I am someone who has generally mixed feelings about therapy and mental health counseling. It is such a personal thing, and I have not always felt like the industry as a whole has the best interest of patients at heart in their methodology and approach. Sometimes I think therapy is overrated and overdone, and other times I feel strongly that everyone deserves an unbiased, non-judgemental and caring sounding board to listen to and bounce thoughts and feelings off of. I guess it really depends on what your experience has been like with therapy. I've certainly felt uncomfortable in doctors' chairs before.
Dr. Yun is a true balance of the professional and the human. He makes therapy accessible and engaging, and "de-clinicizes" counseling. He is an active listener and incredibly empathetic. In order to be able to share personal things with a health professional, I need to feel that they are operating their profession from a values-based foundation. With Dr. Yun, I really got a sense that not only does he care deeply about his patients, but that his world view is informed by that care and compassion. I learned that he practiced in San Francisco's General Hospital, which really takes a special caliber of work ethic and commitment to service. He does not discriminate between someone who is very wealthy or really down and out, but truly sees the human condition as universal and beautiful.
I never felt judged by Dr. Yun or that I had disappointed him when struggling with difficult life choices, yet he always challenged me to push myself and believe that I could do better in my life - in fact, that I deserved better. He was gentle and thoughtful, never overbearing, cynical or chiding. At the core of his professional approach, Dr. Yun is an eternal optimist. He stresses hope and forward-thinking, and I found this to be a very necessary approach to beating back cynicism and depression.
In a world where there is much to be unhappy about, Dr. Yun helped me to focus on the things that feed my heart and make me stronger. I really appreciated his wisdom and counsel. read more