About Me – Mental Health Therapist

My name is Sarah Kim, LCSW, I am a licensed clinical social worker with experience and specialized training in working with children and adolescents. I am also experienced providing therapy to adults with chronic mental illness.

After completing my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of California, Irvine, I started my career working as a case manager with older adults who suffered through chronic mental illness such as schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders. I realized that there was a significant need in providing treatment to individuals suffering through mental illness. I pursued my education and obtained my Masters in Social Work at the California State University, Los Angeles. At the same time, I also started working for a foster agency, providing assessment and services to children who were exposed to abuse and trauma. My interest and passion to assist children with trauma and significant emotional disturbance, lead me to work as a psychiatric social worker for an agency, contracted with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, specializing in treating children and youths, who required intensive mental health treatment. I obtained significant training to provide treatment to children exposed to trauma and implemented trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy in my treatment with youths. I also was able to provide treatment to adults who suffered through depression and anxiety. I continued my career working directly for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. I was placed in the specialized foster care unit and collaborated with the Department of Children and Family Services to provide assessment to children and youth. I also provided consultation and attended team meetings to provide recommendations pertaining the child’ s mental health needs.

I was also trained in providing assessment to infant and children under five years old and have experience providing assessment and recommendations to parents pertaining the infant and child’s emotional needs. I work collaboratively with the family and strongly encourage the parents to be part of the child’s treatment.

I am trained in crisis intervention and also have experience providing suicide prevention trainings. As I worked at the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health’s Children’s System of Care Unit, I provided suicide prevention trainings to various private and public entities such as the Department of Children and Family Services in Los Angeles County, Department of Public Social Services in Los Angeles County and various foster care agencies. I am certified in providing QPR (Question Persuade Refer) training as well as Safetalk, which are both evidenced-based suicide intervention trainings.

In my personal life, I am the mother of two children. Having lived in various countries since my childhood and speaking different languages, I am sensitive to the cultural needs of each individual. I also understand the difficulties that families experience when they immigrate to a new country.

My therapeutic approach is empathic and sensitive, yet goal oriented, in which I want to help my clients to achieve the goals they have determined. I believe in working from a strengths-based perspective and looking at the system of the family. I am an eclectic therapist, meaning that I use several therapeutic techniques, but I also specialize in systems therapy, Bowenian family therapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy.