I have been researching, studying, and practicing psychology for the last two decades. It is such a fascinating subject to understand why or how people think, feel, or behave. So much has informed me about human suffering and pain as well as what can help people live meaningful lives.

My early experiences in mental health started at the UCLA Intensive Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Clinic, working closely with clients who had severe OCD. I witnessed how people were significantly impaired by their thoughts and patterns of behaving. I was able to help many clients face their fears and limitations.

Later on, I worked at Asian Pacific Family Center in Los Angeles, helping Asian and Latino Americans in the community on mental health issues. It was rewarding to provide a safe space for people to understand their issues and empower them to make changes.

While in graduate school for my doctorate, I was involved in forensic oriented settings including inpatient hospitals and locked high security facilities. I had the privilege to train at the Federal Bureau of Prisons, Federal Medical Center in Butner in North Carolina, one of the most advanced healthcare facilities in the prison system. I helped people with severe mental health issues, extensive trauma histories, and chronic medical conditions. I learned valuable insights to helping those who were most troubled with life and who needed psychological support. These experiences help me understand the complexity of human suffering, the depth of our psyche, and indelible pain we can cause each other.