Therapy for Asian Americans
I help Asian Americans unlearn the survival habits we were raised with — so you can stop performing and actually feel like yourself again.
You’re doing everything you’re supposed to do. Getting the grades, showing up at work, keeping the peace. You try to be the good kid — respectful, hardworking, never causing problems. You hold it all together, even when it’s hard.
But deep down? You’re exhausted. You’re anxious. And you’re starting to wonder — is this really it?
From the outside, it looks like you’ve got it together. But inside, it’s a different story: the constant pressure, the nonstop overthinking, the invisible weight of trying to meet expectations you didn’t ask for.
Sound familiar?
You say yes when you're already tapped out — because saying no feels wrong.
You bottle things up until they explode.
You carry guilt around your parents no matter how much you do.
You shut down in conflict or relationships, and people say you’re “not present.”
You grind nonstop, but rest makes you feel lazy or behind.
You’ve done everything “right,” and still feel like something’s missing
“Every time I visit my parents, I feel like I’m 12 again — criticized, belittled, and unable to defend myself.”
If this hits close to home, you’re not broken.
These patterns made sense in the world you grew up in. Just because you're an adult now doesn’t mean they magically disappear. But that doesn’t mean they get to run your life forever either.
Meet Alex — A Bay Area Asian American Therapist
Hey, I’m Alex. I’m a second-generation Chinese American therapist, raised right here in the Bay Area. And I get it — not just as a professional, but as someone who grew up with the same expectations many of my clients face.
Don’t mess up. Don’t speak up. Don’t need too much.
I know what it’s like to grow up in a family where keeping the peace meant staying quiet. Where success was expected and emotions were... complicated. I’ve felt the pressure, the guilt, the constant need to prove I was doing enough — and I’ve seen how those patterns follow you into adulthood.
That’s why cultural fluency isn’t just a buzzword to me — it’s personal. You won’t need to explain the dynamics of your upbringing. I already speak the language of shame, obligation, and perfectionism.
And together, we’ll start rewriting that story — so you can move from survival mode into something that feels more like your life, not just the one you were told to live.
Unlearn the Old Rules. Live with Freedom, Calm, and Confidence
Therapy with me helps you start letting go of the expectations and family scripts that keep you stuck — and build a way of living that actually fits.
Breathe easier without the pressure to keep it together all the time.
Say no without guilt. Say yes without fear.
Build relationships where you can be real, not perfect.
Rest without feeling like you’re falling behind.
Heal from the past without losing your roots.
Feel more grounded, more clear, and more like yourself.
If you're nodding along — you're not alone. That voice in your head saying “you’re not enough”? That’s survival mode. Not your truth.
I've helped a lot of Asian Americans work through this stuff — and I’d be honored to help you too.
Areas of Specialization:
Intergenerational Trauma
Breaking cycles of pain, silence, and pressure that didn’t start with you, but still shape your life.
AAPI identity
Switching between cultures, always adapting, never quite feeling at home in one. You’re tired of code-switching and never fully belonging.
Model minority myth
Being praised for your achievements but invisible in your struggles. You’re exhausted from always having to be exceptional.
People-pleasing and emotional suppression
You were taught not to make waves. Now your needs feel like a burden, and conflict shuts you down.
Asian family dynamics
You had to be the peacekeeper, the responsible one, the one who didn’t make waves. Maybe no one ever said “I love you” — or maybe love came with strings attached.
Cultural shame and perfectionism
Nothing is ever enough — especially not you. Even when you achieve everything you were told to want, it still doesn’t feel satisfying.
If you’re dealing with any of this — you’re not the only one. And you don’t have to untangle it alone.
What Therapy with Me Looks Like
If you’ve never done therapy before, no worries. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to show up — I’ll meet you there.
We’ll start with what’s real and present: maybe it’s a fight with your parents, feeling frozen during conflict, or carrying guilt you don’t know how to shake. Then, we’ll explore what’s underneath and why it keeps happening.
You’ll learn how to:
Make sense of your reactions instead of beating yourself up
Get better at speaking up and setting boundaries (even when it feels scary)
Understand where your patterns come from and how to shift them
Get to know the parts of you that carry anxiety, shame, or anger — and support them instead of f ighting them
We’ll also use body-based tools when talking isn’t enough:
Brainspotting: helps your brain release emotional stuff that talking can’t reach
Parts Work (IFS): gets your inner critic, people-pleaser, and other parts to stop battling and work together
Somatic Awareness: helps you notice how stress lives in your body — and how to move through it
Cultural Fluency: because I already understand the weight of guilt, shame, and expectations in Asian families
This isn’t just talk therapy. It’s not passive. We’ll practice in the room so you can carry those shifts into real life.