to how hard work pays off and the power of setting goals and doing everything in your power to achieve them.

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.

Together we will explore issues of home, belonging, and identity, as well as cultural expectations, individuality, and choice.

As an immigrant, I understand first hand the challenges one faces around acculturation and assimilation. Going through the immigration process can be scary and the pressure from the society along with family pressure can result in stress while feeling like you don't quite fit in. As your therapist, we will delve deeper around the challenges you face and assist you in feeling confident with yourself and finding healthy ways to cope with potential anxiety that can arise.