March 19, 2025 • 33 mins
Dr. Uejin Kim joins Rev. Keith for a thought-provoking discussion on the intersection of mental health and spirituality. As a Christian psychiatrist, Dr. Kim emphasizes the importance of focusing on what is right with individuals rather than solely on their struggles. He shares insights from his own journey, highlighting the significance of addressing trauma and the necessity of removing self-blame associated with painful experiences. The conversation touches on how spiritual health can be integrated into mental health care, fostering a holistic approach to healing. Listeners will gain valuable perspectives on overcoming feelings of inadequacy and the transformative power of understanding one's worth as a child of God.
The dialogue between Dr. Keith and Dr. Uejin Kim offers listeners an insightful perspective on the convergence of mental health and spirituality, providing a rich tapestry of ideas to foster healing and personal growth. Dr. Kim, who identifies as a Christian psychiatrist, brings a unique blend of professional expertise and personal experience to the conversation, emphasizing the importance of recognizing what is right within individuals rather than focusing solely on their issues. This refreshing approach serves as a foundation for discussing the myriad ways in which people can navigate their mental health journeys with faith and resilience.
Throughout their exchange, Dr. Kim shares poignant anecdotes from his clinical work at Restore Psychiatry, illustrating the transformative power of addressing both mental and spiritual health. He recounts stories of patients who have made significant strides in their healing, not merely through medication but through a deeper understanding of their personal narratives and their relationships with God. This dual focus on spiritual and psychological well-being allows for a more comprehensive approach to healing, one that is particularly relevant in today's society where many struggle with feelings of isolation and despair. Dr. Kim encourages listeners to look beyond societal expectations and to embrace their unique stories, reinforcing the idea that healing is a multifaceted process that encompasses both the mind and the spirit.
The conversation also delves into the complexities of discussing trauma and healing within a faith context. Dr. Kim addresses the common feeling of abandonment many experience when faced with suffering, urging listeners to reconsider their perceptions of God and the nature of faith. He asserts that God is present in their pain and is actively working toward redemption, a message that resonates deeply in the hearts of those grappling with difficult questions about their existence and worth. By the conclusion of the episode, Dr. Kim leaves the audience with a powerful message about the importance of community and support in the healing process, encouraging them to seek out connections that foster both mental and spiritual growth.
Takeaways:
- Dr. Uejin Kimemphasizes the importance of recognizing what's right in ourselves rather than focusing solely on what's wrong.
- Spiritual health and mental health can be intertwined, and both are essential for overall well-being.
- One's healing journey should encompass more than just medication or therapy; it involves personal growth and community support.
- Many individuals struggle with feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome, even those in professional roles.
- It's crucial to alleviate the burden of blame from those who have suffered trauma, affirming that it was not their fault.
- Using biblical stories can provide a unique perspective on mental health, helping patients feel understood and validated.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:49):
Well, Dr.
Kim, welcome to the podcast.
How you doing today?
Thank you so much for havingme, Keith.
It's a pleasure to be.
I'm looking forward to this conversation.
You have an interestingmixture of things that I think are
really helpful for today's society.
We have a lot of people thatare struggling with a bunch of things,
so it should be a fun conversation.
Yeah, people struggle is my specialty.
(01:12):
And I like to say that I'm aChristian psychiatrist that looks
for what's right with you andnot what's wrong with you.
So I'm excited.
Yes.
That's a little tagline that Icreated recently because, you know,
I know that, you know, but aswe mature and get older, we're constantly
(01:34):
reframing what we alreadyknow, you know, with the new information
that we're maturing.
And I.
I just love that taglinebecause I think we all need to hear
what's right with us more thanwhat's wrong with us.
Right.
Because we always get thenegative, don't we?
We sure do.
So I'm gonna start out with myfavorite question for my podcast.
Guess what's the best piece ofadvice you've ever received?
(02:00):
I think the best advice is Ido this thing with God where we really
have a frank conversation with God.
And that's something that Ireally picked up from my grandma,
who was so approachable.
You know, she was verycerebral and analytical, and I can
ask her anything.
And if, you know anythingabout, you know, Asian culture, like,
(02:22):
I was dating this guy when Iwent study abroad in Africa, and
my parents were, like, soagainst it.
It was a little bit delusionalbecause he was in Africa and I was
in the United States.
But she let me talk about it,you know, and she's a Cold War, you
know, World War II grandma.
Right.
So that really embodies how Italk to God.
(02:46):
And.
And you know me as, like, ablossoming public speaker, podcast
host, and private practice entrepreneur.
All of that.
Sometimes it kind of getsdiscouraging, you know, like, I see
other people, like, gettingmore likes or most more subscriber
or they're on stage and I'mnot, and.
And I'm just kind of like, youknow, Brandon Brown is kind of saying
(03:06):
the same thing that I'msaying, and I just kind of asked
God, like, God, why do youneed me to talk?
Right.
Like, there's so many peoplesaying the same thing.
Who am I to say that?
And he told me two things.
It was.
Number one was you.
Yeah, Eugene, everyone who'swise speaks the Same.
(03:28):
Because wisdom is the same,and there's no new wisdom out there.
Like, wisdom is finite, but atthe same time, I'm the author of
wisdom.
So you don't need to listen toother people to get more wise.
You just need to talk to me.
That was first thing.
And the second thing that I'mtrying to still practice right now
(03:49):
is there was one AsianAmerican speaker.
And, you know, when you cankind of relate to the speaker, you
kind of.
It's like you're happy forthem, but at the same time, it's
like, why not me?
Kind of question, you know, And.
And I was like, well, she's myage, she's Asian American, all that
stuff.
And God really challenged me,like, what would it take for you
to not compare yourself toother people, but, like, celebrate
(04:12):
that they're doing.
They're, you know, they'reliving out their calling.
And that's, you know, Dr.
Keith, like, if I were to behonest, like, I'm here as a psychiatrist
and an expert in a sense, butI'm also a human being with same
imposter syndrome, same doubt, same.
You know, like, what was so stupid?
Like, what am I doing?
You know, there's always thatkind of self doubt.
(04:33):
But that's something that I'mreally working on right now, is kind
of stay in my lane and use mygifts and use my story.
And I know that he's gonna dogreat things.
Yeah, and that's importantbecause the important thing about
that, too, is other people maybe saying the same thing, but no
one says it quite the way.
You can and doesn't have theimpact on the people's lives that
(04:56):
you connect with.
So while it may be the samemessage, because wisdom is, you know,
like you said, finite, butcoming from you as opposed to coming
from me.
What the audience you haveversus my audience, they still need
to hear it and need amessenger to give that to them.
So you have a unique place that.
And a connection other people don't.
(05:18):
Yeah, absolutely.
And.
And I say that because I lovebeing vulnerable, you know, as somebody
who's on the podium or as aprovider, like healthcare provider.
But I'm on the other side too,you know, sometimes.
So I like being authentic andvulnerable with my stories.
