Today we’d like to introduce you to San-Nhi Pham.
Hi San-Nhi, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Growing up as a first generation Vietnamese American in a household with refugee parents, I often felt caught between two worlds. Emotional expression was not something we openly practiced or discussed; survival, practicality, and resilience were prioritized. In many Asian American families, emotions are frequently seen as distractions, or even burdens. Something to be managed privately so as not to disrupt harmony or appear weak. From an early age, I internalized the belief that showing vulnerability was shameful, and that my worth was tied to achievement and compliance.
As a child, however, I was innately in tune with my inner world. I remember being deeply aware of my thoughts and feelings, yet also painfully self-conscious about them. A vivid memory I carry is sitting in the nurse’s office at school, mesmerized by an emotions chart on the wall. It was astounding to realize how many emotions one person could feel and equally astounding how none of them ever seemed welcome at home.
My parents’ expectations were clear: I could be a doctor or a lawyer. Anything else meant failure, or at least that’s how it felt through the countless lectures and warnings about the sacrifices they made to give me a better life. I learned early to suppress my own wants, needs, and ultimately my voice. The fear of disappointing them loomed far larger than any consequence.
So I chose the path of medicine, but that path came to an abrupt end. One that left me untethered but also opened the door to acknowledge a truth I had long buried – it simply wasn’t my calling. What followed was a deep identity and existential crisis that forced me to look inward and question whose life I was truly living. Amid that painful unraveling, I recognized what had always been at my core: a desire to help people heal, to hold space for emotions that too often go unspoken.
After earning my bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston–Downtown, I worked as a Parole Officer, supervising clients on monitors. There, I met extraordinary people who had endured immense adversity, including years of incarceration, and yet embraced life with profound resilience and hope. Hearing their stories, many shaped by childhood hardships and systems that failed them, changed the trajectory of my life.
I went on to graduate from Lamar University with a master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and worked in community mental health. Though grateful for those experiences, I often felt constrained by how much support I could truly offer.
Through Evergreen Professional Counseling, my mission is to help empower individuals to heal, grow, and cultivate meaningful change, guiding clients as they align with the version of themselves they envision and embrace the fulfilling life they deserve. I especially hope for Evergreen to be a sanctuary for eastern souls navigating western rhythms, a place where cultural nuance, unspoken burdens, and the tender work of self-discovery can all coexist safely. It’s an honor to walk alongside each person as they explore their innermost worlds and reconnect with parts of themselves that may have long been hidden away.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m convinced there are no truly smooth roads on this journey of life, and honestly, it’s the struggles and obstacles that have shaped me the most.
One of my deepest challenges has been navigating the tension between honoring my family’s sacrifices and finding my own voice. Growing up, I internalized not only my parents’ hopes but also the broader model minority expectation: to achieve, excel, and quietly carry on without burdening others. Speaking up, being seen, and taking up space felt uncomfortable, even wrong. It’s deeply ingrained in me that vulnerability is something to be hidden, not shared.
Stepping into this work and building my practice brought a lot of imposter syndrome. There were so many moments I questioned, and honestly at times still do, whether I was enough, whether I truly belonged, or whether it was even okay to let myself be seen and heard. Owning my story and allowing myself to show up fully has been both terrifying and liberating.
Even now, each challenge, from learning the ins and outs of running a business to holding space for others while continuing to grow myself, pushes me to stretch beyond old beliefs. But I’m grateful for it all. It deepens my empathy and reminds me daily why this work matters: to help others feel safe enough to be seen, heard, and wholly themselves.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Evergreen Professional Counseling specializes in culturally informed, trauma-focused mental health care that honors the full complexity of each person’s story. Much of my work centers on healing from complex, developmental, and generational trauma, wounds that often run deep in families and communities, especially among Asian American and communities that have been historically marginalized.
I understand how generational trauma and cultural expectations can shape emotional experiences and impact mental health in profound ways. My therapeutic approach creates a sanctuary where clients feel safe to explore these interwoven layers of trauma, cultural identity, and unspoken burdens.
What sets Evergreen Professional Counseling apart is this deep commitment to trauma-informed care while also holding space for cultural nuance, offering a space where healing, empowerment, and growth coexist. Evergreen is not just a counseling practice; it’s a healing community dedicated to guiding clients toward meaningful change aligned with their authentic selves and values.
I’m most proud that Evergreen offers more than therapy. It’s a refuge for eastern souls navigating western rhythms, helping clients break cycles of trauma and step into the fulfilling, resilient lives they deserve.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I could fill pages with the names of people whose influence, support and love have shaped who I am today, but I’ll honor a few here.
My parents (Vietnamese and Laotian refugees) – the most resilient, strong, and courageous people I know. The ones who gave me life and, with what little they had, nurtured the qualities that shape who I am today. They grew up amid war, fled everything familiar, and carried grief and fear silently as they rebuilt their lives in a language that was never their own. Their fierce determination to claim their place in a foreign world is a legacy that runs deep through me. I am who I am because of their sacrifices, and I continue to grow into the fullness of that inheritance every day.
My partner – my rock, my refuge and the gentle calm that grounds me. He has been the biggest cheerleader, always seeing my worth even when I struggle to see it myself. His quiet reminders and tender reassurances have carried me through countless moments when imposter syndrome felt deafening. The leaps I’ve taken in my career, and life, have so often been possible because of his steady belief in me. He’s shown endless grace through the exhaustion and overwhelm that no one could have prepared us for, as we navigated the all-consuming journey of building and running a business. Most of all, he’s loved unconditionally, holding space for every raw, imperfect part of me.
My mentors- Jamie Williams (Prosperity Counseling Services), Dr. Peta-Gay (Asian Family Wellness Center), and Kelsey Schad (Be Counseling). All extraordinary, empowering women who have each left an indelible mark. Their guidance and belief in me have profoundly shaped not only the clinician I’ve become, but the woman I continue to grow into. To simply say thank you would fall far short of the depth of gratitude I hold for them. Their insight, wisdom, and unwavering care lives in the way I show up for my clients, the way I navigate this field, and the way I trust my own voice. They are reminders of what’s possible when strong women pour into one another with open hands and open hearts.
The countless, unnamed beautiful souls behind the scenes of my life – Thank you for being my anchor, my cheerleaders, and my safe place to land. Your presence in my life is a gift I carry with deep gratitude every single day!
Pricing:
- Individual Therapy $150/session
- Couples/Marriage/Family Therapy $165/Session
- *Sliding Scale
- *In Network with Select Insurance
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.evergreenpc.info/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/evergreen_pc
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/evergreenprofessional
Image Credits
Lanza Manage Photography
