Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna S. Kim
Anna S., we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
The story of how I became a mental health therapist began with my own healing journey. As a Korean-American child of immigrant parents, I often struggled to find the words to express and understand my inner experience. Over time, I realized I was living with a quiet, chronic trauma. On the outside, everything appeared fine, but inside, I was terrified. I came to understand that trauma isn’t just what happened to you—it’s also what didn’t happen that should have.
After years of therapy and self-exploration, I gifted myself the opportunity to tell and own my story. With the support of many empathetic teachers and validating therapists, I learned how to reframe my story, change the narrative of my life, and transform the way I viewed myself, others, and the world around me.
This ignited my desire to offer others the same compassion I received. I believe any good and honest therapist will admit they entered this field because they needed healing themselves. Today, I dedicate my days to ensuring that people feel seen, heard, and understood. The more I listen deeply to others’ stories, the more I see and learn about myself. The therapeutic relationship is a unique, powerful, and beautiful symbiotic connection. I’m incredibly grateful to do what I love and engage in this work every day.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Absolutely not! But that’s what makes life so interesting, isn’t it?
When I was younger, I studied art as a way to express myself. My parents were very supportive of art as a hobby, but they disapproved of it as a career choice. In defiance, I secretly applied to art schools and was lucky enough to be accepted at Parsons The New School for Design in New York City. However, after my first year, I realized I needed to change course and moved back home. I felt a deep sense of failure and shame for not living up to my promise of success. But looking back, I’m grateful for that decision because it ultimately led me to discover my true calling as a therapist.
So much of my perceived “failures,” mistakes, and suffering have shaped my understanding of what it means to be human. They enable me to connect with my clients on a deeper level. Every great story and character arc involves struggles and suffering. It’s the process of overcoming these challenges that reveals who we are, what we need, and ultimately, what we’re truly made of.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Anna S. Kim?
I am an Attachment-based, Trauma-informed Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, and a newly LMFT Supervisor. I own and operate my private practice in downtown Grapevine, and I also offer virtual sessions to clients across Texas. I’m deeply passionate about helping individuals, couples, and families explore the connections between their childhood experiences and their current thoughts, feelings, behaviors, patterns, and relationships.
Much of my practice focuses on guiding others through the exhilarating– and sometimes fearful– journey of growth and change. I help people identify their values, needs, beliefs, and desires by being an empathetic witness as they courageously uncover and live authentically as their true selves. My approach centers on offering love, compassion, understanding, perspective, and unconditional acceptance through a person-centered, collaborative framework that fosters connection, self-reflection, and self-expression.
I want readers and potential clients to know that we always have the power and ability to change our thinking, perceptions, and reactions to life’s challenges. Beneath the pain lies an opportunity to make new decisions and choose differently for ourselves. Nothing thrills me more than watching people change and grow, and I would be truly honored to be a part of your journey.
What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
Openness and curiosity are essential to my success. Whether it’s being receptive to new stories, embracing new experiences, believing in new possibilities, or taking chances, this is the mindset that fosters growth. My goal has always been to open my own business and help others, though I wasn’t sure how to get there. I learned to trust myself and the process, and I carried a willingness to learn from others along the way.
Like many businesses, I don’t get to choose my clients; I must trust that they will find and choose me—and somehow, they always do! I’m compassionate and nonjudgmental, always willing to hear another person’s story. And I stay curious about the depths of human nature—questioning myself and my clients—inviting a deep exploration of my own journey as I help others navigate the complexities of their innermost landscapes. I’ve learned to ask tough questions and seek, as well as provide, answers. And in doing so, I actively become the investigator, explorer, narrator, and observer of my life, which has enriched me both personally and professionally.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.askforhealing.com
- Instagram: @a.s.k.forhealing
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100029020658022
- Other: anna@askforhealing.com
