How does therapy support Asian American mental health?

Therapy provides a safe space to heal intergenerational trauma, manage career stress, overcome creative blocks, and navigate cultural identity challenges. Services include Brainspotting and EMDR therapy available in Los Angeles, Pasadena, the Bay Area, and across California.

What mental health issues commonly affect Asian American communities?

Common concerns include anxiety, depression, perfectionism, impostor syndrome, family pressures, relationship challenges, and creative blocks. Asian American therapists at Oak and Stone Therapy provide culturally sensitive support using Brainspotting, EMDR, and other healing modalities.

Is culturally sensitive therapy important for BIPOC and children of immigrants?

Yes, culturally sensitive therapy acknowledges racial identity, cultural values, and intergenerational expectations. Our services include Brainspotting and EMDR therapy adapted to the needs of BIPOC and first-generation clients across California.

Who can benefit from Oak and Stone Therapy's blog?

Our blog supports Korean Americans, Taiwanese, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, Indonesian, Singaporean, Filipino, and other East and South Asian communities, as well as BIPOC individuals and first-generation Americans seeking emotional growth, resilience, and culturally sensitive therapy options like Brainspotting and EMDR.

Therapy for Creatives in the Entertainment Industry: What No One Talks About

For Creatives

Apr 30

Written By Hatty J. Lee

Image of an empty chair with a light on it, symbolic of the pressure that creatives in entertainment face in Los Angeles

If you're an artist, actor, writer, musician—or anyone working in the creative space or entertainment industry in Los Angeles—you already know the lifestyle isn’t as glamorous as it looks. Sure, there are moments of joy, recognition, and creative high—but there's also the side that doesn’t get talked about enough. The exhaustion. The emotional ups and downs. The isolation that creeps in even when you’re “living the dream.”

At Oak and Stone Therapy, I work with a lot of creatives—especially Asian and Asian American artists, performers, and storytellers of color. And so many of them tell me the same thing: they’re tired. They’re anxious. They’re carrying a kind of invisible emotional load that doesn’t match what people think their life looks like from the outside.

The Parts People Don’t See

The pressure to always be “on.” Whether it’s your next audition, gallery showing, pitch, or release, there’s this underlying feeling like you’re only as good as your last gig. That inner voice asking, “Am I enough?” doesn’t go away just because you’re talented or accomplished.

For many of our Asian American clients, that pressure gets amplified. Maybe you’re the first in your family to pursue something creative—or maybe your success feels like it has to represent your whole community. There’s often a quiet burden to succeed for everyone... and very little space to just be human.

The burnout that follows inspiration. The creative process can be exhilarating, but the crash after? That part is rarely acknowledged. Whether you’re coming off a high or stuck in a dry spell, it’s common to cycle through avoidance, overworking, or just shutting down emotionally.

Strained relationships and emotional distance. Your work might demand so much of you—your time, your energy, your vulnerability—that there’s not much left for your personal life. Maybe you feel misunderstood by people outside the industry. Or maybe there’s tension with family who never quite saw this as a “real” career. Many creatives of color carry added weight here—feeling torn between honoring family values and carving out their own path.

The loneliness of underrepresentation. If you’re one of the only people of color in the room, or constantly facing microaggressions and subtle exclusion, it takes a toll. Sometimes it’s not outright racism—it’s the constant explaining, the being overlooked, or the quiet pressure to “get it right” for your whole community.

Identity wrapped up in your work. When your art is also your livelihood and your calling, the line between “what I do” and “who I am” gets blurry. If a project falls through—or you step away—you might find yourself wondering who you are without it.

Low boundaries and high expectations. There’s a scarcity mindset that runs deep in this field. Say yes to everything. Don’t miss an opportunity. Push through the exhaustion. It’s no wonder many creatives feel like they can’t stop hustling, even when they know it’s burning them out.

Success doesn’t always bring clarity. Even when you hit the milestones you dreamed of, you might find yourself quietly asking, “Is this still what I want?” You’ve invested so much. You’ve worked so hard. But there may still be a lingering sense of fatigue, confusion, or even grief.

What Therapy Can Offer

Therapy doesn’t ask you to be anything but yourself. It’s not about fixing you—it’s about giving you a place to actually land. To unpack the messy parts. To figure out what you want—not just what the industry expects.

At Oak and Stone Therapy, we support creatives who are navigating identity, culture, legacy, and the deeply personal experience of trying to make a life out of your art. Some of the ways therapy can help:

Reclaim your voice—beyond auditions, scripts, or expectations
Heal the creative wounds that keep you second-guessing yourself
Learn how to say no without guilt, and build boundaries that protect your peace
Work through performance anxiety, financial stress, and emotional burnout
Make sense of the disconnection in your relationships—and rebuild what feels authentic
Find your way back to fulfillment and purpose on your terms

You Don’t Have to Go Through It Alone

Being in the entertainment world asks a lot of you. And too often, no one sees the emotional cost. Therapy is where we slow down. Where we stop pretending. Where we let your humanity take up space—even if the world isn’t used to making room for it.

You don’t have to keep doing this alone. You deserve support—not just as a creative, but as a person with real feelings, real needs, and a real story.

If this resonates with you, reach out to schedule a consultation. Your story matters—on screen, on stage, or simply in the quiet of your own life.

About the Author

Hatty J. Lee, LMFT #53772 (she/her) is a Korean American marriage and family therapist, Brainspotting practitioner, and founder of Oak and Stone Therapy. With over 15 years of experience in community mental health, schools, and private practice, she provides therapy in person in Los Angeles and Pasadena, and virtually throughout California and Seoul, South Korea. Many of her clients identify as Asian American creatives, including actors, writers, celebrities, and producers in the entertainment industry. She shares mental health insights on her Instagram and is the co-author of The Indwell Guide, a visual storytelling and mental health guide that offers practical tools to support healing and self-discovery.

Asian American TherapyAsian CreativesAsian Therapist

Hatty J. Lee

Oak & Stone Therapy is a team of Asian American therapists who offers individual, couples, child and teens, and family therapy virtually across California and in-person in Los Angeles and Pasadena, California.

http://www.oakandstonetherapy.com