Hello, I’m Dr. Ayoung.

A Los Angeles-based psychologist and leadership coach dedicated to helping high-fuctioning leaders design lives of clarity, purpose, and emotional empowerment.

Born in South Korea and raised across both the U.S. and Korea, I bring a richly bicultural lens to everything I do. My early years in Tennessee and Wisconsin, followed by formative experiences in Seoul, gave me a deep appreciation for the nuance and beauty of navigating multiple cultural worlds. This cross-cultural fluency allows me to connect with clients globally — bridging gaps in identity, communication, and leadership development.

After earning my PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Houston, I’ve spent my career at the intersection of psychology, emotional intelligence, and high-performance leadership. Today, I serve clients around the world through my practice, CedarSeoul, while also teaching as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

I’m a maximizer by nature — someone who sees potential and is driven to transform it into excellence. I help my clients unlock their emotional systems, reclaim inner clarity, and step into aligned, visionary leadership.

At the heart of my work is a deep belief in connectedness — the idea that nothing is random, that all experiences carry meaning, and that clarity unfolds when we pay attention to the links between past, present, and future.

Whether you’re looking to expand your leadership, recalibrate your emotional life, or reconnect to what matters most — I’m here to guide the journey. Let’s build a life that feels as aligned on the inside as it looks on the outside.