Therapists

Life can be like a “choose your own adventure” story. This adventure typically starts in adolescence, when we become aware of the choices we have in front of us. We experience an eagerness to soar and to explore all that life has to offer. In adulthood, one of the most consequential choices we can make is who we would like to share life with as we set out to co-create our story’s development. Then, as a parent, we want to impart wisdom to our growing children, to give guidance on the choices they are making. Eventually, we come to terms with letting go and supporting our children as they create their own adventure. 

One of the joys of a “choose your own adventure” book is that we can go back and start over again. Didn’t like how the story ended? Start over at page 1 and make different decisions; explore different directions! In real life, however, there is no opportunity to start over. Choices we make cannot be erased, and we live out consequences to decisions that we may regret. Setbacks like this can leave us feeling stuck and maybe even hopeless.

I would like to offer a different perspective.  What if setbacks created space for something more, something greater than what we could ever hope for or imagine? I believe each person and each family has a unique story of resilience waiting to be written. When we slow down, process the challenges we have faced, and give ourselves a chance to gain a new perspective, we are setting the stage for a new chapter of resilience and hope.

Whether your story began in a deeply disadvantaged place, or the seasons of life have been more challenging or tragic than you hoped, or if you are currently at a crossroads that will significantly impact your or your family’s future – your story is not over. It is worth being told. 

Getting to know me

The theme of my vocational life bears the mark of Rehabilitation. I began my career as an Occupational Therapist at a children’s hospital, working with families with children and youth with special needs in both inpatient and outpatient settings. From there, I transitioned to a prison ministry, providing supportive care and faith-based programs for prisoners. I led group work with adolescents to process events that led them to prison and walked alongside adult prisoners and their families living out ramifications of imprisonment on the family. In both roles, I bore witness to the sacred space of pain, resiliency, love and hope.

Concurrently, over the past 15 years I had the privilege of providing pastoral care and journeying with teenagers and young adults as they navigated major life milestones. Cross-cultural trips throughout East Asia to serve the underprivileged has also broadened my perspectives beyond the cosmopolitan city, Singapore.

In all areas of my work, and in my relationship with my husband, my guidepost has been “Love always hopes, always perseveres.”  Love connects people, transcending time, culture and space. My experience of love through my faith has shown me that there is hope in every relationship and situation. 

At The MFT Clinic, I work under the supervision of Dr. Wendy Smith, PsyD. My therapeutic approach is narrative, experiential, psychodynamic, trauma-informed, and faith-sensitive. When working with individuals, couples, and family clients, I look for the stories that they tell themselves. I am curious about what led to the development of their narrative and how they have interpreted their experiences. In therapy, my goal is to help clients process the pain of their past and co-create a new unique story that includes flourishing, wholeness and healing, leveraging their strengths in new ways. It is a true honor to be invited to come alongside my clients to set the stage for new chapters of hope and growth.

“What a privilege it is to dive deep and journey with fellow human beings on this path called life, discovering alongside precious souls: their beauty, their potential and unique design, and how amidst brokenness, their space to shine.”  - Amber