Helen Yum

Helen Yum is a Los Angeles based psychotherapist and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. Her therapeutic approach is strengths-based, collaborative, culturally inclusive, nonjudgmental, LGBTQIA+ affirmative and trauma-informed. Helen practices Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and psychodynamic therapies to address a variety of problems including depression, interpersonal conflicts, difficulty with intimacy and relatedness, self-destructive or self-sabotaging behaviors, repeating painful life problems with little sense of control, life adjustments and transitions, grief and loss, and anxiety disorders. She welcomes explorations of the intersectional impact of race, class, gender and sexuality on mental health. As a breast cancer survivor she is especially interested in the relationship between physical and mental health and adapts techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to support those living with chronic health conditions.

Helen holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Columbia University, a Bachelor’s Degree from UC Berkeley, and a Master’s of Fine Arts from The New School. A lifelong learner, she is currently training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy at the New Center for Psychoanalysis. She has specialized experience treating Post Traumatic Stress in military veterans and survivors of sexual abuse. She has served as a field instructor for social work graduate students from Cal State LA and USC. In addition to her work as a therapist she is a clinical supervisor at nonprofit housing programs in Los Angeles and serves on the medical advisory board for Onco-Ballet.

Helen’s treatment approach utilizes cognitive behavioral, mindfulness and psychodynamic techniques. She believes in a collaborative, open, results-oriented approach to therapy to develop insight and solve problems.

In our introductory session, we will explore your story and what you hope to achieve in therapy. If you don't know then we'll work together to figure this out! I strive to create a warm, welcoming environment that allows you to feel comfortable sharing and being vulnerable, while also feeling secure. From there, we’ll work together in the sessions that follow to make these goals a reality for you.