Online therapy · California, Colorado & Florida
Hi, I’m Susan.
I’m glad you’re here.
I’m a therapist, a mom, and someone who understands that you can love your child deeply and still have a really hard time after becoming a mother.
I work especially with women who are used to being the capable one—the person who keeps work, family, and everything else moving while quietly carrying much more than most people realize.
You don’t need to arrive with a perfect explanation for what’s wrong.
Sometimes we start with, “I just don’t feel like myself anymore.”
Book a free consultation15 minutes · by phone · no pressure
Susan Hea Jin Ko, LMFT
Therapist · Mom · Korean American
What it’s like to work with me
I want you to feel understood—not analyzed.
I’m warm and conversational in session, but I’m also an active therapist.
I’ll ask questions. I’ll help you slow down moments that usually happen too quickly to notice.
We might look at why something your partner said affected you so deeply, why taking a break immediately brings up guilt, why your mind keeps replaying a decision, or why you can understand something logically and still not feel differently.
I’m interested in what’s underneath the anxiety, burnout, resentment, guilt, perfectionism, or self-criticism— not just helping you push it away.
And I don’t want you leaving every session understanding yourself better but having no idea what to do differently.
We’ll connect what we’re learning in therapy to your actual life: your relationships, work, motherhood, boundaries, and the moments when old patterns tend to take over.
Why maternal mental health matters to me
Postpartum work became personal for me, too.
My interest in maternal mental health didn’t come only from clinical training.
Becoming a mom changed the way I understand this work.
My own postpartum experience included mental health struggles that made a season I had wanted and looked forward to much more complicated than I expected.
I learned firsthand that loving your baby deeply and struggling yourself are not opposites.
My experience isn’t a template for yours. And I won’t assume I know exactly how you feel simply because I’m also a mom.
But you won’t need to convince me that motherhood can be deeply meaningful and incredibly hard at the same time.
My own experience also pushed me to pursue advanced training specifically in perinatal mental health, including postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, intrusive thoughts and OCD, pregnancy loss, and the emotional and relational changes that can happen when you become a parent.
Explore postpartum therapyFor the women who are used to being “fine”
Struggling can feel especially confusing when you’re used to handling things.
A lot of the women I work with are thoughtful, responsible, high-functioning people.
They’re used to figuring things out.
So when motherhood feels harder than expected, anxiety gets louder, resentment starts creeping into a relationship, or they don’t recognize themselves anymore, the instinct is often to blame themselves.
Why can’t I handle this?
Why am I so irritated?
Why can’t I just enjoy this?
Other moms do this. Why is it so hard for me?
That’s often where our work begins.
Not with convincing you that everything is fine. And not with giving you another list of things you should be doing better.
We’ll understand why you’re feeling the way you are, what you’ve been carrying, and what needs to change so you’re not constantly operating at your limit.
Culture belongs in the room, too
Sometimes setting a boundary doesn’t feel empowering. It just feels guilty.
You don’t have to reject where you come from to understand yourself differently.
I’m Korean American and a 1.5-generation immigrant.
I understand how complicated it can be when love, obligation, achievement, guilt, family expectations, and cultural identity are all tangled together.
You may genuinely value the way you were raised and still recognize that certain expectations no longer work for you.
Becoming a mother can also bring up parts of your own childhood or your relationship with your parents that you haven’t thought about in years.
We can talk about all of that without treating your family or culture as something you need to reject in order to become healthier.
The work is figuring out what you want to keep, what you want to do differently, and how to tolerate some of the discomfort that can come with choosing something new.
Explore AAPI therapyHow I approach therapy
Warm and validating. Firm yet gentle.
I give you space to talk things through, sort through your feelings, and make sense of what you’re experiencing. I listen closely and ask thoughtful questions to help you process, notice connections, and understand yourself more deeply. Along the way, I’ll offer gentle observations, explore different perspectives with you, and brainstorm next steps when you’re ready.
We might start with something that happened that week: a tense conversation, a decision you keep replaying, or guilt that showed up when you tried to rest. Together, we’ll explore what made that moment difficult and what you needed.
I like to brainstorm with you. That might mean practicing how to ask for support, finding words for a boundary, or considering a different response to a recurring thought. I’ll offer honest observations with care, and you’re always welcome to tell me when something doesn’t fit.
We’ll check in about what feels useful, what is changing, and where you’d like our work to go next.
Background & training
Personal experience deepened my understanding. Training helps guide the work.
I’ve intentionally pursued additional education in perinatal mental health, anxiety, OCD, trauma, grief, and evidence-based therapy approaches.
You don’t need to know which approach you need. That part is my job.
Education
- M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy — University of Southern California
- B.A. in Psychology — Syracuse University
Perinatal mental health
Training through Postpartum Support International:
- Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care
- Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy
- Advanced Perinatal OCD Training
- Perinatal Loss: Clinical & Supportive Care
- Perinatal Substance Use Disorders Training
Currently pursuing Perinatal Mental Health Certification (PMH-C).
Additional clinical training
- EMDR Basic Training — EMDRIA-approved training
- Somatic Experiencing® — Beginning I, II & III
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy — Beck Institute
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy — Dr. Russ Harris
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy Certification — Evergreen Certifications / Dr. Lane Pederson
- Trauma & Grief Dual Certification — Evergreen Certifications
- California MFT Supervisor Certification
Licensure & approach
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist:
- California #132261
- Colorado #MFT.0002980
Florida Out-of-State Telehealth Provider Registration #TPMF1569. Florida Department of Health telehealth information.
I draw from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), DBT-informed skills, mindfulness, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), alongside self-compassion, attachment-based work, and trauma-informed care. I use an integrative approach, tailoring our work to your needs, goals, preferences, and what you’re looking for in therapy. We’ll check in together about what feels helpful and adjust as we go.
You don’t need to show up knowing which therapy approach you need.
You show up as you are. We’ll figure out the rest together.
Outside the therapy room
I’m a therapist.
I also have a very full life outside of being one.
I’m a mom keeping up with a toddler, a Corgi, and a Goldendoodle.
I love good food, traveling, finding a new coffee or matcha spot, and the ordinary family moments that make life feel full.
And like a lot of the women I work with, I know that motherhood, work, marriage, family, and your own identity don’t exist in neat little boxes.
Usually, they’re all happening at once.
You don’t need to know exactly what you need yet
Maybe all you know is,
“I want to feel more like myself again.”
That’s enough of a place to start.
A free 15-minute phone consultation gives us a chance to talk briefly about what’s been going on, what you’re looking for, and whether working together feels like a good fit.
Book a free consultation15 minutes · by phone · no pressure
Prefer email? susan@growandgracetherapy.net
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