Rediscovery and Reaching Out for a Brighter Future

Kim

Clinical Counseling Program

Kim was a client at Korean American Family Services for 1 year and 10 months. As a client, she re-discovered herself and she hopes her story will encourage others to reach out for help too.

I first came to KFAM in 2012 for anxious and depressed feeling due to environmental changes. I always felt worried and nervous. I felt a lot of burden in my life and I had relational problems with my parents. After eight sessions, however, I felt better and could control my anxiety and develop a plan for my future. I didn’t have this uneasy feeling inside anymore. I felt better and I successfully graduated from my sessions.

Then, in 2014, I was having problems communicating with my parents, struggling with school and something just didn’t feel right inside. I knew I wasn’t feeling like myself and continuously had bad thoughts in order to ease my pain. This is when I decided to come back to KFAM. I knew something wasn’t right but didn’t know what it was. My counselor explained to me the indicators and what she thought it could be. I learned I was depressed and had mood swings. I didn’t think those words would ever describe me. But all the feelings and thoughts I felt and had were displays of bipolar disorder symptoms. I was stunned but wanted to get better. I didn’t want suicidal thoughts or to feel overwhelmed with thoughts of sorrow.

"My KFAM Counselor changed the way I looked at my life. She gave me hope, motivation and clear steps for a better outcome. "

For the next long and tedious year I worked with my counselor to address the issues that were causing my depressive episodes and found healthy solutions in solving difficult problems. She changed the way I looked at my life. She gave me hope, motivation and clear steps for a better outcome. My therapy sessions with her completely changed me as a person.

Throughout the 24 counseling sessions, I rediscovered myself and I haven’t had a single depressive episode this year. I graduated college in May of 2016 and found a full time job at a nonprofit mental health organization that provides therapy services for low-income individuals.

"I want to help people. I want to give hope to struggling children. I want to help people like how my counselor helped me during my darkest times."

I am inspired me to start a career path within mental health and I hope to go to graduate school to get my master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy. I want to provide therapy services to low income Korean children within Los Angeles County.

I want to help people. I want to give hope to struggling children. I want to help people like how my counselor helped me during my darkest times. I learned you can reach out for support and there are people who are professionally trained to provide these services for you.