Audience
Korean American Parents and Guardians, Caregivers, Families, and Mental Health Professionals/Therapists
About this Workshop
Navigating a Tourette Syndrome or Tic Disorder diagnosis can feel overwhelming for any family—but within Korean American households, unique cultural dynamics often shape how tics are understood, managed, and felt. High academic expectations, the pressure of chemyon (체면 / saving face), and generational misunderstandings can create hidden stress for both children and parents.
Join Heejoo Kim, Ph.D.(c) and Paul DePompo, PsyD, ABPP for an empowering, confidential, and culturally grounded 60-minute session. This webinar bridges evidence-based medical research with the practical, daily reality of Korean American family life, offering realistic tools to support your child’s well-being without losing sight of your core cultural values.
Key Takeaways for Parents, Guardians, and Families
- Medical Realities vs. Cultural Myths: Clear explanations of why tics are brain-based, involuntary movements—not bad behavior, a lack of discipline, or bad parenting.
- The “Iceberg Effect”: Why physical tics are only the surface level, and how hidden co-occurring conditions (anxiety, ADHD, OCD) impact your child.
- Cultural Stressors & “Tic Holding”: Understanding why tics often “explode” at home after a long day of suppressing them at school or church, and how to manage high academic pressure.
- Practical Home Strategies: Learn “planned ignoring” techniques, how to maintain character standards while providing a safe home space, and how to bridge communication gaps with grandparents and older relatives.
- School Advocacy: Simple, effective ways to communicate with teachers so they recognize tics as a medical condition rather than disrespect.
Key Takeaways for Therapies & Clinicians
- Cultural Competency in Practice: Gain deeper insight into specific Korean American socio-cultural factors (chemyon, multi-generational household dynamics, stigma surrounding mental health).
- Psychoeducation Framing: Learn how to present neurodevelopmental conditions like TS to Asian American families in ways that honor traditional values while promoting medical understanding.
- Actionable Interventions: Take away concrete behavioral and systemic communication strategies to recommend to Korean American clients and their parents.
Heejoo Kim, Ph.D.(c)
Heejoo Kim is a clinical psychology researcher specializing in developmental disabilities and digital therapeutics (DtX). Her work focuses heavily on Tourette’s Syndrome and tic disorders, ranging from serving as project researcher on NCMH-funded digital medical devices for tic interventions to leading NIMH-funded genetic studies on Tourette’s. Certified in Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), she translated Tic’d: A Child’s Guide to Defeating Tics into Korean to make evidence-based, non-pharmacological tic treatments accessible to Korean speakers.
Paul DePompo, Psy.D., ABPP
Dr. Paul DePompo is a board-certified clinical psychologist and Director of the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Institute of Southern California. A recognized expert in behavioral interventions, he specializes in treating tic disorders and Tourette’s Syndrome using evidence-based modalities like Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), SPACE, and PEERS. Dr. DePompo is the author of Tic’d: A Child’s Guide to Defeating Tics and an active speaker who presents internationally on strengths-based CBIT and managing anxiety alongside tics.
