My name is Adora (she/her pronouns) and I am an associate mental health counselor and the owner of Spring Day Therapy. I am also a current fellow in the Seattle Training in Adult, Adolescent, and Relationship (STAAR) DBT Program. My career in mental health started when I began working in community mental health after receiving my bachelor’s degree. Since then, I have fallen in love with the therapy world and am honored to be a part of your mental health journey. My previous clinical training spans various levels of care and diagnoses, including experience in conducting individual and group therapy with children, adolescents, adults, and caregivers. I have worked in outpatient clinics and more intensive levels of care (intensive outpatient, partial hospitalization, and residential programs). My clinical work is further informed by my past research involvement at the University of Washington, where I supported numerous federally funded projects in school-based autism research. I am currently still involved in a research study on redesigning DBT for autistic young adults. Outside the therapy room, I am an active Asian mental health advocate. I direct FAUNA Mental Health Foundation, a 501(c)3 recognized non-profit organization to provide free, culturally responsive mental health resources for the AANHPI community.

I strive to continuously educate myself and recognize the ways in which society has and continues to disenfranchise and disables autistic and other neurodivergent individuals. In my research and clinical career, I have had the honor of hearing directly from autistic people about their experiences in the various systems of care in our society. Their stories have both enraged me and invigorated me to be an advocate and to show up better for them. As a non-autistic person, I recognize my privilege and the limitations of my understanding that come with it. I intentionally seek out autistic voices and lived experiences to educate myself first-hand on how to best support my autistic clients. For example, a lot of my initial learning and continued understanding of the Neurodiversity Paradigm is pulled from Dr. Nick Walker's work. I also would like to make clear that I subscribe to the social model of disability. I recognize that my learning will be a lifelong journey. If what I say resonates with you and it sounds like I could be a good fit for you, I hope that we can collaborate together in the therapy space. I look forward to walking alongside you!

I am intensively trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and am currently working under supervision towards Linehan Board Certification. I currently offer Comprehensive DBT in my practice. DBT can be very effective for supporting people who struggle with self-harming behaviors. My past experiences with DBT include providing DBT-informed skills groups for adolescents with eating disorders partial hospitalization and residential settings, and DBT-informed individual sessions and skills groups to adolesescents with mood disorders in intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization settings. I also have been and continue to be involved in research looking to adapt DBT for autistic young adults. In addition to my past experiences delivering DBT, I also have a lot of experience supporting clients who have suicidal thoughts and/or self-harming behaviors. If you would like to learn more about me or see if we are a good fit, please feel free to reach out to schedule a free 15-minute consultation call, or email me with any questions or concerns!