https://www.thesassyasiantherapist.com/

The Sassy Asian Therapist, Los Angeles, CA (2026)

01/24/2026

When you’re so used to being there for others and tending to their feelings, it can be hard to recognize or even validate your own! This is especially true if you come from a culture shaped by patriarchal ideologies (*ahem* Asian) where women exist solely to serve and support. This role that has been forced upon us has caused many to develop people pleasing tendencies where their worth is validated by how helpful they are to others. However, when we tend to focus on caring only for others, it forces us to have to hold up this “perfect” image like there is nothing wrong with us. We try to uphold this image because we have become so used to “being strong” for others. We are more than willing to care for others feelings, but when it comes to our own, we don’t want to burden others—so we deny, minimize, or invalidate them. We have been conditioned to be small and not take up space. We form this inauthentic version of ourselves that are “perfect” and don’t cause trouble.

But this way of living can cause extreme anguish. It can cause us to feel guilty for expressing our needs, apologize for our feelings, and have poor boundaries and take on too much which causes us to end up feeling bitterness and resentment. But what if there is another way? What if you can break this cycle and find freedom. What if you are able to access and express your authentic self a unapologetically?

Well, you can! I know this because that was me. My upbringing and harmful cultural and gender norms have caused me to internalize beliefs about myself that were not true, beliefs that made me small and made me develop self destructive habits. It took years of unpacking and dismantling those narratives for me to break free from that cycle. And you can do that too!

I’ve developed a coaching program to help individuals find liberation and empowerment when they meet their true selves for the first time. Through my program, I help you ⚡️explore internalized mindsets that keep you stuck, develop⚡️exercises to dismantle harmful narratives, and strategies to ⚡️embody your true and empowered self!

Ready to live in your power? Sign up for a consultation in the link in my bio or follow to learn more!

01/21/2026

Teaching at an under resourced school was one of the hardest yet most fulfilling things I’ve ever done in my life. It opened my eyes to the structural inequities that students of color faced on a daily basis. I witness first-hand the school-to-prison pipeline, police brutality, racial violence, and so much trauma. Yet, my students showed up each day and gave it their all.

In my classroom, we broke down barriers—whether it was societal perceptions of what my students would be able to achieve, or intrasocial barriers that pit communities against each other. In Ms. Wu’s geometry class, we had one goal—to shape up ourselves and each other, not just in school, but in life. Math wasn’t just on paper, it was about solving problems and how to navigate and bounce back from setbacks—a skill that my students needed in order to navigate a system that was not set up for their success.

My students were the ones who inspired me to speak up against injustice, center those who are marginalized, and advocate for mental health awareness. A huge part of who I am today and why I do what I do is because of them.

Shoutout to , , and my 2012 Miami Corps members. And especially to my beloved students. Thank you for letting me be your teacher.

Forever grateful. Love, Ms. Wu aka Wu Chainz🥹

01/20/2026

Growing up as immigrants, my family always had a fear of the healthcare system. The fear was that we would not be able to understand nor be understood. My parents, due to language barriers, didn’t feel comfortable asking clarifying questions especially in regards to their health—and so often, they just figured it out on their own. Every time I thought about the healthcare system, I’m reminded of how foreign I am. And that hurts.

The system was never set up for people like us. And this includes the field of psychology. No wonder we believe that therapy is only for white people.

My mission is to change that. We all deserve the type of healing that honors who we are and where we come from. We all deserve someone who sees us and not mystify who we are. Not saying that therapy is the only form of healing. What I’m saying is that therapy can be for us and by us, too.

✨If you are ready to take that next step to prioritize your mental health, sign up for a free consultation to see if therapy with me is the right fit! Link in bio ⬆️

01/17/2026

I know that it may feel automatic to want to say the “right” thing or what you think I want to hear. But therapy isn’t about what you “should” say or feel. It’s about being honest with how you’re feeling in the here and now. And that may be counterintuitive because you grew up being expected to know right from wrong. For some of us, we didn’t have the privilege to be wrong because we’d face punishment. Therapy is a safe “in vivo” space for you to not always say the “right” things, to disagree, resist, and even challenge.

In being able to have a safe containment to be vulnerable is how the healing starts.

Ready to explore what therapy looks like with me? Book your consultation to see if we’d be a good fit! Link in bio ⬆️

01/14/2026

Joking but also not joking 🙃. As therapists, we have to be aware of how we react to what our clients share. If we’re too expressive, our clients may feel limited in what they can or can’t share in order to make more space for our feelings. If we don’t express enough, our clients may feel invalidated, unheard, or disconnected. I don’t always get it right, and sometimes I’m a little sassy 😉, but I always hold unconditionally positive regard for my clients. That means I always seek to be curious and understand without judgement. I seek to sit with clients in their pain, hold hope for them when they cant, and help them feel seen and heard.

In the sacredness of the therapeutic space is where we dispel shame, learn to love and be our authentic selves, and find healing. It’s been such an honor to see my clients transform from being stuck, insecure, anxious, guilt-ridden to finding empowerment, self love, and liberation. This work is holy and I’m forever grateful to be a part of their stories. To my clients, thank you for letting me be your therapist (even with my rbf 😆😅😊❤️).

