Personalized, in-depth, trauma-informed mental health care for internationals & TCKs

Welcome. My name is Dr. Yuri Lee (she/her), and I am a US/New York-Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 15 years of experience, currently based in Seoul, Korea. If you are looking for high-quality mental health services as an international, returnee, or TCK adult living in Korea or in between different countries — with a multilingual (English, Korean and Spanish) psychologist with an open mind — I am here to help.

Mental Health Korea Yuri Lee

ABOUT

Merging science and intuition, East and West — and beyond.

Psychotherapy is an art and science, as is anything when done with expertise and precision. Dr. Yuri works in a way where she is informed by up-to-date science and intuitively guided in the here and now, while holding a constant holistic view of a person and the context.

  • Dr. Yuri Lee (she/her/hers) is a US-licensed Clinical Psychologist based in Seoul, Korea, offering in person and online psychotherapy to a global clientele including expatriates, returnees, immigrants, international students, and locals in Korea and abroad. She is the founder of Integrative Mental Health Seoul (IMHS), a boutique Psychotherapy and Wellness Clinic providing personalized, quality care to bi(+)lingual and English-speaking persons in Korea.

    Having grown up and lived in 8 countries across Asia, Europe, UK, and North and South Americas, and traveled to many more, Dr. Yuri has experienced first-hand the gifts and challenges of moving to a new country as well as returning to one's 'home' country, and doing so repeatedly as a Third Culture Kid (TCK). Hence from a young age, Dr. Yuri became curious about the micro- and macro-perspectives on humanity, personality and mental health, and when she came across the field of psychology, she delved right in as if it were a mesmerizing novel, which up to this day never felt like study or work. This is reflected in her interests and work experience in the person-level clinical as well as social, policy, and global aspects of mental health.

    As such, Dr. Yuri brings a comprehensive framework of understanding a person, as well as an open heart and mind to the therapy room. She takes an integrative approach to psychotherapy, incorporating psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral frameworks as well as mindfulness- and somatically-based techniques.

    Dr. Lee welcomes people of all backgrounds and identities. In the course of her 15 years of clinical and research career in the cosmopolitan cities of Chicago, New York (Manhattan and the Bronx), and Seoul, she has made therapeutic connections and worked with clients of diverse national, racial, ethnic, sexual/gender identity, religious, socioeconomic, and occupational backgrounds and health and disability status. Her research, advocacy, and clinical interests have focused on the mental health of minorities and marginalized individuals, and increasing accessibility, human rights conditions and quality of mental health services.

    Dr. Lee is fluent in both English and Korean, and has advanced proficiency in Spanish, allowing her to hold sessions in all three (or a mix of these) languages.

    • Postdoctoral Fellow, Albert Einstein School of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA

    • Doctoral Intern, Columbia University Medical Center/New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA

    • PhD in Clinical Psychology, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA

    • MA in Clinical Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea

    • BA in Psychology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea

  • Dr. Lee specializes in psychotherapy for adults and adolescents with the following areas of mental health concerns:

    • Depression

    • Anxiety / Panic Disorder

    • Adjustment Issues

    • PTSD / Complex Trauma

    • Psychosomatic Disorders

    • Bipolar Disorder

    • Psychosis

    Dr. Lee also consults people on the following topics:

    • Minority stress

    • LGBTQIA+ issues

    • Managing stress and/or conflict at work

    • Relationship difficulties, loneliness

    • Feeling lost or stuck in life

    • Third Culture Kid (TCK) issues

    • Adjustment to new or home country

    • Managing (multiple) chronic health conditions

  • LICENSURE

    • Psychologist, License #022904, State of New York, USA

    • Registered Clinical Psychologist, #2208, Korean Clinical Psychology Association

    AFFILIATIONS

    • Korean Clinical Psychology Association (KCPA)

    • American Psychological Association (APA)

  • PEER- REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS

    1. Burnett-Zeigler, I., Lee, Y., & Bohnert, K. M. (2018). Ethnic Identity, Acculturation, and 12-Month Psychiatric Service Utilization Among Black and Hispanic Adults in the US. The Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 45(1), 13-30.

    2. Rhee, M. A., Chung, K. M., Lee, Y., Choi, H. K., Han, J. W., Kim, H. S., ... & Lyu, C. J. (2014). Impact of psychological and cancer-related factors on HRQoL for Korean childhood cancer survivors. Quality of Life Research, 1-10.

