Welcome.

This space is a living archive of a journey into the human mind, chronicled in real-time. I am Hyungji Kim, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist and a current candidate in Adult Psychoanalysis at Columbia University in the City of New York. This site serves as a field journal for the insights and questions that emerge at the intersection of psychoanalytic thought, contemporary psychological science, and cross-cultural experience.

My path has been shaped by a determination to listen for what is unseen yet powerfully felt. Born and raised in Seoul, my foundational training in psychology began at Sungkyunkwan and Sogang Universities. My clinical work has always been informed by the cultural tensions and possibilities that arise when Western theories meet Eastern philosophies of the self. After earning my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Long Island University — Brooklyn, I have dedicated my research to understanding the most challenging aspects of our inner lives, including suicidality and the dynamics of personality within close relationships. This inquiry has been supported and recognized by institutions such as the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsA) and the Austen Riggs Center & Yale Child Study Center, where I was honored to be an inaugural recipient of their respective research programs.

My clinical work, spanning diverse settings from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine to the VA, has provided me with the profound privilege of witnessing the immense resilience of the human spirit. It is in the consulting room — working with individuals and couples from all walks of life — that theoretical concepts become living, breathing realities. These experiences have solidified my belief that a compassionate, in-depth understanding of our internal worlds is not merely an academic exercise, but a vital pathway to a more meaningful life.

This website is an extension of that belief. Here, I aim to distill and explore the rich, often intricate, concepts from my psychoanalytic training. It is a space for disciplined inquiry, but also for connection. My hope is to contribute to and connect with growing analytic landscapes around the world, fostering a dialogue that bridges Eastern and Western thought. By sharing this process, perhaps we can create a community dedicated to a deeper understanding of what it means to be human, across languages and cultures.

Whether you are a fellow clinician, a student, or simply a curious mind, I invite you to join the conversation.