Is this you? You're not just looking for a quick fix—you're ready to uncover the root of things. You might be navigating a major life transition, like a breakup, or deeply reconciling your gender or racial identity.
You feel a call to reconnect—to your roots, your ancestors, and a sense of place. You believe in collective liberation and are ready to do the work, even when it takes you out of your comfort zone.
If this resonates, I offer myself as your compassionate witness and guide.
I support your journey toward self-compassion by addressing not just your mind, but also your body, spirit, and place in the world. I integrate Process Work, mindfulness and somatic practices, spiritual and ancestral wisdom, creative exploration, and Buddhist psychology through a social justice lens.
A special welcome to: The diaspora, Black, Indigenous, Asian, Asian Pacific Islanders, and SWANA communities, Mixed Race, LGBTQA+, neurodivergent, adoptees, refugees, and immigrants. Your whole self is welcome here.
“Jooyoung helped me live the life I wanted to live. Four years ago, I was struggling to just be myself, filled with anxiety and doubt. Traditional therapy hadn’t worked for me. Jooyoung’s approach taught me how to embrace my past and my fears. She taught me how to love myself and find strength in my weaknesses. I no longer see my past as a burden but as a source of strength. Give yourself to the moment. Learn from Jooyoung. You will love yourself for it.”
Deep Self-Acceptance & Liberation
“Working with Jooyoung was a bright spot last year. Her thoughtful insight helped me develop tools I now use daily. I’ve become more confident voicing my opinions and giving myself more time to get grounded. I felt comfortable discussing everything from anxiety and relationships to power and race. Jooyoung offered creative ways to work together, including guided meditation, conversation, role play, and somatic approaches. It was wonderful to have a partner to strategize with, and I have learned so much!”
Finding Confidence & Voice
About Mugwort
The name "Mugwort Counseling" is an invitation into a space of deep, ancestral healing. It is rooted in the story and spirit of Ssuk (Mugwort), a humble yet sacred herb that embodies the core of my practice.
A Herb of Everyday Healing and Mythical Power
Mugwort is one of the most common herbs in Korea. Each early spring, communities of women—ajummas and halmonis—gather with their younger relatives to collect it from the fields. They transform it into nourishing foods like Ssuk beomuri (mugwort steamed with flour), Ssuk guk (soup with mugwort and doenjang, fermented soybean), and Ssuk ddeok (mugwort rice cakes). It is renowned for its healing properties, especially for women's health.
Despite its ordinary presence in daily life, mugwort is a mythical herb, central to the very founding story of Korea.
The Myth: Transformation and Endurance
The story tells of a bear and a tiger who prayed to the sky god, Hwanung, to become human. He gave them a challenge: endure 100 days in a dark cave with only garlic and mugwort for sustenance—a profound underworld journey of confronting one’s shadow self.
The tiger soon gave up and left. But the bear, steadfast and patient, endured the hardship. After the 21 days, she was transformed into a woman, Ungnyeo. She then prayed for a child. Hwanung married her, and she gave birth to Dan-gun, the legendary founder of Gojoseon, the first Korean kingdom.
The Meaning for Our Work
While this myth contains patriarchal themes, I am drawn to a different, more powerful truth: we are descendants of a bear.
The bear is an intuitive, powerful being who connects directly with the divine. She transcended her physical limitations through endurance, faith, and the sustaining power of mugwort. This story mirrors the therapeutic journey: it is a process of retreating inward, enduring difficulty with support, and emerging transformed to serve the world as a healer and creator.
Just as mugwort is used in rituals for protection, purification, and inviting benevolent spirits, our work together will create a sacred container. Here, you can purify old wounds, protect your growing intuition, and invite forth the intuitive, powerful being you are meant to become.
At Mugwort Counseling, we honor the ordinary and the mythical within you. We believe in healing that nourishes the body, transforms the spirit, and connects you to your own inner wisdom and ancestral strength.
Miro Jooyoung Oh, MA.
