About

kathryn lee, LMHC, Ed.M, M.A

Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here! my name is Kathryn, licensed psychotherapist and founder of kathryn lee therapy.

Therapy is a space where you can express your feelings and explore the areas of your life that have gone unspoken so that you can develop awareness and heal to cultivate life long changes and authentic connections with yourself and others.

I work with clients to manage their anxious thoughts and feelings, to understand and break patterns and tendencies that are not serving them, and to work through relationship issues. In therapy, you will gain awareness and clarity on experiences, past and present, make meaningful changes, and heal from harmful, distressing experiences. We will first address any present day concerns before exploring and identifying the root of your issues so that you can create long lasting and meaningful change in your life and relationships.

While I utilize a trauma-informed, relational, and integrative approach, ultimately therapy will be tailored to your unique situation, needs and wants. As a therapist, my style is to be collaborative, interactive, empowering and practical. My job is to guide and support you in this process; I offer insights, guidance, and when appropriate I may gently challenge you with the aim of identifying potential blind spots, providing a different perspective, and considering a different healthier way of responding. While therapy is hard work, there will also be humor, joy, and growth. I strive to create a non judgmental and compassionate practice prioritizing trust, authenticity, and empathy. With gentle curiosity and compassion, we will learn what it is that you need.

Throughout my career, I have worked with adolescents, young adults, LGBTQIA+ individuals, BIPOC, and the everyday New Yorker, with experience working in various settings throughout New York City, including hospitals and child welfare organizations. I currently work with professionals, executives, and creatives with various mental health concerns including depression, anxiety, trauma (racial, spiritual, intergenerational, childhood, interpersonal and sexual trauma), relationship concerns (including family of origin issues), stress/burnout. In addition, I work with individuals around issues of boundaries, stress, low self esteem, and feelings of guilt, shame, anger, doubt, and loneliness.

As an Asian American therapist, I enjoy working with Asian American individuals surrounding concerns that are unique to the Asian American experience, including navigating family of origin dynamics, generational trauma, interracial relationships and exploring one’s racial identity. Beyond the therapy room, I am passionate about destigmatizing mental health particularly within the AAPI community. I have worked with various organizations and contributed to publications as a mental health and relationship expert.

Areas of Expertise: Depression, Anxiety, Trauma/CPTSD (Racial, Spiritual, Intergenerational, Sexual, Childhood), Life Transitions, Relationship Issues, Feelings of Loneliness and Anger, Imposter Syndrome, AAPI Mental Health

I have lived experience in working through family of origin relationships, healing trauma (generational, religious, relational, racial), navigating intercultural dynamics in relationships, deconstructing and reconstructing my faith in addition to my own struggles with anxiety and depression.

MY STORY

As the eldest daughter of a religious Korean American family in the New York area, I always felt boxed in by what I “should” be doing and who I “should” be. I did what was expected of me; while everything seemed to be “fine” on the surface, my facade slowly began to crack. Years of striving and of burnout led me to develop a string of physical concerns, including IBS, chronic pain, insomnia, food sensitivities. Over these years, I became increasingly frustrated, helpless, and depressed by the lack of answers and support from the medical world and my own personal network. I felt extremely alone and stuck in a vicious cycle. Although I had struggled with my mental health, it was my physical health that ultimately pushed me to confront unresolved traumas and feelings.

When I finally gave myself permission to truly heal I began to see how my experiences impacted my thought patterns, behaviors, tendencies, the people and even careers I gravitated towards. I began to acknowledge that I needed help and support, that what I was doing was not sustainable. Therapy became an integral part of my care. In this process, the more I paid attention to the root of my pain, the more I discovered my most authentic self. I found the part of me that was always there but was never given permission to be; I rediscovered and reconnected with my desire to live fully, to be in community, and to empower others. I found healing within my physical body and never felt better! When it came time for me to consider my career again I knew what I wanted to do.

Both my clinical/professional experience and my lived experiences inform my work. My own negative experiences in the medical field, motivate me to create a safe and nonjudgmental environment my clients. I strive to meet my clients where they are at, to walk alongside them, and to provide them the opportunity to heal and to live a life that they envision for themselves.

  • Ed.M (Masters in Education), Mental Health Counseling, Columbia University

    M.A (Master of Arts), Psychological Counseling, Columbia University

    Clinical Training at Mt. Sinai West

    Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist

    B.A, Political Science, Boston College

  • Acceptance and Commitment (ACT)

    Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

    Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

    Integrative

    Family Systems

    Motivational Interviewing

    Narrative Therapy

    Person-Centered

    Positive Psychology

    Psychodynamic

    Relational

  • Anxiety

    Depression

    Relationship Concerns/Dynamics

    Family of Origin Issues/Conflict

    Life Transitions (Relationship Break Ups, Divorce, Engagement, Marriage, Parenthood, Moving to a New City, Career Shifts)

    Self Esteem

    Complex Trauma

    Burnout & Stress

    Addiction/Addictive Tendencies

professional & Clinical experience

Licensed in the State of NY: 012900

beyond the therapy room