Teletherapy and the Korean American Experience
Teletherapy and the Korean American Experience
By: H. Tammy Cha, MSW, LCSW
Doctoral Student, Tulane University School of Social Work
Introduction
Teletherapy has become a pivotal development in mental health care over the last few years. One of the unexpected consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic was its role in propelling more people to seek therapeutic support. As the world collectively entered a state of uncertainty, anxiety surged, particularly among Asian Americans. Within this group, Korean Americans experienced the challenges of this period in uniquely personal and culturally specific ways.
This paper explores the rise of teletherapy among Korean Americans during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, examining how historical trauma, cultural stigma, and sociopolitical events shaped mental health experiences. It argues that teletherapy has not only expanded access to care but has also created culturally safer entry points into a practice long stigmatized in Korean American communities.
Context: COVID-19, Xenophobia, and Anti-Asian Racism
The tragic spa shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, in March 2021, are now widely seen as a direct consequence of the pandemic-era climate of heightened xenophobia. While many were grappling with fear, Asian Americans, particularly East Asians, were scapegoated; the political rhetoric of terms like the "China virus" or "Kung Flu" further stoked xenophobic sentiment. What might have seemed like wordplay to some had devastating consequences when taken literally by many.
Research shows anti-Asian hate incidents surged dramatically in 2020 and 2021. Federally recognized hate crime reports increased from 158 in 2019 to 746 in 2021 (Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2021). More broadly, Stop AAPI Hate tracked over 10,900 reported incidents between March 2020 and December 2021 (Jeung et al., 2022). One analysis of major U.S. cities found a 145% increase in anti-Asian hate crimes in 2020 alone (Gover et al., 2020). These statistics underline the destructive social context against which teletherapy emerged as a needed resource.
Cultural Barriers and the Korean American Experience
Within Korean American culture, emotional struggles are often hidden or minimized, reflecting the survivor scars of prior generations. Many Koreans are expressive outwardly, but internally, they may suppress turmoil. Teletherapy offered a novel pathway for healing, reflection, and breaking cycles of silence. Korean Americans were increasingly the first in their families to seek mental health support, stepping into therapy as courageous “livers,” not just survivors.
Teletherapy as Access and Liberation
Studies indicate that telehealth usage increased significantly among Asian populations during the pandemic. One large-scale analysis found that Asian patients were more likely to use telehealth than non-Hispanic White and Black patients, with an odds ratio of approximately 1.57 (Chow et al., 2023). Research also demonstrates that telemental health services are as effective as in-person services, cost-efficient, and increase accessibility (Shore et al., 2018; Békés & Aafjes-van Doorn, 2020).
Korean Americans, known for their “doer” mindset, responded: therapy became an actionable step toward healing. Teletherapy expanded access across distance, removed transportation barriers, and mitigated stigma through privacy and convenience.
Reflection and Meaning
Much of this shift owes itself to COVID-19, not something to celebrate, but something to acknowledge. The pandemic disrupted lives and catapulted us into a new era of mental health care. Yet in that upheaval, teletherapy became accessible at a click or tap, offering Korean Americans a chance to heal and belong.
Conclusion
Teletherapy for Korean Americans represents more than convenience; it embodies a cultural shift: from silence to expression, from survival to healing. What began as a survival mechanism during a time of fear has transformed into something greater: the chance not only to endure, but to live.
References
Békés, V., & Aafjes-van Doorn, K. (2020). Psychotherapists’ attitudes toward online therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 30(2), 238–247. https://doi.org/10.1037/int0000214
Chow, A., Lurie, N., & Lee, C. (2023). Disparities in telehealth use among patients during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional analysis. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 38(3), 690–698. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-022-07877-9
Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2021). 2020 Hate crime statistics. U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.justice.gov/archives/crs/highlights/2020-hate-crimes-statistics
Gover, A. R., Harper, S. B., & Langton, L. (2020). Anti-Asian hate crime during the COVID-19 pandemic: Exploring the reproduction of inequality. American Journal of Criminal Justice, 45(4), 647–667. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12103-020-09545-1
Jeung, R., Yellow Horse, A. J., Popovic, T., & Lim, R. (2022). Stop AAPI Hate national report: March 19, 2020 – December 31, 2021. Stop AAPI Hate. https://stopaapihate.org/national-report-through-december-31-2021
Shore, J. H., Yellowlees, P., Caudill, R., Johnston, B., Turvey, C., Mishkind, M., Krupinski, E. A., Myers, K., Shore, P., Kaftarian, E., & Hilty, D. (2018). Best practices in videoconferencing-based telemental health. Telemedicine and e-Health, 24(11), 827–832. https://doi.org/10.1089/tmj.2018.0237
