Hi, I’m Dayae!
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#142178) and a Korean-American woman living in Los Angeles, California.
Therapy has played a monumental role in my personal growth. During my teenage years and early twenties, I felt lost and directionless, with no one to help me process my thoughts and feelings. I turned to unhealthy coping mechanisms instead of seeking help. It wasn't until my late twenties that I recognized my unhappiness and pessimism. That's when I decided to take control of my life and started therapy.
Initially, I was unsure and uncomfortable sharing my life with someone I had never met. However, therapy changed my life. I began to see the patterns in my behavior and how they affected my mood, thoughts, and relationships. Through therapy, I learned to truly love myself, accept my worth, and approach life with a new perspective. I have grown in empathy, learned healthy ways to express and process my thoughts and feelings, and found genuine happiness.
When I'm not working, I enjoy baking, exercising, traveling, singing, getting coffee at a café, discovering new restaurants, and spending time with my family and friends. I cherish investing time and effort into my relationships.
I want to give back to my clients the valuable insights I have gained. My goal is to empower and help them find how strong and capable they are. The unknown is scary, but I will be there every step of the way.
My clinical experience includes working in schools, children and family clinics, child outpatient clinics, and private practice. I have extensive experience working with young adults who experience a variety of stressors from family, school, and friends, adults struggling with stress and uncertainty, and couples in different stages in their relationships. My clients are a diverse group varying in cultural and ethnic backgrounds and the LGBTQ+ community.
I specialize in guiding individuals through crucial steps, offering direct feedback and actionable strategies to achieve specific goals.
My clients often struggle with:
Choice paralysis- making decisions, getting tasks done
Career- quitting, promotions, career changes
Relationship progress- marriage, breakup, family planning
People Pleasing- difficulty saying no, avoiding conflict
Feelings of apathy and dissatisfaction
I provide support in:
Executive functioning
Clarity in life transitions involving roles, careers, relationships, and school
Tangible tools to improve relationships
Additionally, I work with couples to:
Discuss difficult or conflicting topics
Work through conflict and family dynamics
Rebuild intimacy
Determine future of the relationship
My approach and theoretical orientation are primarily a mix of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Strength-Based Therapy. I use Cognitive Behavior Therapy to help my clients identify cognitive distortions and irrational thoughts, how it negatively impacts their lives, and challenge and shift their thoughts and distortions to bring about positive changes and improvements. My clients improve their emotional regulation and develop healthier coping strategies. Through Person-Centered Therapy, I get to know fully and understand my clients. I give them a safe space to express and process their emotions. My clients gain deeper insight, a sense of independence, and resilience to move forward. With Solution-Focused Therapy, my clients and I work collaboratively to develop solutions to their problems and goals that they would like to achieve in the future. My clients appreciate the directness and focus in creating tangible solutions to their problems. Strength-Based Therapy allows me to help my clients recognize their strengths especially when it is difficult for them to see them. We work on highlighting their capabilities and strengths to use them as tools in their day-to-day.
I have also been trained and certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Gottman Level 1 for Couples Therapy.