Dr. Kyoung Mi Choi is a professor in the Department of Counselor Education at San José State University and a visiting researcher at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. She is currently a U.S. Fulbright Scholar (2025-2026) focusing on mental health equity, particularly on social-emotional resources and support for girls, women, educators, and community leaders in trauma-affected contexts (Asia-Pacific).
Choi earned her Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and her M.A. in International Relations from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and has been teaching higher education courses for over 15 years. Her scholarly interests focus on the intersection of education, mental health, and transnational experiences.
Choi has served on the board of directors for Families in Global Transitions and as a member of editorial boards for various journals, including the Journal of Counseling and Development (JCD), Journal of College Student Development (JCSD), and Journal of LGBT Issues in Counseling. Her work with Queer Educators and Counselors Network received the Community Advocacy Award for AD 27 Pride Celebration in 2022. She's also been recognized as an International Fellow in the National Board of Certified Counselors (NBCC) and as a recipient of the NASFA Diversity Impact Program. She has been a Public Voices Fellow and regularly contributes to Psychology Today.
In 2023-2025, Choi’s team was awarded a SAMHSA Grant to establish a national technical support center across the United States. She serves as one of the program specialists, developing programs and resources and training health professionals to improve mental health and wellness for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders as part of this grant.
“I understand now why I had been mummified by an unspoken shame that began with my mother, grandmother and likely many women before them, forming a chain into our family’s unexamined past. I was about to embark on a healing journey… Gradually, after having been gently received, our initially halting stories would be unpacked and processed. They would make us new, make us happier and bring us closer. Before long, we would speak courageously and boldly, even laughing at ourselves—and find love, forgiveness and life-giving liberation.”
p.11 prologue
Breaking The Silence: Asian-American Collective Healing
Revealing and Disrupting Hidden Messages
Tapping into Inner Wisdom and Resilience
Intergenerational Healing
Exploring the Connection between Body, Mind, and Community through Mindfulness and Playfulness
Memoir Writing Unfolding Women's Voices Across Generations
Cross-Cultural Relationships
To foster meaningful connections between individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds and cultivate considerate and respectful modes of communication encompassing both spoken and unspoken cues, as well as effective conflict resolution abilities.
This process empowers couples or partners to collaboratively shape a shared vision and objectives for their relationship, thereby enriching their cultural appreciation, intimacy, and love.