IN-PERSON THERAPIST IN OAKLAND, CA & ONLINE ACROSS CA
What if being enough wasn’t something you had to earn?
Somatic & EMDR therapy for Asian American adults in Oakland and online throughout California. Specializing in anxiety, burnout, relationships, & more.
To everyone else, it probably seems like you’re doing just fine. But inside, you’re wondering why it still feels so hard to just exhale.
No one would know it by looking at you, but inside your mind the pressure never lets up. You hold yourself to impossibly high standards, and no matter how much you accomplish, there’s always something more about what you should be doing. You spend so much time thinking about how you should feel and what other people need from you that you may not even be sure what you want anymore.
So, you keep pushing. You take care of what needs to be done, show up for the people who count on you, and tell yourself you’ll slow down when things settle. But they never do, You’re exhausted, and even the relationships that matter most can leave you feeling lonely, resentful, or misunderstood.
You grew up knowing that your parents or grandparents sacrificed so much to give you opportunities they never had, and you’re deeply grateful for everything they’ve done. That gratitude can make it difficult to acknowledge the parts of your upbringing that hurt, or to admit when the life you’ve built doesn’t feel entirely like your own.
You’re still untangling how family expectations and intergenerational trauma shaped what you expect from yourself, what you believe you owen other people, and how much space you’re allowed to take up in your own life.You may already understand where these patterns come from, but knowing why you feel this way hasn’t made it any easier to change it.
You may already understand where these patterns come from, but knowing why you feel this way hasn’t made it any easier to change it.
You’ve done everything you can think of—so, why do you still feel stuck?
Maybe you…
Keep raising the bar for yourself, convinced that once you achieve one more thing, you’ll finally feel like you’ve done enough.
Finally crawl into bed after a long day, and your brain immediately starts criticizing everything you said in that meeting, pointing out all the ways you should’ve done better.
Feel caught between honoring your family’s sacrifices and expectations, and building a life that’s true to who you are.
Keep it together on the outside, while inside you’re bracing for the smallest mistake or changes of plans to send everything off the rails.
Keep having the same arguments with your partner, no matter how hard you try to resolve them, and wonder if you’ll ever feel truly secure and understood in your relationship.
Spend so much energy trying not to disappoint your parents, partner, boss, or friends that you’re no longer sure what you actually want.
Hi, I’m Laura
I believe therapy should help you do more than understand yourself—it should help you experience real change.
I understand the Asian American experience firsthand: how cultural expectations, family dynamics, and intergenerational trauma can impact the way you see yourself, your relationships, and what’s expected of you.
I know what it’s like to feel like everything is yours to carry—to have the plan, anticipate what could go wrong, take care of everyone else, and fix things when they fall apart. All while the exhaustion, fear of letting someone down, and pressure of feeling responsible for everyone and everything stay hidden by a smile.
I also know that the work we’ll do together can help you move through life with more ease and joy—because I’ve experienced that transformation in my own life.
Therapy with me is a space where you don’t have to perform, prove yourself, or have all the answers.
Together, we’ll get curious about the patterns that have kept you stuck, helping you reconnect with yourself, feel more grounded in your everyday life, and create lasting change that goes beyond insight alone.
You don’t have to earn what was already yours.
How I can help
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When your mind won’t slow down and it feels like you’re always anticipating the next problem, therapy can help you quiet the constant mental noise, feel more grounded, and move through life with greater ease.
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You’re getting through your days, but lately it feels like you’re just going through the motions. Depression therapy can help you reconnect with your feelings, understand what you need, and find more meaning, energy, and fulfillment in your life.
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No matter how much you accomplish, your mind is quick to point out what you should have done better. Therapy for perfectionism can help you loosen the pressure to always get it right, handle mistakes without spiraling, and feel confident in yourself without having to constantly prove your worth.
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When you’ve spent years pushing through, holding everything together, and putting yourself last, it’s easy to lose touch with what you need. Therapy can help you recover from chronic stress and build a life that feels more sustainable.
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Whether you’re struggling with boundaries, communication, or recurring patterns, therapy can help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface and create relationships that feel more connected, authentic, and secure.
My methods
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Healing isn’t just about changing the way you think—it’s about helping your body feel safe, too. Somatic therapy helps you reconnect with and regulate your nervous system so lasting change feels possible, not forced.
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Past experiences can continue to shape the way you see yourself and relate to others long after they’re over. Attachment-Focused EMDR helps you process those experiences so you can respond from the present instead of old survival patterns.
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One part of you knows you don’t have to get everything right, while another still panics at the thought of making a mistake. Parts work can help you understand the different parts of yourself with curiosity and compassion, so the ones that learned to criticize, control, or push you can begin to feel safer.
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You keep getting pulled into the same arguments, leaving both of you feeling hurt, misunderstood, and disconnected. Couples therapy can help you understand the patterns keeping you stuck, communicate differently, and build a relationship where you both feel more secure, supported, and connected.
Getting started is simple
Reach Out
We’ll start with a free consultation where you can share what’s been weighing on you, ask questions, and get a feel for what it would be like to work together.
01
Slow Down
In our work together, we won’t jump straight into “fixing” things. Instead, we’ll take the time to understand patterns, experiences, and protective strategies that have helped you get this far.
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Create Change
Our sessions allow your mind and nervous system to experience freedom from judgement, shame, and criticism. Over time, your inner voice becomes more confident and compassionate , so you can live with more ease.
03
YOUR NEXT CHAPTER BEGINS HERE.