My Path to Wholeness and How It Informs Our work
My journey to becoming a therapist is a story of finding my voice. This path deeply shapes how I help you find and trust your own.
I was born a highly sensitive child in 70s Korea, within a patriarchal society where I learned to be unseen and unheard. My first great leap toward liberation was moving to the U.S. in my twenties. I discovered a new voice in a less formal culture, where I could begin to unburden myself from familial and societal expectations. I blossomed, building a career as a design strategist and professor, immersed in the freedom of a new culture.
My second leap was away from that very world. After a decade of striving to conform to elite design culture, I survived at a great cost: profound burnout. This crisis surfaced all I had been ignoring—revealed through various body symptoms—and forced me to confront my denied Asian identity and internalized oppression. What felt like a breaking point became a crucial turning point. Supported by Vipassana meditation, dance, yoga, and therapy sessions, I began the deep, essential search for self-compassion and freedom.
This journey led me to a core belief that guides my life and work: Collective Liberation. I learned that I cannot be truly free while others are oppressed. As interconnected beings, our healing is bound together. This principle became my compass, leading me from corporate consulting to work in economic justice and ultimately to a life dedicated to healing that addresses both personal and systemic wounds.
Grounding in Faith & Practice
To sustain this work, I dedicated myself to grounding practices that dismantle internalized white supremacy culture—like perfectionism and scarcity. I reconnected to my Korean roots through Muism (Korean shamanic practice), which deepened my intuition and faith in the unseen. My daily life is supported by:
Rituals, dreamwork, and synchronicity to connect with my higher self.
Time in nature, meditation, and movement to access my deepest wisdom.
Buddhist practice to cultivate compassion, generosity, and equanimity.
Bringing It All to Our Sessions
My therapy practice is a synthesis of my lived experience as a queer Korean immigrant, my grounding spiritual practices, and my formal clinical training. I don't just see you as a set of symptoms; I see you as a whole person within a larger system. Together, we will explore your story, heal your wounds, and help you find your own authentic path to liberation.
My Approaches and Training
My approach is a unique synthesis of rigorous academic training, deep spiritual practice, and my own lived experience. I draw from these diverse disciplines to support your journey toward self-compassion, addressing not just your mind, but also your body, spirit, and place in the world.
Academic & Clinical Foundation
My core methodology is grounded in Process Work, a holistic and awareness-based approach to therapy. I hold a Master's degree in Process-Oriented Facilitation and Conflict Studies from the Process Work Institute of Portland, where I also completed a 400-hour clinical training. My skills were honed at Rivers Way Community Clinic, providing therapy to support individuals and couples.
What this means for you
We will explore not just your thoughts, but also your body's signals, your dreams, and the subtle dynamics in your relationships. This powerful framework helps us understand the "why" behind your patterns to unlock profound and lasting change.
Mindfulness & Somatic Integration
I am a certified practitioner of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR). This evidence-based approach is woven into our work to help you cultivate a calm, present-moment awareness. My practice is deeply informed by over a decade of formal and informal meditation. My primary teachers include Melissa P. Coats, Steven Armstrong, and Kamala Masters from the Vipassana Metta Foundation, as well as the teachings of Sayadaw U Pandita, Dipa Ma, and Ruth Denison.
What this means for you
You will learn practical tools to calm your nervous system, observe thoughts without judgment, and find grounding during stress. This ensures our work includes the wisdom of the body, moving beyond traditional talk therapy. For those who would like to go beyond stress reduction and deepen their meditation practice, guidance is available.
Spiritual & Ancestral Practice
My training extends to deep, intuitive, and community-based practices. I completed the "Tending the Knowing Field" facilitator training with NW Soulquest, which focuses on accessing collective wisdom for healing.
What this means for you
Our work can include exploring your place within larger systems—your family, culture, and community. If you feel called to work with dreams, synchronicity, or ancestral patterns, we have a respectful and effective framework to do so.
