Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
theresa@pragmatictherapyinc.com
Website
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
New York
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Pennsylvania
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
New Jersey
Clinical Social Work/Therapist
Colorado
I'm a .5-generation Korean American immigrant and a psychotherapist with a decade of private practice in New York City. I have been helping people work through their internal struggles arising from traumatic childhoods, a process that first involves establishing self-worth and self-esteem. Through the process of talk therapy clients learn to trust the proces and themselves, and become independent beings, each with their own uniqe identity empowered to confidently manage their relationships, careers, and personal goals.
Throughout my practice, I've encountered a variety of challenges, including conflicts within relationships and families, burnout, dating issues, childhood trauma, substance abuse, and the unique cultural challenges faced by Asian American families. The emotional issues I have helped clients resolve include low self-esteem, shame, compulsive behaviors, loneliness, anxiety, hopelessness, and the search for purpose and meaning in life.
My clinical approach combines Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mindfulness-Based Anxiety Reduction, attachment theory, trauma-informed therapy, harm reduction, and motivational interviewing. I also draw from my personal journey of healing from trauma.
My background includes working with opiod-addicted pregnant women and mothers with HIV/AIDS, as well as counseling individuals, groups, and children at a community mental health clinic in Queens. Additionally, I served as a staff senior social worker at Northwell Health, where I provided individual therapy to medical residents and fellows in a program to address post-COVID burnout.
While my license has lapsed, I hold the qualification of a Certified Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) in New York.
I'm also interested in the impact of social media on mental health, particularly among young women, and I'm committed to addressing climate anxiety in the consulting room.