And you're right, becausethere are.
Sometimes I'm really excitedabout my story because now it makes
(05:41):
sense that the trauma that Iendured, you know, like a childhood,
maybe attention def.
Like, attention neglect,sexual trauma that I went to, you
know, medical school,psychiatry, being a child psychiatrist,
not being a mom you know,being married and a human being,
all that is like a full circle.
So it's a very unique every.
(06:02):
I think everybody's in aunique advantage point when it comes
to living out your story.
So, yeah, definitely, I agreewith you 110%.
That's true.
So who are some people in yourlife who served to be a mentor for
you or maybe inspire you alongyour journey?
Definitely God touching allaspects of my story.
(06:24):
And that was a power oftherapy and very introspective work
that I had to do where nostone was left unturned, you know,
and I'm.
I'm that kind of intenseperson that when it comes, if I said
I'm gonna know my story, like,I'm gonna know my story.
You know what I mean?
Like, Right.
I'm not afraid to go to thedark places.
(06:45):
And God was really with me,just guiding me every single one,
you know, step of the way.
And I, I110.
He was that fatherly voicethat I never had who went to the
dark places with me.
In Dark Stories, I mentionedmy grandma.
There's so many people thatgot placed for a season just to say
(07:08):
the right thing.
And maybe I'm not, you know,close with them now, but I just want,
like, to thank them that theywere a vessel of wisdom and comfort,
you know, every step of the way.
That's great.
So tell us about your journey.
What inspired you to get intoRestore Psychiatry?
(07:29):
Yeah, so Restore Psychiatry ismy private practice.
And I recently started my kindof like a community education kind
of online course, LLC calledEugene Kim LLC.
I don't know, Dr.
Keith, like, when you go toschool and you graduate from high
school and college, you leaveand you hit the real world and you're
(07:50):
like, school did not teach me that.
Right.
I had that moment when Igraduated from my child psychiatry
fellowship where, so I got myfirst job.
You know, it was during thenit was Covid.
So it was a telesy job.
And I was serving underservedarea in Virginia.
(08:13):
But corporate psychiatry, itwas very evident earlier on that
it was catering to the payee,which is a clinic.
And it was.
Even though they promised,like, hey, we'll give you autonomy,
we'll let you practice the waythat you want to.
The reality was that becausethe clinic is paying and the clinic
(08:34):
is underserved andoverstretched, right?
Like, it was making me andasking me to do things that I was
not comfortable with.
Just like, like seeing ateenager and prescribing medications
and giving diagnosis withoutparent present.
Because parents working twojobs, right?
And I understand the concerns,but like, I was like, at least for
(08:55):
an intake, you can show up andthen I can get the fuller story,
you know, so that's just anexample of corporate psychiatry.
And.
And at the same time, in mypersonal life, I was digging up the
stones of my trauma in mychildhood, and I was a patient and
a client of a therapist.
Therapist.
And at that same time, I wasquickly finding out as a young psychiatrist,
(09:20):
like, oh, I don't know ifcorporate psychiatry is for me.
And at the same time, I waskind of finding out that my faith
was such a huge part ofholding my hand through going through
therapy.
And God really challenged meto say, hey, if I'm such a big part
of your healing journey andyou're not, but you're not saying
(09:43):
that or being open to that ifthe patient wants it, like, aren't
you holding out on yourpatients by not giving that spiritual
care?
And that was like, oh, yeah, Iguess I will be holding back.
And that really only privatepractice was a setting that would
allow me to have that freedomto be open and available spiritually,
(10:07):
you know, as a psychiatrist.
And a psychiatrist sharing herfaith or even opening the realm of
spiritual care is veryunexplored at this point.
So I am kind of pioneering inmy own way to figure out what that
means.
So private practice has been areally great avenue for me to explore
(10:28):
how this all fits.
So that's why I started theprivate practice.
So, Eugene, how do you meldthose two things together?
Because when we think aboutspirituality and mental health, oftentimes
those are just two totallydifferent worlds.
So how do you meld together?
How do you bridge the gapbetween those two?
Right.
(10:49):
And.
And I loved your questionbecause it kind of made me think
about the puzzle pieces.
So we think that they're sodifferent because mental health,
we think is self care is, youknow, is getting pedicures.
And it's like venting aboutyour parents and, you know, all that
stuff.
Right.
And it seems so opposite.
Or taking meds, taking thehappy pills.
(11:10):
Right?
That's.
That's what we.
Has a connotation about whatmental health care is.
And, and spiritual care isjust serving church, you know, doing
volunteer work or being partof the group.
And.
But at the same time, how Ivisualize it is spiritual care is
answering the questions of doI belong?
(11:32):
Where's my worth?
You know, like, what's my purpose?
And these are big questionsthat we are all thirsty for.
And mental health really is ahealth of the mind.
So how I like to kind ofbridge the two together is if we
are all.
If our life is a car.
I'm not a car mechanic, savvyperson, but how I imagine is.
Is in a car, a spiritualhealth is the driver.
(11:57):
You know, like you're, you're.
You know, your destination,you know the way around, you know
your value, you know, you knowhow to drive, all these skills.
And I think really, mentalhealth is the condition of the engine.
It's.
Is it running well?
You know, are you putting inthe right gasoline for that car?
You know, are the pistons working?
Is it firing?
Is it strong?
Because it's health of the mind.
(12:19):
So I really like to bridgethat too.
And when I see my patients orjust talk to anybody in a community
health talks, I evaluate howtheir mind is functioning.
Like, is it too fast, like outof control?
Or are they grasping everysingle feeling, thoughts that they
are having so that they canprocess it?
(12:39):
So that's one end, and theother one is like, what do they see
themselves as worthy andvaluable, you know, and has a purpose
in life?
So that's my spiritual health assessment.
And you really need both senseof health to really flourish and
just live like there's no tomorrow.
So when you're dealing withpeople, especially Christians, I
(13:02):
think we struggle sometimeswith the why question.
When you're going in formental health issues and maybe some
things in your life have notgone well, maybe you have dealt with
sexual abuse.
The question, the spiritualitypiece really gets complicated.
It's like, where was God at in this?
Why do people not see value in me?
(13:23):
Why do people treat me likethis if I'm a child of God?
So as a pastor, when I try todeal with people who've had, you
know, issues in their life,connecting those two together begins
to be really complicatedbecause they're questioning their
own existence.
And where was God when theseterrible things were happening?
So how do you help peopleprocess that?
As a psychiatrist?
(13:46):
Right.
And.
And these are something thatyou're definitely an expert at as
this existential questions oflike, why is there brokenness?
Why is there pain?
Right.
For sure.
So as a psychiatrist, I'veheard a lot of stories of brokenness
and pain.
(14:06):
And when you hear enoughstories of pain, you start to see
patterns.
And as a Christian, how Imerge the two is there's a lot of
things happening on earth thatGod is not happy about, you know,
and that is the state of thefallen world.
And.
