▲ Maum Noriter / Director Kim Hyo-jin

Nobody’s free from stress in this highly competitive capitalism society. Experts say stress can lead to mental disease as well as physical illness. It is reported that there is increasing number of people suffering depression, dipolar disorder and panic order nowadays. The seriousness of it is that many of them do not realize they are actually suffering. This is the point where counseling psychologists provide their specialties. 

Nestled on a quite alley in Gumi City, Maum Noriter is helping people suffering from depression and wound in their hearts. Director Kim Hyo-jin points out that it is regretful that there are still negative looks on people who visit counseling psychologist in South Korea which is not helpful at all in solving problems. 

Stepping into Maum Noriter café, as Kim calls it, one might literally feel it is a café where coffee and other beverages and snacks are served. With this friendly and inviting ambience, Kim and her specialist team are providing comprehensive counseling that covers from children and youth to their parents and adults in general. 

All counselings should be booked for thorough analysis and measures and it is carried out one on one basis. Maum Noriter is especially specialized in children from 6 to 13 and the program involves analysis and tests on trait, cognition, learning, reading, math and picture as well as parents manner of upbringing. 

Kim says “It is very important to build friendship between a child and a counseling psychologist. Parents are also important in playing a support role for better results. Counseling psychology for children doesn’t necessarily mean the child actually has some psychological issues but it is more about analyzing one’s trait, personality, aptitude, and such before hand to give better and more effective educational methods and advice.”

Kim has built her fame through many counseling in various children and cultural centers and schools as well as criminal support centers. She made an appearance on SBS’ Oh My Baby in which she gave counseling to twin daughters of Shoo, a member of S.E.S. This is one of the reasons that 70% of clients to Maum Noriter are children. 

“I think counseling psychology centers should better be located within residential areas rather than commercial zones because parents can conveniently visit a center with their children anytime. If they feel the center where they can freely pay a visit like they go to a café to have a cup of coffee and snack, it would bring better results.”

Currently, Kim is working on listing Maum Noriter in the government’s counseling psychology voucher project for children and youth which will take off some financial burdens of parents.