Hi, I'm Dr. Kim
I'm a Clinical Psychologist, passionate about creating a prevention over cure approach to mental health.
​
I work with young people, mothers and parents to develop emotional vocabularies that create coping strategies for life's tough chapters.
About Me
I’m a mother, therapist, advocate and athlete. I appreciate we all wear different hats at different times in our lives and the season of life I meet people in isn’t their whole story - life is messy and people are complicated. In particular, growing up in today's world comes with an information overload and attention demand that none of us could have prepared for. As a therapist, I am here to help connect the dots to make life easier to manage. The first step in finding the support we need is learning how to talk about what we are going through. Growing up in Hong Kong I know first-hand the pressures and complications that young people and families face. This is a fast-paced, international, competitive city and this impacts young people ae young people feel it too. My life-long passion for working with and supporting young people has taken me from theater-intervention programs, university research, NGO’s, special needs education to private practice. At the core of my training and clinical skill set, is a deep commitment to helping young people understand themselves better so they can self-regulate, advocate and know how to ask for help as they naviage the many challenges of life.
Working in the mental health and the education industry over the last 12 years, the importance of young people's mental health and taking on a preventative approach to mental health has stood out significantly to me. As a clinical psychologist we clearly see the impact of untreated childhood mental health issues - 50% of mental health problems are established by 14 years old. There’s nothing more important to me than taking care of young people’s big feelings (which are usually communicated through big behaviors!) and helping them find less distressing coping strategies. Outside of the clinical work I have a deep appreciation of the mind-body connection. As a Brazilian Jiujitsu (BJJ) brown belt, I support and train with a community of martial artists. BJJ is known as chess of the human body - it is as cerebral as it is physical! The practice has been a monumental part of my life for over 10 years.  It brings my great joy supporting the children's program and watching how this sport empowers and supports their development.
My Education
Doctor of Clinical Psychology (PsyD)
Master in Clinical Psychology (MA)
California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University (US/HK)
​
Bachelor in Psychology (BA)
University of Southern California (USA)
​
​
About my approach with teenagers
I have found that 6-8 week therapy cycles are truly transformative for young people, planting seeds of self-awareness, coping skills and care that can last for years. Whenever I work with young people, I appreciate I am always working with a family and school system.
Therapy is a collaborative process, as ultimately healing will happen at home. Working with parents and fostering a shared emotional vocabulary, therapy aims to improve communication and understanding for the whole family unit.
I believe that open and positive dialogue with adults surrounding mental health and difficult emotions is essential for breaking down barriers and creating a supportive network for young people to thrive.