(14:27):
And he's not happy about that.
So the merging thing is iswhen somebody went through trauma
and they're like, where wasGod in this?
Right.
We have so many scripturesthat God is so angry at the brokenness,
at the state of this world,you know, and that he's the God of
justice and he says, justwait, I will redeem every single
(14:50):
pain that you have.
And I think that's the mergeof a father who's so angry that you
got hurt and a father who willdo everything and more to make that
right.
So that is the truth.
But still there's that painright here, right now, like, I can't
(15:11):
wait to, you know, God to come through.
And that pain, how I like tosee it is that a lot of times, you
know, there are so many cases,I'm a child psychiatrist, so I talk
to a lot of kids with who gotabused or neglected by their parents,
you know, even adult patients,we talk about their childhood and
(15:32):
how they got abused andneglected by their parents.
And a lot of times as a kid,naturally when something painful
happens, the pain and theblame fell on them, if you know what
I mean.
And what I like to do is thatdeal with the pain, but remove the
(15:56):
blame.
Like, it was not your fault asa minor to be treated like this like
you do.
You weren't too annoying toget slapped in the face, right.
Like you weren't.
Some 5 year olds got told thatthey're hypersexual and that's why
they got raped.
Right.
So I kind of bring that senseof justice of like, yes, you got
(16:19):
hurt and there's pain, but anyblaming voices that inside your head,
that is not true.
So alleviating the, the burdenof blame and when they know, oh,
it was not my fault, I waswrongfully hurt, but it was not my
fault.
That even gives them so muchhealing knowing that they don't have
(16:40):
to carry two burden, you know,I can just carry on.
And that brings a lot ofhealing and relief.
I love that.
So give me an example of howyou have done this in your practice.
Maybe a situation that youwere kind of helping bridge those
two gaps together.
Yeah.
(17:01):
So for an example, so wheneverI talked about trauma, you know,
I say it's not your fault.
How I like to do it is I wasthinking about this, right?
For me to provide mental andspiritual health care, I had to know
my spiritual story.
So that came with a lot offoundational understanding of spiritual
(17:24):
realm that's, you know,explained by the Bible, you know,
so I had to study the Bible,you know, front and back a few times
to, to really get it andanalyze it and understand it.
But then at the same time, Ihad to go through my own therapy,
like I said, you know, like,and explore all the things.
But, you know, what's thebeautiful thing about spiritual health
(17:45):
is that when you're a child,that's when you're most spiritual,
if you know what I mean, like,untainted spiritual.
And I really conceptualizethis as my spiritual health is my
little Eugene living inside,you know, And I had to be in tune
with my little Eugene all the time.
And I.
(18:05):
Now that I'm fully healed andfree to use my strength, it's.
It's really cute and weird atthe same time, but I really sense
that whenever I hear people'sstories, it's not just me, analytical
brain listening, but littleEugene is listening, too.
And she's like, oh, I know howthat kid feels inside, right?
(18:28):
Or like, oh, that kid, youknow, little patient inside them
must have felt like this.
And I really touch on that,you know, And.
And I say you're describing ahorrible incident, but you're not
really changing your emotions, right?
But I also sense that you'retired, or I sense that you're still
(18:50):
really angry about whathappened, you know, so I'm really
channeling in my spiritualsense to connect with their spiritual
sense so that they feel seen,they feel heard, and they feel felt
maybe for the first time.
Being a pastor, one of thethings I find most powerful is using
biblical stories to helppeople understand the bigger picture.
(19:13):
Do you do that in yourpractice as well?
Kind of share biblicalexamples and stories to kind of help
people process information,Information and maybe trauma.
I love to.
I can't volunteer biblicalstories because I want to be respectful
for where their journey was,you know, with the Bible, or maybe
(19:35):
they had church trauma, right?
So I don't want to volunteer that.
But once I got the sense, orthey asked me, or they.
They hear my podcast and theyknow that I talk about the Bible
story, so they're like, hey,can you tell me more about that?
Or, you know, know.
So patients ask me, and whenthey ask me, I love to share that.
And I think I have a uniqueperspective on biblical stories,
(19:58):
because I don't know aboutyou, but when I grew up, it was very
black and white, you know, oh,Jonah's stupid.
He got angry and he's notunforgiving, Right?
Or Martha is an overworker.
She's always bitter and tired,you know, and.
Or the Pharisees are bad.
They're stupid.
They didn't get it.
And Israelites are stupid inthe desert, you know, like we just
did it a black and white, youknow, where as a psychiatrist, I
(20:21):
kind of look at their mentalhealth and spiritual health of each
biblical characters.
So one thing that I recentlydiscovered, because I, I always told
myself that I'm a Martha, youknow, versus Mary, I'm always the
get it done girl, you know,and, and one thing that I found about
(20:47):
Martha was when she first metJesus and this big crowd that he's
carrying, she invitedeverybody for, you know, a dinner
party, right?
And.
And when I kind of dig throughthe origin of the language and the
commentaries, she was doingwhat she was supposed to do when
(21:09):
she invites people over.
She invited people over fordinner party.
And it's her.
It's the expectation thatmatron of the house will serve food.
Matron being Martha and Mary.
But I was just kind ofimagining, you know, big crowds were
following Jesus, right?
So you don't know how manypeople she actually invited over.
And then she's getting tired,she's getting burnt out, you know,
(21:33):
and she's know, bitter andstuff like that.
And it really hit me becausesometimes I'm like, Martha, I bite.
I invite people, I bite morethan I can chew.
And I'm trying to meet theexpectations that I created for myself.
And I'm getting burnt out andI'm angry at everybody.
So, you know, Jesus saying you're.
(21:56):
And the word is you'redistracted about so many things,
AKA expectations of otherpeople and expectations set by yourself.
The real deal is here, youdon't have to meet expectations of
other people.
You just need to be with me.
And that really hit the corebecause, you know, you have three
(22:18):
podcasts, right?
Dr.
Keith and I have all thesethings going on, and I'm like creating
expectations of myself, thateach of them has to be successful
and stuff like that.
And God really cuts it to the traces.
Like, I don't expect that fromyou, you know, I just expect that.
I just expect you to be herewith me.
And that really just grounds me.
And I just love understandingand reading stories like that.
(22:40):
So you have a book there,Psychological People of the Bible.
Oh, yeah, that would be so awesome.
You just go through adiagnose, you know, what was Paul's
problem?
Oh, yeah, Paul and I are like,very similar too, because I don't
know if you're familiar withenneagram, but I'm enneagram1.
(23:01):
I'm the improver, so I neverstop, you know, and my mom has a
gift of Bible teaching too.
And, you know, we revere Paul,like, so smart, so wise and stuff.
And she pointed out to me,even when she was young, she said,
you know, he died alone.
You know, like was a lot ofarguments that, you know, he got
(23:22):
into.
Right.
So he was very intense person.
And I was just like, oh, Ididn't even think about that.
