Meet Lily Truong | Mental Health Counselor & Healing Arts Practitioner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lily Truong and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lily, how has your perspective on work-life balance evolved over time?
My concept of balance has evolved over time, shaped by the various industries I’ve worked in. In entertainment and marketing, balance was practically nonexistent. But through my own healing, personal growth, and becoming a therapist, my understanding and practice of it have deepened. Losing some of the most important people in my life taught me to value time, energy, and ultimately myself in new ways. Connecting with my grief and reflecting on my lifelong relationship with death, has guided me to live with greater love and intention.

People often talk about “finding balance,” but I believe it’s something we must intentionally create. Now, balance for me means having clarity on my priorities—practicing rituals of care that nourish my mind, body, and spirit, moving at my own pace, being in nature, connecting with loved ones, and recognizing when it’s time to recharge in solitude. It’s also about becoming more comfortable receiving support while showing up for others, being discerning about who I engage with through work and social settings, and making time for creativity and rest.

The line between breath and death is so thin to nearly invisible that we sometimes forget how precious and unpredictable life can be, especially how much time we have here on Earth. Learning to walk that line with loving awareness feels like the true balancing act— to dance between light and shadow and live in a world full of contrasts. How can we create space for joy and despair, grief and celebration, hope and dread, love and fear, life and death to all coexist?

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My path as a counselor began in community mental health and the juvenile (in)justice system, which I remain involved in, though I’ve since shifted my focus toward building my private practice. As a mental health counselor and healing arts practitioner, my approach is heart-centered, nature-inspired, humanistic, holistic, experiential, and existential. I operate through a social justice lens with the perspective of a first-generation Vietnamese-American queer femme weaving between the intersections of Eastern philosophies of mindfulness and somatics, ancient healing rituals, and contemporary depth-oriented theories in clinical practice. I offer both online and in-person sessions, with the option for home visits or outdoor sessions at the beach or park.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I think Los Angeles offers some of the most diverse and delicious food options, along with countless activities for everyone to explore. Seong Buk Dong is my go-to spot, so we’re definitely heading there for kimchi jigae, octopus bibimbap, and grilled mackerel. Some of my other favorites include Crab House, Hanbat Shul Lung Tang (Korean oxtail soup), Buil Samgye Tang (Korean chicken ginseng soup), Ruen Pair (Thai), Hama Sushi, Speranza, Apple Pan (burgers & pies), Cofax (breakfast burrito), and Bay Cities Italian Deli (Godmother sandwich), just to name a few. Oh, and the street tacos in LA are superior.

For activities, we can catch a show at the Greek Theatre or Hollywood Bowl, enjoy a movie and picnic on the lawn at Hollywood Forever, “hike” up to Griffith Observatory at sunset for views and vibes, spend a day at the Huntington Library & Gardens, visit the Getty, eat our way through Grand Central Market, unwind at the Korean spa— just a few ideas. A cruise along Mulholland Drive and up PCH to Malibu Seafood is another great way to experience the city. I also love walking around thrift shops, estate sales, bookstores, farmers’ markets, and flea markets with iced coffee in hand—quintessential LA activities. If we’re feeling up for it, there’s always an art show, workshop, pop-up, or dance party happening, but Tea at Shiloh might be more my speed these days. I’m a beach lover, so I’d be just as happy lounging by the ocean all day every day—though I’ll need to sneak in some surfing at some point. And, of course, no trip is complete without a visit to Orange County for the best Vietnamese food in Little Saigon!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are so many people to name and thank, which only reminds me of the abundance of love and support from my family, friends, teachers, therapists, and healing practitioners over the years. More recently this year, connecting with Color the Water, an anti-racist, radical liberation-seeking surf community for BIPOC, has had a deeply positive and profound impact on my life. I’m dedicating my shoutout to David Malana from Color the Water who has taught me everything about surfing and decolonizing surf culture, creating a relationship with the ocean, and what it truly means to build and be part of a community.

Website: https://heavyhearts.club/

Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/lily-truong-los-angeles-ca/1127068