A little bit about me:
I was born in Bangkok, Thailand and moved to Canada when I was two years old. My cultural background is Filipino, and I’ve been fortunate to grow up surrounded by people from diverse cultural backgrounds. For example, I grew up hosting international students, mainly from Japan, China, Korea, Mexico, and Brazil, in my family home. As such, culture is an important part of my life, and I love learning more about different cultural traditions and trying new foods.
I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Family Studies at the University of British Columbia, and I am currently pursuing a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology at Adler University.
My approach in therapy is grounded in warmth, empathy and non-judgment, drawing from an integrative and holistic framework. I am drawn to cognitive-behavioural therapy, helping clients challenge unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours, and replacing them with more positive ones. I also resonate with humanistic-existential therapy, which emphasizes the uniqueness of each individual and our common desire for growth, fulfillment, and meaning in life. In addition, I am interested in exposure-based therapy, helping clients gradually overcome feared situations, activities, or objects. Importantly, I am committed to anti-oppressive, culturally responsive practice and strive to serve marginalized and underserved populations.
My clinical interests include working with individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma, grief, and acculturation or immigration-related stress. My doctoral dissertation explores how parenting styles and cultural values influence OCD symptoms in Asian Canadian populations.
In my free time, I enjoy rock climbing, playing the guitar, watching new movies, and hiking.