So I think she kind of lend methat Bible teaching, you know, Bible
studying kind of genes.
That's so cool.
So tell us about your podcast.
It's like this, why you startit and what.
What kind of content do youcover on your podcast?
(23:43):
Yeah, so I started it.
I started the podcast as it'slike this podcast now is renamed
to Good News Mental Health,and I'll explain that.
But it started as it's likethis podcast because I always had
stories and analogies toexplain to people, even when I was
young.
So if you can imagine me as acollege student, like, I don't have
(24:03):
it all together.
I still partied.
I made my mistakes.
But my friends always came tome for advice, and I would use analogies
to explain.
Well, dating is likechemistry, like pro, you know, protons
and oh my gosh, I'm datingmyself, electrons, you know, those
things.
And I'm using what I'mlearning in college to explain to
them what dating, you know,should be or should not be.
(24:24):
Right.
So this coined the termamongst my friends as eugenisms.
Like, oh, Eugene has eugenisms.
It just makes sense, you know,And I really carry that spirit to
teach my patients, you know,things about mental health and depression
like that.
And I use analogies.
And I realized I'm saying alot of the same things.
(24:45):
And I was like, oh, why don'tI make it into a podcast so that
they can listen to it at homeand we can discuss it once they come
back.
So that's how it started asit's like this podcast.
I recently rebranded it toGood News Mental Health because I
felt like the calling that Ihad was really provide this level
of clarity between mentalhealth and spiritual health for the
(25:08):
body of Christ, because Irealized that if Body of Christ,
each part realized theirstrength and let go of the baggages
and really be whole and healed.
It can be a beautiful thing.
So that's my passion.
So I rebranded it to Good NewsMental Health so that I can debunk
a lot of myths that happenedat church, you know, that I experienced
(25:28):
and, you know, a lot of otherpeople experience and really bring
a structure and order andunderstanding from the Bible.
So what are some commonmisconceptions you've run across
from the work that you do.
I think there's continue to beall, all or nothing or black and
(25:49):
white thinking about mentalhealth, that if you take medications
then you're following thedevil or you're weak or you're giving
up, you know, and really bythe medication is just one part of
the healing process.
And I think, I hope that thelisteners kind of understand how
I view mental and spiritualhealth that we're just now talking
(26:12):
about medicine.
Medicine is a very small partof the healing journey.
A lot of the other ones isknowing your story and, and inviting
healing into your life andinviting understanding into your
life and being seen.
So that being said, really,biochemical imbalance is a very small
part of healing.
(26:32):
The other ones are, oh, when Igo to a therapist and psychiatrist,
they're just going to rejectfamily and trauma, you know, and
everything is trauma nowadays,you know, and they're just going
to excommunicate your parentsbecause you don't understand and
they're ungrateful.
So again, just all or nothing thinking.
The really, the part of thehealing process that comes is that
(26:54):
everybody has to accept theirreality and their responsibility.
And there's something to besaid about saying, I know that my
parents tried their best, butit still hurts sometimes.
And that's the truth.
And it's okay to say that.
So when the leaders of thechurch or the parents are insecure
(27:15):
to hear that, that's not thechild's responsibility to make sure
that they feel okay about themselves.
So that's what I like to kindof say, is that there is a level
of truth that needs to comeout and make it fair for all parties.
I was talking to someone who was.
Who doesn't work in a mentalhealth aspect and they said unlike
physical issues, it's harderto measure.
(27:39):
And so insurance companiesdon't like to cover it because it's
not a exact science.
So how do you measure progressin the mental health area?
Yeah, and that's definitely true.
There's no blood work for, youknow, mental health that, you know,
hemoglobin will see, you'rediabetic and stuff like that.
(27:59):
So we have this book ofcriteria called DSM 5 and they try
to quantify it as much as possible.
So 5 out of 7 characters ofdepression over 6 months period of
time with this level of dysfunction.
So we can try to quantify itas much as possible.
So that's how we get diagnosedand we sense what medications work
(28:21):
best for each symptoms or for diagnosis.
But the Coolest part that Imeasure progress is I wrote down
a few stories, is a combatveteran that no longer sleeps with
a knife next to his bed, youknow, or a girl who was so anxious
about social anxiety becauseshe has scoliosis and she went to
a rock concert and better yet,participate in the mosh pit and push
(28:47):
the girl away because the girlwas trying to encroach in her space,
you know what I mean?
Or.
Or a girl who was taking 30supplements because she wasn't sure
what she was missing out on,you know, and she just didn't know
what she was missing.
She went from 30 to 11 supplements.
That is fitting for her andshe can just kind of let go and say,
(29:08):
okay, I'll figure it out later.
So those are the progressesand stories that is worth celebrating.
And the coolest part about mebeing their psychiatrist is that
I'm seeing them every, youknow, few months.
So I'm jumping and seeing the progress.
You know, they're living withthemselves every day.
(29:29):
So it's kind of hard to tellsometimes, right?
But I'm seeing them everymonth or every three months and I'm
like looking back in my noseand I often do this and I'm like,
hey, like a year ago you weresaying this and now you're going
to rock concert because byyourself, you know, or.
Or you're bringing down 30supplements to 11.
(29:49):
So I really remind them, like,this is where you were at.
Like, this is awesome.
And they were like, you know what?
I never thought of it like that.
And you're true.
So those are my celebration,those are my progress stories.
That just keeps me coming backto help more people.
As you think about where youare right now, what are some professional
goals you have set aside for yourself?
(30:12):
Yeah.
So exciting thing is that I'mrealizing I'm a girl of efficiency.
I'm the get it done girl andI'm also girl of efficiency.
So I know that I'm verylimited in seeing patients, you know,
one to one or coaching one to one.
And what I'm working on rightnow is to really extract the eugenism
(30:35):
that I've gathered being apsychiatrist and also a human being
into an online course so that,you know, while it doesn't replace
the.
The lengthy therapist, youknow, but it's going to be a really
good jumpstart to connect thatmental health piece and also spiritual
health piece and really get intouch with yourself.
So the course is coming outand spring of 2025, and it's going
(31:00):
to be called Be still to moveforward and it's going to teach the
therapy techniques that reallyworks to get in touch with your inner
child spirit.
I love that.
So I love to ask my guest this question.
What do you want your legacyto be?
I want my legacy is I wantpeople to know what it feels like
(31:24):
to be a child of God and whatGod is like as a father and who he's
not.
And there's a lot of myths,there's a lot of misconceptions about
what that feels like.
And we say that he's a perfectfather, but we don't know what perfect
(31:45):
father is like, like what itfeels like.
So I want to really bring thatto life as a legacy and to let people
know that he forgives.
He holds your hand, he doesn'tlet you down.
You know, he picks you back upwhen you're down, he gives you perspectives
and he's always there.
(32:05):
And what does that feel like?
So that's my legacy.
Great.
As you wrap up this amazingconversation, what key takeaways
do you want to leave with the audience?
