Born and raised in South Korea, Eunwoo came to the United States in 2004. She had a quiet but powerful mission, which was to understand people more deeply and help them find peace from the inside out. Eunwoo is an LCSW in New York, a clinical therapist in Albany, and the Clinical Operations Supervisor at Mind in Motion’s Albany office. Eunwoo is also a doctoral candidate in Social Welfare at the University at Albany, SUNY.
As a teen, Eunwoo loved hearing people’s stories, ranging from struggles in relationships to future dreams. Listening to them never drained her, but it felt natural. Such an innate curiosity led her to have a passion for mental health awareness, and she pursued formal training in psychotherapy, which was still deeply stigmatized in Korea.
Therapy as a Collaborative and Cultural Journey
Eunwoo claims that she doesn’t have all the answers, and she doesn’t want to. Instead, she describes her therapy styles in three words: conversational, collaborative, and semi-structured. Eunwoo views therapy as a mutual journey; she “holds the lantern,” and the client chooses the destination. For Eunwoo, each session is a co-created space, which is flexible yet purposeful. Her clients can uncover clarity through open dialogue. Coming from Korea, where mental health treatment is deeply stigmatized, she sees a safe space as somewhere her patients can express even their fears of being judged for having those fears.
Eunwoo honors both Eastern and Western perspectives on mental health. She understands the cultural forces that shape the experience of therapy for her Korean and Korean-American clients.
Many of my clients struggle with unspoken emotional needs—especially in families where academic or career success is prioritized over emotional expression. They were never taught to name their feelings. Now, in adulthood, that silence becomes sadness, frustration, and loneliness.”
Eunwoo helps her patients unpack these experiences with cultural nuance and helps them reconnect their emotional selves by practicing expressing those feelings, often for the first time.
Seeing the Whole Person, Not Just a Diagnosis
Whether a patient is struggling with anxiety, depression, or PTSD, Eunwoo approaches patients as a whole person, not just with their diagnosis. Her clinical knowledge of evidence-based therapies like CBT and Motivational Interviewing is tailored to every one of her patients.
It’s essential to recognize how Eunwoo is fluent in both Korean and English. Her fluency allows patients to explore social class, gender, and other dimensions of identity that shape their worldview, not just race or ethnicity.
For Eunwoo it's important to see the person as a whole, not just a diagnosis.
Finding Balance and Taking the First Step
Eunwoo hopes that her clients walk away with the recognition that they can take positive steps, even reaching out to therapy, which is a meaningful action.
Outside of her therapy setting, Eunwoo recharges by hiking through the woods of upstate New York and by discovering new K-pop tracks of her favorite artists, such as Jannabi and Lee Mujin. Wherever she is, she recites to maintain reflection and rhythm.
To those who are feeling hesitant to begin therapy, Eunwoo suggests,
Take your time. Just explore the idea. If it feels right, start with a conversation. Even that is a meaningful step.”
Interested in working with Eunwoo Lee or learning more about Mind in Motion Albany?
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