Hyunji Kim, M.A.

How I decided to be a therapist

I decided to become a therapist because I have always been interested in understanding people beyond what can be seen on the surface. I believe life is complex, and that joy and sadness, hope and uncertainty, and strength and vulnerability can all exist at the same time. I do not believe difficult emotions are always something that need to be fixed or removed. At times, they can offer important insight into our experiences, relationships, needs, and values.

I was drawn to therapy because I wanted to create a space where people could slow down, feel genuinely heard, and develop a deeper understanding of themselves. I believe meaningful change can begin when people feel accepted rather than judged or pressured to become someone different. Becoming a therapist allows me to walk alongside clients as they make sense of their experiences, recognize their strengths, and develop a more compassionate and grounded relationship with themselves.

How I would like to help clients as a therapist

I believe that choosing to begin therapy is already a meaningful first step. It can take courage to acknowledge that something feels difficult and to allow another person into that part of one’s life. I hope to honor that courage by creating a warm, respectful, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel safe being honest about what they are experiencing.

As a therapist, I do not see my role as having all the answers or telling clients how they should live. Rather, I hope to walk alongside them as they better understand where they have been, where they are now, and where they would like to go. Together, we can explore emotions, relationships, beliefs, and recurring patterns that may be connected to earlier experiences, family dynamics, attachment, culture, or intergenerational influences.

My goal is to help clients develop greater self-awareness, self-compassion, and confidence in making choices that feel authentic, meaningful, and aligned with their values.

What my theoretical orientation is as a therapist

My theoretical orientation is integrative, with particular influences from person-centered, narrative, cognitive-behavioral, attachment-based, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) approaches. I am also especially interested in understanding how family relationships and intergenerational trauma can shape the way individuals view themselves, relate to others, and respond to emotional challenges.

At the core of my approach is the belief that a strong and authentic therapeutic relationship provides an important foundation for meaningful change. Attachment theory helps me understand how early relational experiences may influence current relationships and emotional patterns. Narrative therapy allows clients to examine the stories they have developed about themselves and consider whether those stories continue to serve them. IFS supports a compassionate and curious exploration of different parts of the self, while CBT offers practical tools for identifying and changing unhelpful patterns in thoughts and behaviors.

Overall, I aim to understand both the origins of a client’s patterns and the possibilities for developing healthier and more intentional ways of relating to themselves and others.