I just hope that, you know,like I kind of touched on is that
your healing journey is notall about meds.
(32:26):
It's not all about therapy.
It's not all about church.
It's everything.
And that as you heard me sharemy story or my patient stories or
biblical character story,human experience is pretty much the
same.
And that you're not alone andthat you don't have to figure it
out alone.
And that's what I hope thatyour audience will get out of this
(32:48):
talk.
That's great.
Well, Dr.
Kim, thank you so much.
Where can people connect withyou on social media?
Absolutely.
I'll provide you, Dr.
Keith, with my links and youcan follow me on my podcast, my YouTube
and there's a link tree.
There will be a lot of linksthat you can kind of come check me
out and stay in tune withwhat's coming up.
(33:10):
And best yet, I was just goingto ask your audience, when you listen
to my podcast on YouTube, ifyou can give me a feedback and email
me @Hi, Eugene kim.com thatwill give me so much more material
and so much more connection tomy audience.
So.
Or if you didn't like thepodcast, you can tell me too and
give me feedback on that.
(33:30):
So I'm all open, open yearsfor that.
Well, thanks so much for being on.
You have a great.
Well, Dr.
Kim, welcome to the podcast.
How you doing today?
Thank you so much for havingme, Keith.
It's a pleasure to be.
I'm looking forward to this conversation.
You have an interestingmixture of things that I think are
really helpful for today's society.
We have a lot of people thatare struggling with a bunch of things,
so it should be a fun conversation.
Yeah, people struggle is my specialty.
(01:12):
And I like to say that I'm aChristian psychiatrist that looks
for what's right with you andnot what's wrong with you.
So I'm excited.
Yes.
That's a little tagline that Icreated recently because, you know,
I know that, you know, but aswe mature and get older, we're constantly
(01:34):
reframing what we alreadyknow, you know, with the new information
that we're maturing.
And I.
I just love that taglinebecause I think we all need to hear
what's right with us more thanwhat's wrong with us.
Right.
Because we always get thenegative, don't we?
We sure do.
So I'm gonna start out with myfavorite question for my podcast.
Guess what's the best piece ofadvice you've ever received?
(02:00):
I think the best advice is Ido this thing with God where we really
have a frank conversation with God.
And that's something that Ireally picked up from my grandma,
who was so approachable.
You know, she was verycerebral and analytical, and I can
ask her anything.
And if, you know anythingabout, you know, Asian culture, like,
(02:22):
I was dating this guy when Iwent study abroad in Africa, and
my parents were, like, soagainst it.
It was a little bit delusionalbecause he was in Africa and I was
in the United States.
But she let me talk about it,you know, and she's a Cold War, you
know, World War II grandma.
Right.
So that really embodies how Italk to God.
(02:46):
And.
And you know me as, like, ablossoming public speaker, podcast
host, and private practice entrepreneur.
All of that.
Sometimes it kind of getsdiscouraging, you know, like, I see
other people, like, gettingmore likes or most more subscriber
or they're on stage and I'mnot, and.
And I'm just kind of like, youknow, Brandon Brown is kind of saying
(03:06):
the same thing that I'msaying, and I just kind of asked
God, like, God, why do youneed me to talk?
Right.
Like, there's so many peoplesaying the same thing.
Who am I to say that?
And he told me two things.
It was.
Number one was you.
Yeah, Eugene, everyone who'swise speaks the Same.
(03:28):
Because wisdom is the same,and there's no new wisdom out there.
Like, wisdom is finite, but atthe same time, I'm the author of
wisdom.
So you don't need to listen toother people to get more wise.
You just need to talk to me.
That was first thing.
And the second thing that I'mtrying to still practice right now
(03:49):
is there was one AsianAmerican speaker.
And, you know, when you cankind of relate to the speaker, you
kind of.
It's like you're happy forthem, but at the same time, it's
like, why not me?
Kind of question, you know, And.
And I was like, well, she's myage, she's Asian American, all that
stuff.
And God really challenged me,like, what would it take for you
to not compare yourself toother people, but, like, celebrate
(04:12):
that they're doing.
They're, you know, they'reliving out their calling.
And that's, you know, Dr.
Keith, like, if I were to behonest, like, I'm here as a psychiatrist
and an expert in a sense, butI'm also a human being with same
imposter syndrome, same doubt, same.
You know, like, what was so stupid?
Like, what am I doing?
You know, there's always thatkind of self doubt.
(04:33):
But that's something that I'mreally working on right now, is kind
of stay in my lane and use mygifts and use my story.
And I know that he's gonna dogreat things.
Yeah, and that's importantbecause the important thing about
that, too, is other people maybe saying the same thing, but no
one says it quite the way.
You can and doesn't have theimpact on the people's lives that
(04:56):
you connect with.
So while it may be the samemessage, because wisdom is, you know,
like you said, finite, butcoming from you as opposed to coming
from me.
What the audience you haveversus my audience, they still need
to hear it and need amessenger to give that to them.
So you have a unique place that.
And a connection other people don't.
(05:18):
Yeah, absolutely.
And.
And I say that because I lovebeing vulnerable, you know, as somebody
who's on the podium or as aprovider, like healthcare provider.
But I'm on the other side too,you know, sometimes.
So I like being authentic andvulnerable with my stories.
And you're right, becausethere are.
Sometimes I'm really excitedabout my story because now it makes
(05:41):
sense that the trauma that Iendured, you know, like a childhood,
maybe attention def.
Like, attention neglect,sexual trauma that I went to, you
know, medical school,psychiatry, being a child psychiatrist,
not being a mom you know,being married and a human being,
all that is like a full circle.
So it's a very unique every.
(06:02):
I think everybody's in aunique advantage point when it comes
to living out your story.
So, yeah, definitely, I agreewith you 110%.
That's true.
So who are some people in yourlife who served to be a mentor for
you or maybe inspire you alongyour journey?
Definitely God touching allaspects of my story.
(06:24):
And that was a power oftherapy and very introspective work
that I had to do where nostone was left unturned, you know,
and I'm.
I'm that kind of intenseperson that when it comes, if I said
I'm gonna know my story, like,I'm gonna know my story.
You know what I mean?
Like, Right.
I'm not afraid to go to thedark places.
(06:45):
And God was really with me,just guiding me every single one,
you know, step of the way.
And I, I110.
He was that fatherly voicethat I never had who went to the
dark places with me.
In Dark Stories, I mentionedmy grandma.
There's so many people thatgot placed for a season just to say
(07:08):
the right thing.
And maybe I'm not, you know,close with them now, but I just want,
like, to thank them that theywere a vessel of wisdom and comfort,
you know, every step of the way.
That's great.
So tell us about your journey.
What inspired you to get intoRestore Psychiatry?
(07:29):
Yeah, so Restore Psychiatry ismy private practice.
And I recently started my kindof like a community education kind
of online course, LLC calledEugene Kim LLC.
I don't know, Dr.
