I am a first-generation, low-income student who is a second-generation Vietnamese queer man. I grew up in City Heights, San Diego, an area filled with immigrants and under-resourced. My identities and experiences led me to internalize heavy pressure on myself to perform well in academics. I had to be the best at everything to help my family out of poverty, to hide my queerness, and to prove my worth as a Vietnamese American. However, this perfectionism led me to burnout, developed depression, and even suicidality. My life changed when I was able to receive therapy from a Vietnamese therapist from my community. He was able to understand me and my culture as well as challenge my maladaptive thoughts. I remember lamenting about how I felt I was too broken to help others. He told me about the term “wounded healer”, a person who has suffered but learned from it to help others. I realized my resilience can be a source of strength for others, inspiring me to become a culturally-informed therapist. I hope to support communities like City Heights by meeting where they are at and truly understanding them as a person with dignity – because that was what I received. My journey as a mental health clinician is a full circle moment: I am attending the same multicultural community counseling graduate program my Vietnamese therapist was trained in and I am currently interning at the same organization I received mental health services from when I was a client. That is why I believe a change that must happen in today’s mental healthcare system starts not at the clinic but at the training programs. Many mental health recipients are from underserved communities yet a majority of clinicians do not reflect the population they serve. That is why investment in mental health training programs, such as graduate programs, to specifically recruit clinicians-in-training from marginalized communities is essential. Financial barriers are often what keeps people from our communities from being able to gain skills and access to support their own respective communities. I have seen many of my peers struggle with their mental health, but have clinicians who are not culturally sensitive. In order to create meaningful change in access, equity, and inclusion, it must start at the change at the foundation of the system: the providers who are supporting our communities. Teletherapy is also another consideration when discussing accessibility. I often use teletherapy in my current internship. As my clients are primarily low-income, they often have accessibility difficulties such as reliable transportation. Due to this, conducting therapy through the phone or on video allows these clients to comfortably receive services without the added stress of taking time out of their jobs or figuring out traveling logistics. However, the greatest challenge is difficulties in connecting especially with phone appointments. The digital age we live in has, paradoxically, made us feel disconnected. It is hard to see the non-verbal cues being expressed and the "humanness" in therapy. That is why services like BetterHelp are important in encouraging webcam usage to eliminate that barrier. What I believe is important in innovating to serve diverse communities is addressing language barriers. Clients who speak another language in the United States are more likely to experience financial and accessibility issues. Mental health is stigmatized already, so having culturally sensitive linguistic interpretation through teletherapy can break down many barriers. Ultimately, the reason why I joined the mental health field was to address systemic obstacles affecting my underserved communities. I hope that my positive experience navigating the mental health system as a scared 16-year-old can be shared to others.