Welcome

Personal strength, resilience, persistence is forged through struggle. There is no way around it. I believe we should not shy away or avoid hardship but meet it head on. At the same time, we should be reasonable in our expectations of ourselves and what we can personally handle alone and when we need support. Especially when our worst enemy is sometimes our own self. I speak from personal experience; having experienced parental loss at a young age, much of my grief was internalized, emotional detachment slowly took place, and self-esteem issues manifested without the guidance or wherewithal to seek help.

Growing up, I had parents that modeled high-integrity and good character but who struggled with personal emotional attunement, as is the case for many, not just Vietnamese-immigrant households. How would my trajectory have changed had I and my family had the presence-of-my mind to process the traumatic death of my father? The question serves to reflect the impact of trauma and the importance of mental health for well-being and personal growth. We neglect our personal care at our own peril and those that we love.

The choice is ours to keep putting off the life that we want to live or choose the comfort of willful ignorance, defeat and helplessness. I believe that within everyone, we have the strength to rise to our true potential, and this work is your life’s work. One that is worthwhile, with much to gain.

Education

Clark University

My Counseling Focus

• Trauma

• Self-Esteem

• Grief/bereavement

• Anxiety

• ADHD/ADD

• Adjustment issues

• Borderline Personality Disorder