Keith, like, when you go toschool and you graduate from high
school and college, you leaveand you hit the real world and you're
(07:50):
like, school did not teach me that.
Right.
I had that moment when Igraduated from my child psychiatry
fellowship where, so I got myfirst job.
You know, it was during thenit was Covid.
So it was a telesy job.
And I was serving underservedarea in Virginia.
(08:13):
But corporate psychiatry, itwas very evident earlier on that
it was catering to the payee,which is a clinic.
And it was.
Even though they promised,like, hey, we'll give you autonomy,
we'll let you practice the waythat you want to.
The reality was that becausethe clinic is paying and the clinic
(08:34):
is underserved andoverstretched, right?
Like, it was making me andasking me to do things that I was
not comfortable with.
Just like, like seeing ateenager and prescribing medications
and giving diagnosis withoutparent present.
Because parents working twojobs, right?
And I understand the concerns,but like, I was like, at least for
(08:55):
an intake, you can show up andthen I can get the fuller story,
you know, so that's just anexample of corporate psychiatry.
And.
And at the same time, in mypersonal life, I was digging up the
stones of my trauma in mychildhood, and I was a patient and
a client of a therapist.
Therapist.
And at that same time, I wasquickly finding out as a young psychiatrist,
(09:20):
like, oh, I don't know ifcorporate psychiatry is for me.
And at the same time, I waskind of finding out that my faith
was such a huge part ofholding my hand through going through
therapy.
And God really challenged meto say, hey, if I'm such a big part
of your healing journey andyou're not, but you're not saying
(09:43):
that or being open to that ifthe patient wants it, like, aren't
you holding out on yourpatients by not giving that spiritual
care?
And that was like, oh, yeah, Iguess I will be holding back.
And that really only privatepractice was a setting that would
allow me to have that freedomto be open and available spiritually,
(10:07):
you know, as a psychiatrist.
And a psychiatrist sharing herfaith or even opening the realm of
spiritual care is veryunexplored at this point.
So I am kind of pioneering inmy own way to figure out what that
means.
So private practice has been areally great avenue for me to explore
(10:28):
how this all fits.
So that's why I started theprivate practice.
So, Eugene, how do you meldthose two things together?
Because when we think aboutspirituality and mental health, oftentimes
those are just two totallydifferent worlds.
So how do you meld together?
How do you bridge the gapbetween those two?
Right.
(10:49):
And.
And I loved your questionbecause it kind of made me think
about the puzzle pieces.
So we think that they're sodifferent because mental health,
we think is self care is, youknow, is getting pedicures.
And it's like venting aboutyour parents and, you know, all that
stuff.
Right.
And it seems so opposite.
Or taking meds, taking thehappy pills.
(11:10):
Right?
That's.
That's what we.
Has a connotation about whatmental health care is.
And, and spiritual care isjust serving church, you know, doing
volunteer work or being partof the group.
And.
But at the same time, how Ivisualize it is spiritual care is
answering the questions of doI belong?
(11:32):
Where's my worth?
You know, like, what's my purpose?
And these are big questionsthat we are all thirsty for.
And mental health really is ahealth of the mind.
So how I like to kind ofbridge the two together is if we
are all.
If our life is a car.
I'm not a car mechanic, savvyperson, but how I imagine is.
Is in a car, a spiritualhealth is the driver.
(11:57):
You know, like you're, you're.
You know, your destination,you know the way around, you know
your value, you know, you knowhow to drive, all these skills.
And I think really, mentalhealth is the condition of the engine.
It's.
Is it running well?
You know, are you putting inthe right gasoline for that car?
You know, are the pistons working?
Is it firing?
Is it strong?
Because it's health of the mind.
(12:19):
So I really like to bridgethat too.
And when I see my patients orjust talk to anybody in a community
health talks, I evaluate howtheir mind is functioning.
Like, is it too fast, like outof control?
Or are they grasping everysingle feeling, thoughts that they
are having so that they canprocess it?
(12:39):
So that's one end, and theother one is like, what do they see
themselves as worthy andvaluable, you know, and has a purpose
in life?
So that's my spiritual health assessment.
And you really need both senseof health to really flourish and
just live like there's no tomorrow.
So when you're dealing withpeople, especially Christians, I
(13:02):
think we struggle sometimeswith the why question.
When you're going in formental health issues and maybe some
things in your life have notgone well, maybe you have dealt with
sexual abuse.
The question, the spiritualitypiece really gets complicated.
It's like, where was God at in this?
Why do people not see value in me?
(13:23):
Why do people treat me likethis if I'm a child of God?
So as a pastor, when I try todeal with people who've had, you
know, issues in their life,connecting those two together begins
to be really complicatedbecause they're questioning their
own existence.
And where was God when theseterrible things were happening?
So how do you help peopleprocess that?
As a psychiatrist?
(13:46):
Right.
And.
And these are something thatyou're definitely an expert at as
this existential questions oflike, why is there brokenness?
Why is there pain?
Right.
For sure.
So as a psychiatrist, I'veheard a lot of stories of brokenness
and pain.
(14:06):
And when you hear enoughstories of pain, you start to see
patterns.
And as a Christian, how Imerge the two is there's a lot of
things happening on earth thatGod is not happy about, you know,
and that is the state of thefallen world.
And.
(14:27):
And he's not happy about that.
So the merging thing is iswhen somebody went through trauma
and they're like, where wasGod in this?
Right.
We have so many scripturesthat God is so angry at the brokenness,
at the state of this world,you know, and that he's the God of
justice and he says, justwait, I will redeem every single
(14:50):
pain that you have.
And I think that's the mergeof a father who's so angry that you
got hurt and a father who willdo everything and more to make that
right.
So that is the truth.
But still there's that painright here, right now, like, I can't
(15:11):
wait to, you know, God to come through.
And that pain, how I like tosee it is that a lot of times, you
know, there are so many cases,I'm a child psychiatrist, so I talk
to a lot of kids with who gotabused or neglected by their parents,
you know, even adult patients,we talk about their childhood and
(15:32):
how they got abused andneglected by their parents.
And a lot of times as a kid,naturally when something painful
happens, the pain and theblame fell on them, if you know what
I mean.
And what I like to do is thatdeal with the pain, but remove the
(15:56):
blame.
Like, it was not your fault asa minor to be treated like this like
you do.
You weren't too annoying toget slapped in the face, right.
Like you weren't.
Some 5 year olds got told thatthey're hypersexual and that's why
they got raped.
Right.
So I kind of bring that senseof justice of like, yes, you got
(16:19):
hurt and there's pain, but anyblaming voices that inside your head,
that is not true.
So alleviating the, the burdenof blame and when they know, oh,
it was not my fault, I waswrongfully hurt, but it was not my
fault.
That even gives them so muchhealing knowing that they don't have
(16:40):
to carry two burden, you know,I can just carry on.
And that brings a lot ofhealing and relief.
I love that.
So give me an example of howyou have done this in your practice.
