anna kim, lcsw

experienced Los Angeles grief counselor & couple therapist

anna kim, lcsw smiling at kindman & co. therapy, 90042

hello,

i appreciate all the myriad, untidy experiences of being human.

I help humans who feel sad, confused, or lonely to reclaim their story, so that they feel connected, authentic, & alive.

About anna (she/her)

Being alive is infinitely complicated. It can be wonderful, embarrassing, scary, exciting. Aliveness can mean so many different things to each person based on their past experiences of self, family, relationships, and systems. It can be really, really amazing to be a person, and also and really, really hard. I want to help you figure out who you are even amidst transition, loss, pain, and other disasters. My purpose as a therapist is to help you expand your emotional experience—to appreciate not only joy and happiness, but also to welcome more challenging emotions that will help you feel more authentic, clarify your values, and build meaningful and supportive connections with others.

I think it’s very hard to explain what happens inside of one person’s mind to another, but that trying is a big part of what makes life worth living. In my therapeutic practice, I focus on helping people strengthen their relationships and connection to others. Whether it’s working directly on your partnership to build more intimacy, relationship security, and understanding of one another, trying to figure out what gets in the way of having more fulfilling friendships, or working through whatever wildness is happening in your family, I’m here to help you find new ways of being. In addition to being a relational therapist, I’m trained as a Level Two PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy) Therapist, and this allows me to use lots of different ideas—like your nervous system activation and attachment theory—to help you make sense of yourself and others.

For me, there’s no magic formula that fits for every client (sorry!), but the work always starts with our relationship in therapy. I show up as real and authentic as I can, so that you can be genuinely yourself. I don’t just sit there and say “mhm” behind my tiny spectacles and make you wonder what I’m thinking. I’m a believer in direct, honest feedback. This way, our relationship and therapy can be a place to try new things, learn how to go through rupture & repair, and to practice fully inhabiting yourself. I want you to find more self-awareness and integration so that you can have more ease and presence in your life.

My previous experience as a social worker in community mental health has trained me to consider the crushing complexity of things. I don’t think anything is wrong with you and, in fact, there’s probably a few different, very pervasive systems impacting the way that you feel. I practice with an anti-oppressive, anti-racist, and non-pathological clinical stance. I am dedicated to creating inclusive spaces that prioritize building safety and understanding to best support exploration of your intersectional identity and embrace the parts of yourself you may have been taught to devalue or feel ashamed of. In this vein, I especially love working with LGBTQIA+ folks seeking healing from the trauma of discrimination, non-recognition, and non-acceptance, women struggling with confidence and connection, and those wanting to better understand how their childhood experiences have shaped them. 

Los angeles grief counseling

Having personally navigated the profound experience of losing close family members and the complexity of grief, I am particularly passionate about supporting people facing bereavement, grief, & loss. Experiencing the deaths of close family members has given me an intimate understanding of the magnitude of the grief process and a more expansive idea about the possibilities and power we have in being alive. Whether you’re struggling with the illness of a loved one & anticipatory grief, or a recent or past loss, I am grateful to accompany you as we traverse the non-linear path of mourning together. Our work can support you to integrate the experience as you begin to create a new narrative and move toward whatever acceptance means for you. We will help you to find meaning in loss, feel less alone, and start to re-define who you are now.

Life often finds a new and imaginative way to be real and painful, but when it’s good it’s *so* good. I really believe you don’t have to figure the whole mess out alone—let’s give it a try together.

career highlights & key trainings

i am…

I am no stranger to sadness. I have known loss intimately, in many shitty ways, and love a dark joke. I am a believer in therapy, relationships, and the human capacity to experience aliveness in new and ever-changing ways. I am someone for whom home is not a geographic place. I am an advocate for justice & equity. I believe things are complicated and think that, often, that’s the beauty of it. I am a reader and an avid lover of stories. I am a hiker, climber, and general adventurer, and when I’m not being a therapist I’m often in the mountains trying desperately not to get sunburned.

california licensed clinical social worker no. 110763

We would love to connect with you.

The easiest way to get started at Kindman & Co. is to book a twenty minute complimentary information session with our Care Coordinator, Clarissa. On this call, she will ask a little about you and what’s bringing you to therapy at this time, share about our practice and our relational therapy approach to make sure it’s a good fit, and pair you with the therapist who is best suited for you.

**Please note that we are only able to work with clients physically located in the state of California at this time.