Asian American Therapy

Therapy for Asian Americans in Orange County

Seeking out therapy can be challenging for anyone, especially if you come from a cultural background where mental illness has been stigmatized or simply unacknowledged. You may feel overwhelmed, anxious, ashamed and lost because you’re not sure where to begin or who to turn to for help. Although mental illness can affect anyone regardless of their cultural or ethnic background, there are specific issues that are more common among Asian Americans and/or children of immigrants.

That’s why it’s all the more important to find the right therapist who can understand where you’re coming from, and how to address both the unique challenges and strengths of being Asian American.

If working with an Asian American therapist sounds like it could be a good fit for you, reach out for a free consultation.

Meet Manuela Yim, Asian American Therapist in La Habra

My name is Manuela Yim and I am an Asian American therapist in La Habra. I help Asian American adults, especially children of immigrants, navigate the aspects of their identity that feel hard to reconcile and often seem at odds with each other.

Some common issues Asian American children of immigrants deal with are, a lack of cultural belonging as a result of growing up between cultures, confusion around multiple identities (ie: “Am I Asian or American?”), guilt for having personal needs that conflict with family expectations, perfectionism and burnout related to high achievement, codependency or feeling responsible for the emotions and happiness of others, people pleasing in order to avoid “sticking out” or “rocking the boat”, lack of boundaries between personal and communal/ familial responsibilities, struggling to find their own voice in the midst of other conflicting voices in their life, and intergenerational trauma or residual symptoms from traumatic experiences their ancestors have gone through in war torn, colonized, or poverty stricken countries.

If you’ve been dealing with any of these issues, you are not alone.

I work with Asian Americans and children of immigrants in need of support navigating complex issues in their lives. Whether it’s feeling the need to choose between your own happiness and the happiness of your family, or struggling to speak up at work because of your self-doubts, I can help you reconcile the seemingly conflicting and confusing parts of your unique experience. Together, we can find peace within yourself and your relationship with those around you.

If you’re ready to start working through these common Asian American therapy issues, reach out to me today.

My approach to Asian American Therapy

My approach to working with you as an Asian American child of immigrants is to first acknowledge and validate the unique strengths you have because of your cultural identity. It’s easy to “other” or point fingers at the aspects of a culture that may differ from the dominant culture. However, I adopt a culturally humble approach that acknowledges both the strengths and limitations that can come with the Asian American experience. I bring a wealth of knowledge and experience in working with Asian Americans, as well as draw upon my own experience growing up as an Asian American child of immigrants. This background helps me to understand your context, while also acknowledging the limitations of the Eurocentric bias that can exist in Western therapeutic approaches.

I provide information and education that can be helpful in identifying the role your cultural identity may be playing in the ways you show up in the world. I help you understand how you can tread the balance between being grateful for where you’ve come from, while also growing in ways you find more authentic to who you want to be now.

I realized there is no “one size fits all” treatment, so I spend time getting to know you and your story, and tailor my approach to what would be most helpful to you.

If you resonate with this approach to Asian American Therapy, reach out for a free consultation.