Growing up near forest meditation monasteries, I was fortunate to encounter meditation monks from a young age. The simplicity of their way of life and the wisdom they shared left a quiet, lasting impression on me. It awakened an early curiosity about the mind, about suffering, and about whether there might be another way of meeting life.

That curiosity eventually led me to practice under a forest meditation monk who became one of my teachers. Through his guidance, I was introduced more deeply to the ancient practices of Vipassanā and Samatha. Over the years, meditation became a steady thread in my life, accompanying me through many different seasons and quietly shaping the way I came to understand myself and the world around me.

When I entered the humanitarian field, I had the opportunity to work alongside people living in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps. Standing witness to their lives, their resilience, and their profound losses brought Dukkha, the fragile, impermanent nature of life, out of the realm of philosophy and directly into my heart.

Overtime, that external reality became part of my own lived experience.

I found myself beginning again in a new country, without knowing what lay ahead, and soon after, experiencing the loss of my father. The life I had imagined for myself, along with the sense of safety and certainty I had once taken for granted, suddenly felt out of reach. So much of what was familiar seemed to fall away, and I had to meet fear, grief, loneliness, and uncertainty not as concepts, but as experiences carried in my own body and mind.

I could no longer keep busy or simply push forward. Forced to slow down, I began looking at what lay underneath: the beliefs I had built, the identities I relied on, and the subtle ways I resisted life as it was. What I had understood through years of meditation was no longer just a practice on the cushion, it was something I had to live through. Slowly, gently, I learned to loosen my grip.

Somewhere within that vulnerability, something began to awaken in me. The deeper I came to understand my own suffering, the more clearly I recognized the shared vulnerability of being human.

Through loss and uncertainty, I came to understand compassion on a much deeper level: as an essential necessity during our darkest times. Experiencing my own vulnerability taught me the true power of a compassionate presence. Meeting someone in their pain with warmth, patience, and care is perhaps the best thing we can offer one another, and it now forms the foundation of how I live and work.

This growing understanding led me to study more deeply how we experience and move through suffering. I began exploring contemporary therapeutic and somatic approaches while continuing to deepen my meditation practice and study the wisdom of the Buddhist tradition. Over time, these paths began to converge, shaping my understanding of the relationship between mind, body, awareness, and the human capacity for change.

I continue to learn from my teachers, from others, and from life itself. This ongoing unfolding shapes how I approach my work: with humility, openness, and a willingness to meet each person where they are.

Whatever I am able to offer today is, in many ways, a continuation of what was once offered to me.

And for that, I feel deeply grateful.

Relevant Education & Certifications

• Master in Innovative Mindfulness and Peace Studies | IBSC, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand (Ongoing)
• Diploma in Counseling Psychology | Lincoln University Malaysia
• Diploma in Child Psychology | Lincoln University Malaysia
• Compassionate Inquiry Professional Year-long Training | Dr. Gabor Maté
• Meditation Teacher Training | Mingyur Rinpoche, Tergar International (Ongoing)
• Polyvagal Theory Certification | PVI Institute
• Certified 200-Hour Yoga Teacher | Soma Yoga Institute
• Anukampā Practice Program | Sati Centre for Buddhist Studies (Ongoing)
• Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) 8-Week Course | International Mindfulness Centre JAPAN (Ongoing)
• Nonviolent Communication Trainings | The Center for Nonviolent Communication
• Basic Buddhist Psychotherapy | Venerable Nandacara

Perhaps you arrived here simply because something within you is looking for a little more space, understanding, or compassion.

Whatever brings you to this moment, you do not need to explain everything. You do not need the perfect words, nor do you need to know where the path leads. You can simply be here, exactly as you are.

I may not know your full story, but I know the shared weight of being human. Life can bring moments of profound exhaustion, times when loss, grief, or constant inner tension feel entirely overwhelming. The Buddha referred to this shared human experience as Dukkha. It is not something you created out of weakness, it is the natural response of a heart and body that have been holding too much for too long.

