▲ Maumsoop Psychological Center / Director Han Ji-yun

Children are easily affected by their surrounding environment. Many grow up normally. However, some have difficult times physically and psychologically. Important thing, says Han Ji-yun, Director of Maumsoop Psychological Center, is for the children in latter case to be counseled by specialists in the field earliest possible. 

While many counseling psychology centers tend to create an atmosphere like a hospital where children often feel scared and uncomfortable, Maumsoop Psychological Center is attracting an attention from both parents and children alike for its cafe-like ambience. Monthly PowerKorea heard its differentiated services from Director Han Ji-yun.

"Psychology counselors at Maumsoop Psychological Center are from prestigious Seoul National University Hospital, Yonsei Severance Hospital and Hanyang University Hospital. We run various counseling and treatment programs encompassing from play therapy, language therapy and art therapy to social therapy, development therapy, interactive therapy and ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis)" says Han.

Apart from cafe-like ambience, Maumsoop Psychological Center is recognized for its excellent testing programs relating to psychology, speech, ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), prodigy, and physical and mental development that often comes alongside family therapy session, learning clinic, CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), CBPT (Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy), and various other specialized treatments: MSBR, MBCT, ACT and DBT. 

Director Han, who also serves an internal medicine professor at Severance Hospital, says "Psychology counselors at Maumsoop Psychological Center are passionate about finding new methods to apply whether they are theories or materials. It means that we are open to all possibilities for better analysis and treatment which is the reason we are focusing on 'fun' of each counseling session. 'Fun' is received as one of the key-words among American counseling psychology circles at the moment."

With increasing number of children and students suffering from 'corona-blue' caused by the pandemic, Maumsoop Psychological Center is running 'resilience program' customized particularly for this phenomenon. Events are organized season by season such as Halloween and Christmas, and toys and confectionary as well as teas are provided for both children and parents to refresh.  

Since opening in 2017, Maumsoop Psychological Center has actively engaged in various children and youth support projects in collaboration with Good Beighbors, World Vision, Severance Hospital and many more socially beneficial organizations. February 2019, the center was appointed as a children rehabilitation voucher provider from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and has been providing psychological treatment to children and youth under 18 from middle and low income families. The treatment covers from brain injury and autism to hearing, speech and visual impairment. 

Thanks to the center's attention to detail programs and customer-driven treatment ambience, Maumsoop Psychological Center is not only being visited by children and youth but also adults who most use evening sessions on their way home from work.

"One thing we better need to know is the fact that, according to a report, EQ (Emotional Intelligence) is more important than IQ (Intelligent Quotient) for children to make a success in the society. In other words, building relationship with others is more important than building one's own ability. And I think this not only applies to children but also to adults."

Currently, Maumsoop Psychological Center is working on ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) widely practiced in the US. Director Han is in training at the moment and is expecting to receive a U.S. national BCB certificate within this year. 

"ABA system is known to be highly effective for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and autism so I'm expecting to add another effective treatment program to the center in full when the certificate is issued." PowerKorea