Maybe a situation that youwere kind of helping bridge those
two gaps together.
Yeah.
(17:01):
So for an example, so wheneverI talked about trauma, you know,
I say it's not your fault.
How I like to do it is I wasthinking about this, right?
For me to provide mental andspiritual health care, I had to know
my spiritual story.
So that came with a lot offoundational understanding of spiritual
(17:24):
realm that's, you know,explained by the Bible, you know,
so I had to study the Bible,you know, front and back a few times
to, to really get it andanalyze it and understand it.
But then at the same time, Ihad to go through my own therapy,
like I said, you know, like,and explore all the things.
But, you know, what's thebeautiful thing about spiritual health
(17:45):
is that when you're a child,that's when you're most spiritual,
if you know what I mean, like,untainted spiritual.
And I really conceptualizethis as my spiritual health is my
little Eugene living inside,you know, And I had to be in tune
with my little Eugene all the time.
And I.
(18:05):
Now that I'm fully healed andfree to use my strength, it's.
It's really cute and weird atthe same time, but I really sense
that whenever I hear people'sstories, it's not just me, analytical
brain listening, but littleEugene is listening, too.
And she's like, oh, I know howthat kid feels inside, right?
(18:28):
Or like, oh, that kid, youknow, little patient inside them
must have felt like this.
And I really touch on that,you know, And.
And I say you're describing ahorrible incident, but you're not
really changing your emotions, right?
But I also sense that you'retired, or I sense that you're still
(18:50):
really angry about whathappened, you know, so I'm really
channeling in my spiritualsense to connect with their spiritual
sense so that they feel seen,they feel heard, and they feel felt
maybe for the first time.
Being a pastor, one of thethings I find most powerful is using
biblical stories to helppeople understand the bigger picture.
(19:13):
Do you do that in yourpractice as well?
Kind of share biblicalexamples and stories to kind of help
people process information,Information and maybe trauma.
I love to.
I can't volunteer biblicalstories because I want to be respectful
for where their journey was,you know, with the Bible, or maybe
(19:35):
they had church trauma, right?
So I don't want to volunteer that.
But once I got the sense, orthey asked me, or they.
They hear my podcast and theyknow that I talk about the Bible
story, so they're like, hey,can you tell me more about that?
Or, you know, know.
So patients ask me, and whenthey ask me, I love to share that.
And I think I have a uniqueperspective on biblical stories,
(19:58):
because I don't know aboutyou, but when I grew up, it was very
black and white, you know, oh,Jonah's stupid.
He got angry and he's notunforgiving, Right?
Or Martha is an overworker.
She's always bitter and tired,you know, and.
Or the Pharisees are bad.
They're stupid.
They didn't get it.
And Israelites are stupid inthe desert, you know, like we just
did it a black and white, youknow, where as a psychiatrist, I
(20:21):
kind of look at their mentalhealth and spiritual health of each
biblical characters.
So one thing that I recentlydiscovered, because I, I always told
myself that I'm a Martha, youknow, versus Mary, I'm always the
get it done girl, you know,and, and one thing that I found about
(20:47):
Martha was when she first metJesus and this big crowd that he's
carrying, she invitedeverybody for, you know, a dinner
party, right?
And.
And when I kind of dig throughthe origin of the language and the
commentaries, she was doingwhat she was supposed to do when
(21:09):
she invites people over.
She invited people over fordinner party.
And it's her.
It's the expectation thatmatron of the house will serve food.
Matron being Martha and Mary.
But I was just kind ofimagining, you know, big crowds were
following Jesus, right?
So you don't know how manypeople she actually invited over.
And then she's getting tired,she's getting burnt out, you know,
(21:33):
and she's know, bitter andstuff like that.
And it really hit me becausesometimes I'm like, Martha, I bite.
I invite people, I bite morethan I can chew.
And I'm trying to meet theexpectations that I created for myself.
And I'm getting burnt out andI'm angry at everybody.
So, you know, Jesus saying you're.
(21:56):
And the word is you'redistracted about so many things,
AKA expectations of otherpeople and expectations set by yourself.
The real deal is here, youdon't have to meet expectations of
other people.
You just need to be with me.
And that really hit the corebecause, you know, you have three
(22:18):
podcasts, right?
Dr.
Keith and I have all thesethings going on, and I'm like creating
expectations of myself, thateach of them has to be successful
and stuff like that.
And God really cuts it to the traces.
Like, I don't expect that fromyou, you know, I just expect that.
I just expect you to be herewith me.
And that really just grounds me.
And I just love understandingand reading stories like that.
(22:40):
So you have a book there,Psychological People of the Bible.
Oh, yeah, that would be so awesome.
You just go through adiagnose, you know, what was Paul's
problem?
Oh, yeah, Paul and I are like,very similar too, because I don't
know if you're familiar withenneagram, but I'm enneagram1.
(23:01):
I'm the improver, so I neverstop, you know, and my mom has a
gift of Bible teaching too.
And, you know, we revere Paul,like, so smart, so wise and stuff.
And she pointed out to me,even when she was young, she said,
you know, he died alone.
You know, like was a lot ofarguments that, you know, he got
(23:22):
into.
Right.
So he was very intense person.
And I was just like, oh, Ididn't even think about that.
So I think she kind of lend methat Bible teaching, you know, Bible
studying kind of genes.
That's so cool.
So tell us about your podcast.
It's like this, why you startit and what.
What kind of content do youcover on your podcast?
(23:43):
Yeah, so I started it.
I started the podcast as it'slike this podcast now is renamed
to Good News Mental Health,and I'll explain that.
But it started as it's likethis podcast because I always had
stories and analogies toexplain to people, even when I was
young.
So if you can imagine me as acollege student, like, I don't have
(24:03):
it all together.
I still partied.
I made my mistakes.
But my friends always came tome for advice, and I would use analogies
to explain.
Well, dating is likechemistry, like pro, you know, protons
and oh my gosh, I'm datingmyself, electrons, you know, those
things.
And I'm using what I'mlearning in college to explain to
them what dating, you know,should be or should not be.
(24:24):
Right.
So this coined the termamongst my friends as eugenisms.
Like, oh, Eugene has eugenisms.
It just makes sense, you know,And I really carry that spirit to
teach my patients, you know,things about mental health and depression
like that.
And I use analogies.
And I realized I'm saying alot of the same things.
(24:45):
And I was like, oh, why don'tI make it into a podcast so that
they can listen to it at homeand we can discuss it once they come
back.
So that's how it started asit's like this podcast.
I recently rebranded it toGood News Mental Health because I
felt like the calling that Ihad was really provide this level
of clarity between mentalhealth and spiritual health for the
(25:08):
body of Christ, because Irealized that if Body of Christ,
each part realized theirstrength and let go of the baggages
and really be whole and healed.
It can be a beautiful thing.
So that's my passion.