In those heavy moments, the last thing you need is to be treated like a problem to be solved. You deserve to be met with total acceptance, without judgment or pressure to be "fixed."

When we meet our own pain with compassion rather than resistance, the nervous system begins to settle, and clarity naturally emerges. By learning to soften toward our own experience, we bring more peace to ourselves and to the world around us.

So wherever you find yourself today, you do not have to carry it alone. Come as you are. You don't have to walk the entire path today, one gentle, mindful step is enough.

You are welcome here.

How I Can Walk Alongside You

Much of what we experience as adult suffering stems from protective beliefs and physical holding patterns we once developed to keep ourselves safe. Over time, these well-intentioned adaptations can become the very walls that separate us from our peace and authentic nature.

True healing happens when we address the complete human experience: body, mind, and awareness. By weaving together Compassionate Inquiry, Polyvagal neuroscience, and Mindfulness, we turn gently inward to listen to the wisdom of your nervous system, unraveling past conditioning with deep presence and care.

What We Can Explore Together:

• Looking Beneath the Surface: Informed by the Compassionate Inquiry approach, we gently explore the emotions, beliefs, stories, and protective patterns that shape our present experience. With curiosity and compassion, we can begin to understand how these patterns developed and how they may still be influencing us today.
• Listening to the Body & Nervous System: Bringing attention to bodily sensations and nervous system responses, using a Polyvagal-informed lens to understand how the body responds to stress, protection, connection, and safety.
• Mindful Presence & Non-Attachment: Learning to observe thoughts, cravings, and patterns without judgment, creating space between who you are and what you experience.
• Embracing Grief & Life Transitions: Meeting loss, sadness, and life changes with tender presence, allowing pain to transform naturally into wisdom and purpose.
• Cultivating Metta (Radical Loving-Kindness): Fostering deep self-compassion, transforming self-criticism into unconditional self-acceptance.

Together, we will build practical, embodied tools so you can navigate life’s inevitable waves with a grounded heart, discovering the peace and wholeness that has always been within you.

Ways to Work Together

I offer 1-on-1 sessions both online via Zoom and in person in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

It is a quiet privilege to walk alongside you for a part of your journey. No matter where you find yourself or what you are carrying right now, you are welcome here. I offer a safe, gentle space where you can slow down, listen inwardly, and meet yourself with compassion, patience, and understanding. You do not have to navigate this alone.

— Choey

Mindfulness Workshops

I host private, customized group workshops designed to offer a grounded, peaceful space for shared meditation, somatic awareness, and inner exploration. If you wish to arrange a private group workshop, I would be honored to connect with you.

Buddhist Wisdom & Mindfulness

• The Dhammapada (Acharya Buddharakkhita)
• The Joy of Living (Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche)
• No Mud No Lotus (Thich Nhat Hanh)
• When Things Fall Apart (Pema Chodron)
• The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (Sogyal Rinpoche)

Trauma, Somatics & The Nervous System

• The Body Keeps the Score (Bessel Van der Kolk)
• When the Body Says No (Gabor Maté)
• Scattered Minds (Gabor Maté)
• The Myth of Normal (Gabor Maté)
• Waking the Tiger (Peter Levine)
• In an Unspoken Voice (Peter Levine)
• Anchored (Deb Dana)

Self-Inquiry and Inner Healing

• Man’s Search for Meaning (Viktor E. Frankl)
• Atlas of the Heart (Brene Brown)
• Non-Violent Communication (Marshall Rosenberg)
• No Bad Parts (Richard Schwartz)
• Parenting from the Inside Out (Dan Siegel)
• Loving What Is (Byron Katie)
• The Forgiveness Project: Stories for a Vengeful Age (Marina Cantacuzino)
• Active Hope (Joanna Macy & Dr. Chris Johnstone)
• Getting the Love You Want (Harville Hendrix)