L I M I N A L
S P A C E

 TRANSCULTURAL DISCOVERY

schedule initial session
BUT FIRST...

Where do psychologists come from?

We emerge out of the womb of our doctorate programs with three things: a sweater vest, crippling debt, and a chosen theoretical orientation, a framework of assumptions on human behavior and impulses to assess and treat clients. 

It’s useful for the practitioner, but many orientations are heavily Westernized, perceiving the self as contained and autonomous versus, say, in non-individualistic cultures. And how about for those individuals in a state of flux between these states? Anthropologists would use the term “liminality,” a great word for the space where you’re neither here, nor there—which can speak to the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American (APIDA) experience. 

All clinicians work with a theoretical orientation, but a few utilize theoretical integration, piecing everything into one grand unified theory. And I believe as a psychologist I’ve Voltron’d together a way of practice that will specifically resonate to you in the liminal space.

JamesProfile

CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST | #PSY32947

DR. JAMES LEE, PSY.D.

I have spent over a decade of research and practice to provide a unique and innovative therapeutic approach. I specialize in treating various issues for people of color, including anxiety, depression, and trauma. Most of my clients are high-achieving creatives or employees at multinational companies, such as Meta, Morgan Stanley, Genentech, etc…

In addition, I am sought after for my clinical experience and research with members of APIDA and BIPOC communities. I do consulting and group work for corporations, including the Big Three consulting firms such as Bain & Company.

Envelope Linkedin

TELETHERAPY SERVICES

for california clients via hipaa-compliant software

INDIVIDUAL

Supporting clients with psychotherapy or coaching on issues regarding anxiety, depression, ethnic identity formation, life transitions, substance and alcohol use, spiritual crisis, and self-esteem.

FAMILY

Helping navigate BIPOC families with adult children that have been impacted by immigration, war, poverty, and transcultural process, addressing unhealthy relationship dynamics and communication styles.

SHORT-TERM

Providing short-term Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment (e.g., 6-12 sessions) for adverse experiences and trauma, including racial, intergenerational, and childhood trauma.

TRAINED BY THE BEST

MENTORS

DR. BENJAMIN TONG, PH.D.

Professor Emeritus in the Clinical Psychology Psy.D. Program at the California Institute of Integral Studies, Psychotherapist, Consultant, Writer, Reviewer, Critic, Raconteur, Singer, Tai Chi and Qigong instructor.

More

DR. JOANNE CHAO, PSY.D.

Director of San Francisco Behavioral Health Training for HealthRIGHT 360, oversees clinicians for the Street Crisis Response Team, and former Director of Asian American Recovery Services, the first AAPI program for dual diagnosed.
 
More

DR. BETH BOYD, PH.D.

Clinical Psychology Professor at the University of South Dakota and expert on cultural competency, crisis and disaster response teams, and community empowerment and healing for Native American tribes.

More

“An enlightened executive coach and counselor who embraces the complexities of the human spirit with compassion, wisdom, and clarity for these extraordinary times.”

LInda kim

former managing director at blackrock

SECOND HELPING

NON-profit work

My fee structure is setup to continue my heavy involvement with two nonprofits:

I provide organizational psych consultation for Hui Aloha, an advocate group and innovative community builder for the houseless encampments throughout Oahu, in which Native Hawaiians are overrepresented.

In addition, I am an advisor and counselor (pro bono) for Old Skool Cafe, a youth-run restaurant, job/life- training and violence prevention program located in one of the last-standing African American neighborhoods in San Francisco.  

FAQ

My family and I currently reside in Hawaii, but I provide teletherapy and coaching remotely for California clients. I have lived in San Francisco for over twenty years, in which I’ve held a variety of high-stress, high-pressure jobs, including as a magazine journalist at WIRED Magazine, an EMT on an ambulance, a stay-at-home father of 3 kids, and as a psychologist for clients struggling with homelessness. I’ll answer your next thought: being a stay-at-home dad was the toughest gig.

Originally from the Midwest, I grew up in a city where I was one of a few minorities. As a Korean American, I got to get some great firsthand experiences of racism (overt and microaggressions), I’ve spent most of my life in the Bay with brief stints in NYC and backpacked through Asia for an entire year.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing is a evidence-based treatment that utilizes bilateral stimulation (e.g., moving eyes back and forth) to help stuck, painful memories to lose their emotional/physical charge. The difference with other psychotherapy approaches is that it’s short-term (i.e., typically 6-12 sessions max) and the client doesn’t have to talk about their trauma, only invoke it in memory. More info can be found here: https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr

As a clinician, Dr. Lee was heavily involved in San Francisco’s AAPI community clinics, including acting as the mental health lead for Asian American Recovery Services and helped train counselors at North East Medical Center, one of the first non-profits to serve the medically-underserved AAPI population in the nation. In addition, he was committed to solving homelessness, working with a network of clinics and interfaith groups. He was on the Mayor’s shortlist to serve as executive director of the Dept. of Housing and Homelessness and lead the charge in Honolulu.

As an executive coach, Dr. Lee comes from wide-ranging experiences, including coming from a family of successful tech entrepreneurs and as a journalist, having written for business and technology magazines (e.g., writing features for WIRED, covering Apple events for Rolling Stone). He is currently researching academic literature on telepresence and pursuing therapeutic innovations with VR. 

I utilize the best HIPAA-compliant software to protect my clients for my practice. I use Simple Practice, a HITRUST certified platform and client portal, where you can make payments, schedule appointments, and securely message. Video conferencing is done via encrypted Zoom for Healthcare (works just like regular Zoom). In addition, I use ProtonMail, an end-to-end encrypted email provider with an onion address.

I am a Lyra Health provider. However, my out-of-network rate is $200 for a 50 minute/hour for individual psychotherapy or coaching, which would repeat weekly. Payments are confidential and secured through a client portal (utilizing Stripe Online Payment), which accepts all major credit and debit cards. 

My non-Lyra clients pay me directly and I give them a monthly receipt (i.e., a superbill) for them to submit and request reimbursement through their insurance company. Many clients are able to find coverage for partial or the full cost. I encourage you to ask your insurance company about their out-of-network behavioral health coverage. This link does a good job explaining the details. In addition, clients have found the app Reimbursify to be handy for claims.

My rate allows me to continue working for free as a psychologist to those who are unable to afford it, including the emerging young adults in Bayview and the houseless in Hawaii. In other words, each time you make a payment, you help provide services for those in marginalized communities.

If my assessment indicates a need for a higher level of care or collaboration of treatment, I will refer you to a local in-person provider. In addition, I will not take third-party requests for services; that is engage as a consultant, diagnostician, expert witness, or outside the role of a psychotherapist or coach. I also will not take clients who are court ordered or mandated for treatment, nor work with outside governmental entities or in the criminal justice system. 

CREATE SPACE

Request Appointment
;