Creative Exploration
With a BFA from Ewha Womans University and an MFA from the Savannah College of Art and Design, I bring the power of the creative process directly into my therapeutic practice. My professional background in design, combined with my lifelong practice as a movement artist, performer, and writer, informs a unique, embodied approach to healing
What this means for you
We can use practices like movement, sound, writing, and drawing to access wisdom that lives beyond words. By engaging in creative processes you may not be familiar with, we can bypass the conscious mind to explore your unconscious, fostering new insights and integration. This is not about being an artist, but about using creativity as a powerful tool for discovery and healing.
My education is more than a list of certificates—it's a carefully curated toolkit for addressing the complexity of human experience. Whether you are navigating personal anxiety, relational conflict, or the impacts of systemic oppression, I am equipped to meet you with skill, empathy, and a multifaceted perspective.
Client Stories
Therapeutic Services
I offer a compassionate container for deep, transformative work. We can meet in person in Portland, Oregon, or online, whichever is more convenient for you.
Individual Therapy
A dedicated space for your personal journey of healing, self-discovery, and growth.
Couples & Relationship Therapy
For partners seeking to deepen their connection, navigate conflict, and heal relational patterns.
Writing as a therapeutic practice
An 8-week guided writing journey to gently unearth your untold stories, outside the traditional therapy model.
Offerings and Investment
Financial Investment & Social Commitment
I believe that financial accessibility and social justice are integral to healing. My practice is built on this principle, ensuring that quality therapy is available to those who need it while contributing to broader collective healing.
Individual Session Investment
Standard Session Fee: $150 for a 50-minute session.
Sliding Scale Available: To reduce financial barriers, I offer a limited number of sliding scale spots based on income. Please feel free to inquire about availability and low-income options during our initial consultation.
For organizational development, strategy, and coaching services, please visit my separate practice, StudioYellow.
A Practice Rooted in Social Justice
A portion of all practice profits is dedicated to stopping violence against women and supporting victims and survivors of current and past wars. As a Korean descendant, I am committed to my ongoing work with the "Comfort Women" — the survivors of the Japanese military's system of sexual slavery.
I hold the fundamental belief that healing these deep, intergenerational wounds is not separate from our personal therapy work; it is essential to our collective liberation and the well-being of future generations.
Ethics & Professional Supervision
My practice is built on a strong foundation of professional ethics and ongoing education. I adhere to the Ethical Principles and Standards of the Process Work Institute (PWI) as well as the code of ethics for therapists in the United States.
To ensure the highest quality of care, my clinical work receives regular supervision from senior practitioners. I am grateful for the guidance of:
Ayako Fujisaki, PhD, LPC
Ingrid Rose, PhD
J.A. Johnson, MA
This collaborative oversight supports my continued growth and ensures skillful, ethical support for you.
Explore Our Workshops & Rituals
For organizational facilitation, including team retreats, strategic planning, and design sprints, please visit my separate practice at StudioYellow.
For inquires about these workshop offerings or private sessions, contact us at jooyoungoh@gmail.com
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Money is never just money. In this workshop, we go beyond budgets to explore the deep, often unexamined relationships we inherit and build with wealth, scarcity, and value. We will uncover family attitudes, cultural biases, and personal feelings to help you develop a more conscious, healthy, and empowered relationship with your finances.
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Our dreams are a site of deep knowing, yet we often dismiss them. This workshop is a collective reclaiming of this ancient practice. We will unfold the meanings of our nighttime dreams not through rigid analysis, but through intuitive writing and embodied movement, accessing their guidance for our waking lives.
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Explore the poetry of non-verbal connection. This workshop is a laboratory for listening—to our own bodies, to a partner’s movement, and to the the universe around us. We will practice following and leading, giving and receiving, to explore relationship and communication in a purely somatic form.
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Step beyond the barriers of small talk and social anxiety. This unique workshop explores the profound ways we communicate without language. Through guided, non-verbal exercises, we will practice sharing information with each other through proximity, gesture, and presence, deepening our capacity for connection that transcends vocabulary.
Contact Us
Interested in working together? Send me a message, and I'll get back to you within 24 hours to schedule a free 20-minute intro call.