Mrs. Jennifer Lee

LCSW, LICSW

As a second generation immigrant, racial and cultural identity will often be a part of my conversations and sessions. When applicable, the values and dynamics we carry from our history can impact our present-day patterns and I view this as a beautiful and respectful form of empowerment. When I approach mental health, I seldom see treatment as treating a single topic but more of a partnership with my client as they reclaim their own narratives through the different lenses of their identities.

Beginning therapy can be daunting, even if you have been in the therapy room before. A first session is a single conversation that builds to a relationship- not only between myself and a client, but also with a client and other parts of themselves. We will begin to explore parts of you that are strong and resilient, in addition to the parts of you that have developed unhelpful strategies and have not felt safe. My role is to be your partner on this journey, and that begins with our first conversation where I will ask you how you arrived here and where you would like to go.

People will often ask about their own progress, and be excited to set their own goals. The same way we desire gratification and results, it is natural to seek that in therapy as well. I will often ask clients to imagine the areas of their life that distress them, and where they would like to see that go over the course of treatment. Perhaps this means deep depression begins to looks like the ability to get out of bed on a daily basis. Perhaps this means that unavoidable anxious thoughts become manageable at work or in friendships. A therapist's role is to meet client's where they are at, and I support client's in setting their own goals while normalizing conversations around plateaus and frustration.