    3. Jordan, N., Sohn, M. W., Bartle, B., Valenstein, M., Lee, Y. & Lee, T. A. (2014). Association between Chronic Illness Complexity and Receipt of Evidence-Based Depression Care. Medical Care.

    4. Lee, Y. R. & Oh, K. J. (2012). Validation of reasons for living and their relationship with suicidal ideation in Korean college students.  Death Studies, 36(8), 712-722.

    5. Lee, Y., Burnett-Zeigler, I., McClelland, G. & Jordan, N. (in submission). The Associations between Acculturative Stress and Depression and Anxiety among Black and Latino Youth in Residential Treatment.

    POSTER AND PAPER PRESENTATIONS

    1. Lee, Y., Burnett-Zeigler, I., & Jordan, N. (2014). The associations between acculturative stress, anxiety and depression among Black and Latino youth in residential treatment. Poster presented at the American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention 2014, Washington, DC.

    2. Burnett-Zeigler, I., Lee, Y. & Bohnert, K. (2013). Ethnic identity, acculturation, and discrimination and 12-month psychiatric service use in Black, Hispanic, and Asian populations in the US. Paper accepted to be presented in the American Psychological Association (APA) Annual Convention 2013, Honolulu, Hawaii.

    3. Lee, Y. & Jordan, N. (2012). Mental health and service use probability in Asian Americans with depression-physical comorbidities. Poster presented at the 2012 Association for Psychological Science (APS) Annual Convention, Chicago, IL.

    4. Lee, Y. & Oh, K. J. (2010).  A comparison of reasons for living in Korean, Korean-American, and European-American college students.  Poster presented at the 2010 World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (WCBCT), Boston, MA.

    5. Lee, Y. & Oh, K. J. (2008). Reasons for living and suicidal ideation in Korean college students. Poster presented at the 6th International Congress of Cognitive Psychotherapy 2008, Rome, Italy.

    6. Lee, Y. & Oh, K. J. (2008). Cognitive buffers against suicide: Validation of the factor structure of the reasons for living inventory in a Korean sample. Poster presented at the 6th International Conference of Cognitive Science, Seoul, Korea.

    7. Lee, Y. & Chung, K. M. (2007). Anxiety and depression among survivors of childhood cancer in Korea.  Poster presented at the 2007 World Congress of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies (WCBCT), Barcelona, Spain.

  • TRAUMA AND MENTAL HEALTH POLICY

    • Psychologist on Call, Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare Itaewon Accident Integrated Psychological Support Group

    • Project Manager/Assistant Data Analyst, Child Trauma Intervention Evaluation Projects, National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI), US Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration (SAMHSA) & Northwestern University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Mental Health Services and Policy Program

    GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH

    • World Health Organization (WHO), Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Intern and Volunteer for WHO QualityRights Project in India and Switzerland (Link: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/who-qualityrights-guidance-and-training-tools)

    • Leadership in (Global) Mental Health Training, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine/Sangath, Goa, India

    • Global Mental Health Course, Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, London, UK

    TRANSGENDER HEALTH

    • Transgender Health ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), The Fenway Institute: Year-long multidisciplinary training on transgender health in the context of an integrative primary care setting, Family Health Center, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY

SERVICES

WAYS WE COULD WORK TOGETHER FOR YOUR GROWTH AND EVOLUTION

Korean American Therapist Yuri Lee

Psychotherapy

  • Traditional individual talk-therapy, using an integrative approach that is evidence-based and person-centered.

  • Therapy for family units using a systems-based family therapy approach. Family therapy can be highly effective and healing for all involved, especially for those who are motivated to and seeking fundamental change in family dynamics.

Wellness Services

  • This is a form of talk-therapy but more geared towards enhancing overall wellness and goals of self-realization, rather than treating mental health problems/disorders. Reiki and/or Sound Healing can be incorporated into the session as needed.

  • Reiki (Usui Reiki) is a hands-on energy healing method originating from Japan. The intervention works by channeling healing energy from the nature through the hands, working on imbalances and blockages in the energy/chi flow. Of the 50 minutes, 10-15 minutes are allocated for processing and integration.

  • Sound healing using Tibetan Singing Bowls. The singing bowls are placed on and around the body, and the vibrational sounds help harmonize and balance the nervous system. People often enter deep meditative or relaxed states during the session that can be very healing.

Therapeutic Art

  • Individual session using various forms of visual art to explore, express, process, and gain insight into one's unconscious. A typical session includes checking-in, brief grounding exercise to turn down the noise of the mind, art making, and verbal processing. Materials are provided and sessions are tailored for each individual, but participants are free to bring their own materials or activities.

