Jessica Lin, LPCA

I grew up as a first-generation Asian-American in a very traditional family. Although I was born in America, I was sent to China to be raised by my grandparents to allow my parents to be fully dedicated to earning money. At the age of 5, I returned to America and met my parents for the very first time. It was challenging to accept strangers I’d only talked to on the phone and seen pictures of. It made me question my own identity at a very young age, the relationship that I had with my parents, and the expectations that I was born into versus the ones that I wanted for myself.

It wasn’t until college, when I took up my first psychology and honors course and multiple jobs, volunteered, and worked with people of many backgrounds, that I came to realize I could do things for myself without guilt. There are healthier ways of communicating and showing and expressing genuine emotions that can not only be positive but also be appreciated by others around me.

My mission is to help individuals find their most sincere and genuine selves by challenging them to look at and live their lives a little differently and to put themselves as the main character of their own stories.

Do not hold in your laughter, or only smile behind closed lips.
Do not just be seen, be heard.