01/13/2026

These past few months have been me learning to say “yes” to myself and I’m finally fulfilling my dream of being a traveling therapist. But giving myself permission to actualize these dreams has been the hardest part.

As Asian American women, we’ve learned at a young age that to be “good” meant to serve others, even if it meant sacrificing our own needs, desires, and happiness. Saying “yes” to ourselves can often feel selfish.

For me, traveling is self care—especially in the midst of continued Anti-Asian and gun violence. I’ve learned that the more suffering and grief I carry for my clients, the more joy and life I need to experience in my own life.

But traveling has also been confronting. I’ve realized even more how my cultural people pleasing and perfectionism has come into play, how automatic it is for me to do things because I feel like I “should” rather than because I want to, and how quick I am to put others’ feelings before my own. And while I’ve been able to set firm boundaries back home, I’m learning to set them all over again here. And man, it’s been humbling.

But through it all, saying “yes” has been so worth it. I’m uncovering deeper layers of myself that still need healing. I’m learning to be unapologetic in who I am and what I want. And I’m learning to love myself all over again.

What are some things that you’ve been wanting and waiting to say “yes” to?

01/12/2026

Join us LIVE where Alister Felix () author of childrens book, “Let’s Go Yum Cha” and I () talk about his book and his experience reclaiming culture through food! At the end of our LIVE, we will be having 3 book giveaways! Also, we’ll be talking about my “Take Up Space” group program for Asian Americans to unpack their racial identity and experience that Alister will be a part of!! Join us Thursday 4/28 at 4:30 PST to learn more!!

Here is how to enter:
+ 3 entrees- follow ( and ) AND tag 3 friends who would enjoy the book/LIVE
+ 1 entree-comment your favorite dim sum item!

Deadline to enter: Thursday 4/28 by 12pm PST! See you there!!

05/28/2025

Ever wonder why you struggle with perfectionism? 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤷🏻‍♀️ For many Asian Americans, perfectionism isn’t just a personal trait—it’s cultural.

We were taught that mistakes are shameful, that rest is laziness, and that our worth is measured by what we produce. On top of that, as immigrants, we’ve been told that we had to work twice as hard as the average person to only to receive half of what they get. We carry the burden of repaying our parents for the sacrifices they made so that we could have a better life. We don’t have any excuses not to be…perfect.

And we wonder why we’re burnt out.

This shame-based perfectionism, while possibly has helped us become “successful”, has really caused some internal damage—mainly to our self worth. It has robbed us of listening to our own wants and desires, it’s caused us to constantly criticize ourselves which has damaged our relationship with ourselves, and made us believe that what we do is never good enough, leading to burnout.

But what if it didn’t have to be this way?

✨What if you get to define success on your own terms?
✨What if you get to rest without guilt?
✨What if you can finally feel good enough?

I help Asian American high achievers combat burnout by unlearning perfectionism, honoring your voice, and creating a life rooted in *your* values—not just your obligations.

If that sounds like something you’ve been needing but don’t know where to start, book a free consultation with me and let’s talk about what freedom could look like for you. 🔗Link in bio!

12/06/2024

Thinking of starting therapy?? Now you have more reason to do it!! wants to reduce financial barriers by offering their yearly mental health grant to kickstart your mental health journey for the new year!!

30 individuals this application period will be selected at random to receive $500 to kickstart their mental health journeys.

Please fill out the form to apply. Grants will be distributed based on a random selection from the pool of qualified applicants. Applications accepted from Wednesday, December 4, 2024 at 9:00 AM PST to Friday, December 13, 2024 at 11:59 PM PST. https:// bit.ly/amhp-grant-2024

TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Our application is currently open to individuals with an annual income of $60,000 or less. Must be 18+ and U.S.-based to apply.

Please note: Eligible recipients can only receive 1 grant per 365 days from disbursement date.
An AMHP team member will reach out to you 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year after disbursement to request the following information. Data collected will only be used to assess the impact of these grant efforts and for program evaluation.

Thanks to everyone making this happen and joining the mission to remove barriers to mental health in our community!! 💛💛💛

11/28/2024

As children of immigrants, our relationship with gratitude is quite complex. Oftentimes, being told to be grateful actually meant, “don’t ask for what you really want”. While being told to be grateful was intended to protect us, oftentimes it was used to chastise us and put us in our place.

As adults, we find ourselves repeating these same words to ourselves—“I should just be grateful because I could have it worse”. While that may be true, this way of thinking also minimizes our desires and even our grief.

Our immigrant parents sacrificed so that we now can we can dare to honor our desires. And maybe recognizing what we truly desire starts with grieving for what we’ve lost or do not have. So, if you’re feeling more grief than gratitude today, that is ok. There is space for you. 💛💛💛

The Sassy Asian Therapist

01/24/2026

01/21/2026

01/20/2026

01/17/2026

01/14/2026

01/13/2026

01/12/2026

05/28/2025

12/06/2024

11/28/2024

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