  • Therapeutic art group meeting once a week for 4 weeks, facilitated by Dr. Yuri. You set your own goals for the process, or come open to explore freely with the guidance of a skilled psychologist. Dates will be announced for people to sign up. If interested, please let Dr. Yuri know so she can form a group.

APPROACH

Psychologist in Korea Yuri Lee

Dr. Yuri brings her whole scientist-clinician, multicultural, intuitive, and artistic self when working with clients. She is personable and appreciates some good humor, but can also hold intense processes and moments in therapy with a grounded and loving presence with the client.

Her extensive clinical and research training in settings ranging from primary to inpatient hospital care with diverse populations, who often had complex traumatic histories that were either missed or misdiagnosed as symptoms of other disorders, led to her developing her current integrative, trauma-informed approach to therapy that values the mind-body connection. She has solid training and experience in both realms of psychotherapy approaches that are more structured such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and the more classical and in-depth Psychodynamic Therapy, that allows her to provide a refined and tailored style of care for each person. Lastly, Dr. Yuri’s multinational personal and professional background lends her both macro and micro lenses to human behavior and mental health, integrating contextual factors and social determinants of health into understanding, helping, and empowering a person.

In addition to standard mental health care approaches such as psychotherapy, Dr. Yuri is also trained and certified in the following complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) practices that may enhance mental health and emotional wellness, and deepen the healing process of psychotherapy. While they are provided on their own as Wellness Services, separate from Psychotherapy, elements of therapeutic art or sound healing-assisted somatic psychotherapeutic and mindfulness methods may be integrated into the therapy sessions as appropriate.

  • Therapeutic Art

  • Sound Healing

  • Reiki

Interview on Psychotherapy and Mental Health in Korea

I recently had the pleasure of speaking about general aspects of psychotherapy in Korea with Berlin-based psychotherapist Eva Stajner on her Youtube channel Psychotherapist Around the Globe. Having had a longstanding interest and experience in Global Mental Health myself, having a more personal and casual conversation about the state of psychotherapy services, capacity, public perception, service use, and related policy issues with clinicians around the world has been helpful in validating the effectiveness as well as complexity of delivering psychotherapy in different contexts.

Please note what I share in this interview is based on my personal experience and some research/public data on topics mentioned, and hence does not represent a systemic overview of the mental health system of Korea. Also, the working examples I share in this talk pertain more to local Koreans, whereas the majority of persons I work with tend to be internationals from all walks of life and parts of the world. So if you want to know a bit about psychotherapy in Korea and around the globe from the perspective of people in the field, feel free to watch this or other interview on Eva’s channel.

The Clinic | IMHS

Psychotherapy and Wellness Clinic

By Appointment Only

Jongro-Gu Sajik-Ro 113, Suite 301
Seoul, South Korea
(+82) 02-6368-3337

Hours

Monday–Friday: 10am–8pm
Saturday: 12pm–4pm

  • The IMHS clinic is located in the heart of Seoul, in the Gyungbokgung Palace area near the US- and many other embassies, and is a 1-minute walk from the subway station and several buses stop in front of the building. The clinic is right at the entrance of Seochon, one of the oldest neighborhoods in Seoul with a backdrop of Mt. Inwangsan and a historical home to influential artists and writers - filled with independent cafes, bookstores, restaurants, galleries, and shops - that Dr. Yuri hopes you could also enjoy as you visit the clinic.

    • SUBWAY: 경복궁역 (Orange line no. 3; 1 min from Exit 1), 광화문역 (Purple line no. 5; 13 min walk from Exit 1)

    • BUSES that stop right in front of the clinic: 171, 272, 606, 708, 710, 7025, 6011 

    • PARKING* - available weekdays only: The ground level of the building is the parking lot, you can enter it directly from the main road.
      *On rare occasions the lot can be full; if so, please park at a public parking lot nearby. It is a central, busy area of Seoul, so public transportation is recommended if possible. If you have trouble finding the clinic or parking, please call 02-6368-3337

  • Online sessions are available for those living in other cities or countries, frequent travelers, and those in Seoul who need to save time traveling to and from the clinic.

    NOTE: Working with clients who are overseas are subject to the local regulations of the country the client is located in.

Would you like to get in touch with what is beyond your thoughts, your pain, your body, your emotions, your history, your job or accomplishments, your identity —

and then get back into them, and build back better?