Meet Dr. Joo, Ph.D.
Licensed Clinical Psychologist (CA) | Online Psychodynamic Therapy for Depth, Insight, and Psychological Integration
Dr. Seohyun Joo is an Ivy League–trained, bilingual (Korean–English) licensed clinical psychologist (CA License #36050) with 9+ years of clinical experience, providing online psychodynamic therapy and psychological consultation for individuals and families in California, Korea, and globally.
Her work centers on the emotional and relational patterns that shape a person’s inner world. Rather than focusing solely on symptom management, therapy becomes a space to understand deeper desires, recurring relational dynamics, and unconscious processes—supporting greater psychological integration and long-term change.
Dr. Joo’s clinical approach is psychodynamic - drawing from attachment theory, interpersonal frameworks, and experiential/affective traditions, helping clients develop deeper self-awareness while engaging in corrective relational experiences.
She also has extensive knowledge in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), having studied in the academic lineage of Aaron Beck and Judith Beck at the University of Pennsylvania, where CBT was originally developed and taught.
When appropriate, Dr. Joo integrates somatic and body-based approaches—particularly for individuals experiencing nervous system dysregulation or difficulty accessing emotional material through insight alone. She views psychological healing as a process of integration, where creativity, self-understanding, and lived experience come together over time.
Education
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology
Fuller School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy
M.S., Counseling and Mental Health Services
University of Pennsylvania
B.A., Psychology and Religion & Philosophy
Emory University
Areas of Specialization
Are You Feeling Stuck or Empty Even When Life Looks Fine?
Dr. Joo specializes in working with high-functioning individuals who appear successful by societal standards yet experience a deeper longing for authenticity, internal pressure, self-doubt, relational difficulties, or a persistent sense of feeling stuck. Many of her clients are thoughtful individuals who have spent years trying to understand themselves but continue to feel disconnected from a deeper sense of who they are.
Her clinical work often focuses on:
Attachment patterns and relational difficulties
Identity exploration and self-integration
Bipolar disorder and mood instability
Complex depression and anxiety
Psychosis and/or unusual thought and/or perceptual experiences
Caregiver/family support for serious mental illness
Existential questions and life direction
Trauma and trauma-informed psychotherapy
Rather than focusing only on surface-level symptom relief, Dr. Joo’s work centers on understanding the deeper psychological structures that shape one’s emotions, relationships, and sense of self.
Dr. Joo approaches this work with depth, curiosity, and respect for the complexity of the human psyche. She views psychological growth as a process of discovery rather than correction—one that unfolds over time as insight deepens into lived awareness and integrates into the self. Her work is best suited for those who are willing to look inward, even when it is uncomfortable, and engage in deeper exploration.
This work also supports individuals caring for loved ones with complex mental health conditions.
Clinical Licensure and Training
Licensure: Licensed Clinical Psychologist, California (#36050)
Postdoctoral Fellow
UC Davis Health - Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Psychology Doctoral Extern
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center - Adult Outpatient Program/Trauma Track
Psychology Doctoral Extern
UCLA-Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior - Adolescent Serious Mental Illness Track
Psychology Doctoral Intern
California State Hospitals - Metropolitan
Psychology Research Assistant
Asan Medical Center, Seoul
Her Philosophy
Dr. Joo’s work centers on helping individuals gradually deconstruct the social masks they have learned to wear, moving toward a more authentic and integrated sense of self.
As Gestalt psychologist Kurt Koffka once wrote:
“The whole is something else than the sum of its parts.”
In this work, the process begins by turning inward—to encounter the unconscious, where the deeper patterns shaping one’s life reside.
From there, the work becomes one of integration: bringing the many parts of the self into a more meaningful and coherent whole.
Dr. Joo’s aim is not to offer answers to isolated problems, but to help clients develop a way of relating to themselves that endures beyond the work itself—a self-sustaining, lifelong process of looking inward.
What emerges is often not something entirely new, but something uncovered—formed from what has always been there: one’s experiences, wounds, and desires, now seen and held in a way that feels more whole, more intentional, and more one’s own.
Explore Her Shadow Work Podcast!
Interested in working with Dr. Joo?
Fill out this form to schedule a free 15-minute initial consultation.
You can ask any questions and see if her approach matches your needs.
There is no pressure/obligation to work together afterwards.