The Journey Blog

Writings to meet you where you are

Relationships Hatty J. Lee Relationships Hatty J. Lee

Too Much or Just Misunderstood?

Have you ever been told you're "too much"? Too emotional, too sensitive, too intense? For many Asian Americans and children of immigrants, emotional expression can feel like a liability instead of a strength. But your "too muchness" isn't a flaw — it's an invitation to explore your needs, relational patterns, and voice with more compassion and clarity.

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Why Ghosting Isn’t the Easy Way Out—Especially for Asian Americans

Many Asian Americans and children of immigrants in Los Angeles struggle with ghosting — not because we’re heartless, but because we were raised to avoid conflict, suppress emotions, and prioritize harmony. But ghosting can deepen insecurity, delay healing, and damage trust. In this blog, we explore why ghosting is so common in our communities, how cultural upbringing influences it, and what healthier, more honest alternatives look like for expats, creatives, and first-gen professionals navigating dating and relationships.

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Why Conflict in Relationships Can Be a Catalyst for Deeper Connection

Conflict is inevitable in close relationships—but it doesn’t have to be destructive. In this post, Asian American therapist Hatty J. Lee, LMT 83772 explores how conflict can reveal unmet needs, deepen emotional intimacy, and become a turning point for growth. Learn how to approach relational conflict with greater awareness, accountability, and compassion.

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How Trust is Built One Small Act at a Time: An Asian Therapist’s Reflections

Trust isn’t built in one leap—it grows slowly through small, consistent acts over time. In this post, Asian American therapist Hatty J. Lee, LMFT 83772 explores how to build trust in relationships with intention, how predictability creates emotional safety, and why trustworthy behavior matters more than perfection. Learn how therapy can help you strengthen emotional intimacy without losing yourself in the process.

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The Gift of Presence in Relationships During This Holiday Season

During the holiday season, emotional presence is often more powerful than any material gift. In this post, Asian American therapist Hatty J. Lee, LMFT 83772 explores what it means to truly show up in relationships—not just physically, but with emotional honesty and vulnerability. Learn what gets in the way of presence and how to practice deeper connection through practical, therapist-approved strategies.

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Trauma Hatty J. Lee Trauma Hatty J. Lee

Why Shutting Down Negative Emotions Also Numbs the Good: An Asian Therapist’s Thoughts

Shutting down your negative emotions might seem like a way to stay in control—but it often leads to emotional numbness and disconnection from yourself and others. In this post, Asian American therapist Hatty J. Lee, LMFT 83772 explores why emotional avoidance can harm relationships and how therapy can help you safely reconnect with your full range of feelings to experience deeper connection and healing.

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What Is Fairness in Relationships? Understanding Love, Justice, and Destructive Entitlement

What does fairness really mean in relationships? It’s not about keeping score—it’s about mutual love, responsibility, and emotional reciprocity. In this post, Asian American therapist Hatty J. Lee, LMFT 83772 explores how love languages, unspoken expectations, and patterns like destructive entitlement shape the balance of giving and receiving. Learn how therapy can help you heal from relational imbalance and build deeper, more just connections.

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Why Trust in Relationships Depends on Predictability: An Asian American Therapist's Perspective

Trust is a cornerstone of healthy relationships, but it's not just built on effort—it's built on consistency. In this post, a trauma-informed Asian American therapist Hatty J. Lee, LMFT 83772 explores how predictability creates emotional safety and why even well-intentioned actions can fall short if they’re inconsistent. Learn how therapy can help you rebuild trust, shift relational dynamics, and become the kind of person others feel safe with.

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The Hidden Emotional Cost of Constant Progress

We’re taught that success means always moving forward—toward the next job, the next milestone, the next achievement. But what if that constant striving comes at the cost of our emotional well-being and closest relationships? In this post, a second-generation Asian American therapist Hatty J. Lee, LMFT 83772 reflects on how burnout, disconnection, and cultural expectations can distort our understanding of growth—and how therapy can help us reconnect with what truly matters: love, presence, and meaningful relationships.

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The Healing Power of Mistakes: What Therapy Taught Me About Repairing Relationships

As a trauma-informed therapist, Asian American therapist Hatty J. Lee, LMFT 83772 learned that making mistakes isn’t a sign of failure—it’s an invitation for deeper connection. In both therapy and life, our ability to own our humanness, acknowledge ruptures, and repair relationships is what builds trust and intimacy. Many clients come to therapy carrying the weight of past mistakes—both theirs and others’—that were never resolved. In this post, Hatty explores how perfectionism, shame, and relational wounding show up in our lives and how making room for imperfection can lead to powerful healing.

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