But deep in my heart, I longed to heal.

So I committed to my own journey—discovering ways to regulate my nervous system, tap into my body’s wisdom, and connect with the sacred that surrounds us. Softness as strength. Inner peace as resilience.

Every time I’ve felt frustrated by something in my life, I’ve found the most powerful catalyst for change in my own inner work. How I experience myself and my body can radically transform the way I move through the world. And I believe this kind of inner alchemy has the power to ripple out and transform our communities, spanning generations forward and back.

I hold a particular tenderness toward diasporic, multicultural, and migrant histories, as the heart of my practice encompasses a return to the ancestral wisdom that lies in our bodies, just waiting to be re-discovered.

I take inspiration from healing justice as a compass that guides my values. As an Asian American therapist, my practice is identity-affirming and culturally responsive.

In my work, my highest intention is to serve as a steward of our collective healing—to hold up a mirror so others can see the magic and worthiness within themselves, and in turn, honor the beauty in everything around them.

With a grateful heart, I remain a student on this spiral path of life. I firmly believe we can only meet others as deeply as we’ve met ourselves, so I mean it when I say that am in this with you. Let’s see what we can discover together.

I have always known I wanted to live a life of service, but it took years of deep personal journeying to fully arrive in this work.

As a child, I was incredibly sensitive to the world around me. My family and I migrated from Seoul to Southern California when I was three years old. Alongside my desire for belonging, life experiences and generational wounding led me to retreat inward, with no clear way out.

Practicing Under Supervision at The Relational Center

Pre-Licensed Psychotherapist
CA BBS #103200

Ruby Minji Hwang, ACSW

  • Hakomi Method Professional Training with Embodywise (Ongoing)
  • EMDR Part I & II at The Trauma Therapist Institute
  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for Trauma Themes
  • Basic Principles of Somatic Experiencing for BIPOC
  • Complicated Grief Training with Dr. Katherine Shear, founder of the Center for Complicated Grief at Columbia University
  • Hakomi Essential Skills at The Hakomi Institute of Californa
  • Advanced Relational Gestalt Training at the Relational Center
  • 72-hour Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Counselor Advocate Training at Peace Over Violence

Clinical Training

  • PhD-in-Progress at Pacifica Graduate Institute, Mythological Studies in Depth Psychology
  • Master’s of Social Work in Clinical Practice at Columbia University
  • Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature at the University of Southern California
  • Comparative Literature & Art History at New York University

Education