So I rebranded it to Good NewsMental Health so that I can debunk
a lot of myths that happenedat church, you know, that I experienced
(25:28):
and, you know, a lot of otherpeople experience and really bring
a structure and order andunderstanding from the Bible.
So what are some commonmisconceptions you've run across
from the work that you do.
I think there's continue to beall, all or nothing or black and
(25:49):
white thinking about mentalhealth, that if you take medications
then you're following thedevil or you're weak or you're giving
up, you know, and really bythe medication is just one part of
the healing process.
And I think, I hope that thelisteners kind of understand how
I view mental and spiritualhealth that we're just now talking
(26:12):
about medicine.
Medicine is a very small partof the healing journey.
A lot of the other ones isknowing your story and, and inviting
healing into your life andinviting understanding into your
life and being seen.
So that being said, really,biochemical imbalance is a very small
part of healing.
(26:32):
The other ones are, oh, when Igo to a therapist and psychiatrist,
they're just going to rejectfamily and trauma, you know, and
everything is trauma nowadays,you know, and they're just going
to excommunicate your parentsbecause you don't understand and
they're ungrateful.
So again, just all or nothing thinking.
The really, the part of thehealing process that comes is that
(26:54):
everybody has to accept theirreality and their responsibility.
And there's something to besaid about saying, I know that my
parents tried their best, butit still hurts sometimes.
And that's the truth.
And it's okay to say that.
So when the leaders of thechurch or the parents are insecure
(27:15):
to hear that, that's not thechild's responsibility to make sure
that they feel okay about themselves.
So that's what I like to kindof say, is that there is a level
of truth that needs to comeout and make it fair for all parties.
I was talking to someone who was.
Who doesn't work in a mentalhealth aspect and they said unlike
physical issues, it's harderto measure.
(27:39):
And so insurance companiesdon't like to cover it because it's
not a exact science.
So how do you measure progressin the mental health area?
Yeah, and that's definitely true.
There's no blood work for, youknow, mental health that, you know,
hemoglobin will see, you'rediabetic and stuff like that.
(27:59):
So we have this book ofcriteria called DSM 5 and they try
to quantify it as much as possible.
So 5 out of 7 characters ofdepression over 6 months period of
time with this level of dysfunction.
So we can try to quantify itas much as possible.
So that's how we get diagnosedand we sense what medications work
(28:21):
best for each symptoms or for diagnosis.
But the Coolest part that Imeasure progress is I wrote down
a few stories, is a combatveteran that no longer sleeps with
a knife next to his bed, youknow, or a girl who was so anxious
about social anxiety becauseshe has scoliosis and she went to
a rock concert and better yet,participate in the mosh pit and push
(28:47):
the girl away because the girlwas trying to encroach in her space,
you know what I mean?
Or.
Or a girl who was taking 30supplements because she wasn't sure
what she was missing out on,you know, and she just didn't know
what she was missing.
She went from 30 to 11 supplements.
That is fitting for her andshe can just kind of let go and say,
(29:08):
okay, I'll figure it out later.
So those are the progressesand stories that is worth celebrating.
And the coolest part about mebeing their psychiatrist is that
I'm seeing them every, youknow, few months.
So I'm jumping and seeing the progress.
You know, they're living withthemselves every day.
(29:29):
So it's kind of hard to tellsometimes, right?
But I'm seeing them everymonth or every three months and I'm
like looking back in my noseand I often do this and I'm like,
hey, like a year ago you weresaying this and now you're going
to rock concert because byyourself, you know, or.
Or you're bringing down 30supplements to 11.
(29:49):
So I really remind them, like,this is where you were at.
Like, this is awesome.
And they were like, you know what?
I never thought of it like that.
And you're true.
So those are my celebration,those are my progress stories.
That just keeps me coming backto help more people.
As you think about where youare right now, what are some professional
goals you have set aside for yourself?
(30:12):
Yeah.
So exciting thing is that I'mrealizing I'm a girl of efficiency.
I'm the get it done girl andI'm also girl of efficiency.
So I know that I'm verylimited in seeing patients, you know,
one to one or coaching one to one.
And what I'm working on rightnow is to really extract the eugenism
(30:35):
that I've gathered being apsychiatrist and also a human being
into an online course so that,you know, while it doesn't replace
the.
The lengthy therapist, youknow, but it's going to be a really
good jumpstart to connect thatmental health piece and also spiritual
health piece and really get intouch with yourself.
So the course is coming outand spring of 2025, and it's going
(31:00):
to be called Be still to moveforward and it's going to teach the
therapy techniques that reallyworks to get in touch with your inner
child spirit.
I love that.
So I love to ask my guest this question.
What do you want your legacyto be?
I want my legacy is I wantpeople to know what it feels like
(31:24):
to be a child of God and whatGod is like as a father and who he's
not.
And there's a lot of myths,there's a lot of misconceptions about
what that feels like.
And we say that he's a perfectfather, but we don't know what perfect
(31:45):
father is like, like what itfeels like.
So I want to really bring thatto life as a legacy and to let people
know that he forgives.
He holds your hand, he doesn'tlet you down.
You know, he picks you back upwhen you're down, he gives you perspectives
and he's always there.
(32:05):
And what does that feel like?
So that's my legacy.
Great.
As you wrap up this amazingconversation, what key takeaways
do you want to leave with the audience?
I just hope that, you know,like I kind of touched on is that
your healing journey is notall about meds.
(32:26):
It's not all about therapy.
It's not all about church.
It's everything.
And that as you heard me sharemy story or my patient stories or
biblical character story,human experience is pretty much the
same.
And that you're not alone andthat you don't have to figure it
out alone.
And that's what I hope thatyour audience will get out of this
(32:48):
talk.
That's great.
Well, Dr.
Kim, thank you so much.
Where can people connect withyou on social media?
Absolutely.
I'll provide you, Dr.
Keith, with my links and youcan follow me on my podcast, my YouTube
and there's a link tree.
There will be a lot of linksthat you can kind of come check me
out and stay in tune withwhat's coming up.
(33:10):
And best yet, I was just goingto ask your audience, when you listen
to my podcast on YouTube, ifyou can give me a feedback and email
me @Hi, Eugene kim.com thatwill give me so much more material
and so much more connection tomy audience.
So.
Or if you didn't like thepodcast, you can tell me too and
give me feedback on that.
(33:30):
So I'm all open, open yearsfor that.
Well, thanks so much for being on.
You have a great.
Popular Podcasts
Boysober
Have you ever wondered what life might be like if you stopped worrying about being wanted, and focused on understanding what you actually want? That was the question Hope Woodard asked herself after a string of situationships inspired her to take a break from sex and dating. She went "boysober," a personal concept that sparked a global movement among women looking to prioritize themselves over men. Now, Hope is looking to expand the ways we explore our relationship to relationships. Taking a bold, unfiltered look into modern love, romance, and self-discovery, Boysober will dive into messy stories about dating, sex, love, friendship, and breaking generational patterns—all with humor, vulnerability, and a fresh perspective.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com