Bio

Dr. Kim Lee is a postdoctoral clinician at OpenWorld Psychology whose work is grounded in culturally responsive, strengths-based, and trauma-informed care. A San Francisco Bay Area native, her clinical approach is shaped not only by her professional training but also by meaningful personal experiences that have deepened her commitment to patience, advocacy, and resilience. Living with a chronic medical condition and navigating the challenges of an invisible disability has strengthened her understanding of how easily individuals' experiences can be misunderstood or dismissed, and fuels her dedication to self-advocacy and supporting others whose needs may not always be recognized.

Dr. Lee works with children, adolescents, and adults across the lifespan, with particular expertise in complex trauma, acculturation and immigrant distress, LGBTQIA+ mental health, and relationship concerns. She integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) into her work, tailoring her approach to each client's developmental stage, identity, and goals.

She is deeply committed to improving access to mental health services and advancing social justice for marginalized communities.

"Great-Fit" Clients

Dr. Lee may be a particularly good fit if you are:

• An adult or young adult (ages 18-50) who is open to collaborative treatment and identifies with a traditionally marginalized identity (e.g., neurodivergent, BIPOC, immigrant, LGBTQIA+)

• A child or adolescent (ages 5-17) seeking evidence-based treatment for anxiety or trauma, including play therapy, art-based interventions, and other creative approaches

• Navigating complex trauma, whether historical, ongoing, or related to sociopolitical experiences

• Experiencing depression, anxiety, or suicidality and seeking compassionate, affirming support

• Exploring questions of identity, including neurodivergence, gender, or sexuality

• Dealing with relationship concerns, family system challenges, or intimate partner violence

• An immigrant or first-generation individual seeking care that recognizes acculturative stress and historical trauma

• Looking for care that is LGBTQIA+ affirming, gender affirming, and neurodiversity affirming

Trauma-Informed and Culturally Responsive Care

Dr. Lee brings extensive training in trauma-informed care, crisis management, and violence risk assessment. Her approach emphasizes collaboration, empowerment through decision-making, and recognition of historical and sociopolitical trauma. She works with clients to identify triggers and establish clear expectations at the start of treatment, fostering trust through consistent boundaries and transparency.

Her care is designed to be accessible and affirming across identities. This includes gender-affirming practices (using client-identified pronouns and names, collaborating on documentation preferences), neurodiversity-affirming approaches (sensory-friendly environments, nonverbal and alternative treatment modalities), and immigrant-friendly care (flexible telehealth options, sensitivity to location and timing concerns).

Work with Children, Adolescents, and Families

Dr. Lee has specialized experience working with children and adolescents across a range of presenting concerns, including trauma, anxiety, depression, attention and focus challenges, social skill difficulties, behavioral concerns, and academic distress. She integrates play therapy, art-based interventions, and developmentally appropriate approaches into her work with younger clients.

She also has experience collaborating with families, schools, and coordination of services teams (COST) to support clients' needs across settings, including IEP advocacy and accommodations planning.

Crisis Intervention and Risk Assessment

Dr. Lee has advanced training in crisis intervention, suicide risk assessment, and behavioral threat assessment. She is certified in the NABITA Violence Risk Assessment framework and the Structured Interview for Violence Risk Assessment (SIVRA-35). She has served on campus behavioral intervention teams (HEART) and has experience coordinating care around voluntary and involuntary hospitalizations.

Community Outreach and Training

Dr. Lee has extensive experience in community outreach, psychoeducation, and didactic training in school and university settings. She has developed and delivered workshops and seminars on topics including stress and burnout prevention, trauma-informed communication, mental health crisis response, and cultural competency. She is skilled at making mental health information accessible to diverse audiences, including students, faculty, staff, and community members.

Training and Background

Dr. Lee earned her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from John F. Kennedy University (APA-accredited) and holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Saint Mary's College of California, where she graduated cum laude and was inducted into Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology.

She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Fairfax Behavioral Health Hospital in Kirkland, Washington, where she provided individual and group therapy on adolescent and adult inpatient units, conducted neuropsychological assessments, and led multidisciplinary care coordination. She received her postdoctoral training at De Anza College, where she served as Clinical Training Coordinator, overseeing practicum training, clinic operations, and outreach initiatives.

Dr. Lee's prior clinical experience includes specialty mental health work at Asian Health Services in Oakland and school-based mental health with elementary-aged children in San Leandro.

Selected Publications

• Allen, J. B., Lee, K. K., & Escalera, E. (2016). Cross-cultural globalization of advertisements. Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research.

• Lee, K. K. L. (2021). The Association Between Pet Attachment Style and Emotional Regulation During Adulthood. John F. Kennedy University.