OUR STORY

Birth of Indwell

We began writing The Indwell Guide last April 2020 as we were collectively experiencing the grief and trauma of the global pandemic, the rise of anti-Asian racism, a racial reckoning with #BlackLivesMatter worldwide alongside a myriad of disturbing events. We were anxious with kids at home, a full-time job through a computer screen, and a sense of impending doom. We weren't alone in this experience, too. Our friends, clients, and communities were also struggling with their mental health, barely managing to stay connected with people during a season of immense loneliness, and unable to self-care beyond the things that offered temporary relief—buying something, bingeing on a television show, or avoiding pain any way possible. 

It dawned on us that none of us grew up having any idea on how to navigate our mental health as it was never taught or modeled for us in our homes, schools, and communities. Caring for our mental health was more often about crisis intervention than it was proactively nurturing our well-being. Mental health stigma, financial limitations, external pressures, and limited access to support were real barriers. When we tried to find some mental health resources, we often found workbooks and websites heavy with psychological jargon that was difficult to understand, had too many words that were overwhelming and intimidating to approach. It didn't make sense to us why mental health support was so limited when what happens within us affects every decision we make and how we live in the world. 

“We cannot care for our mental health if we've never learned how.”

 In response to the need, we came together as a licensed psychotherapist (Hatty), life coach (ReeJae), and visual artist (Eslee) to create The Indwell Guide.  Bringing over a decade of experience in each of our respective areas of expertise, we organized and integrated the different yet overlapping natures of our work in a linear way to make this process of self-discovery and empowerment more accessible, less intimidating, and visually engaging. We wanted to not only help people to start their inner wellness journey to recover from their past and cope in the present, but truly thrive by empowering people to pursue their dreams and live with a purpose that makes our world a better place. With the younger versions of us in mind, we created the guide we wish we always had—a guide that invites joy and beauty to the process, offers insightful mental health education as a foundation to build upon, and provides practical skills to immediately self-care to begin this journey of self-discovery. We wanted this guide to be an approachable mental health resource for people exploring themselves and wanting to learn ways to care for their mental health with the hopes that more people would prioritize their inner well-being and become open to reaching out to a therapist or life coach for deeper work as needed and/or desired. 

“Make the most valuable investment of your life-in yourself” 

CO-FOUNDER & AUTHOR

Hatty J. Lee, LMFT

Hatty (she/her) is a marriage and family therapist and Brainspotting practitioner who has been practicing for over a decade. As the founder of a thriving group practice in Los Angeles, California, she has met with over a thousand people from diverse backgrounds in psychotherapy, counseling groups, and wellness workshops. She supports people to deepen connection with themselves and the most important people in their lives. She also writes about mental health on her Instagram account @hattyjlee and her work has been featured in multiple editorials, including Women's Health Magazine and Reader's Digest.  

VISUAL ARTIST

Esther Lee, Eslee

Esther (she/her) has been a visual artist professionally for over a decade and has worked with brands such as Muji and Marie Kondo. She considers creativity as a lifestyle, bringing her perception of people, things, and places together to reveal the beauty of humanity through photography. In addition to nurturing her online community @eslee, she teaches workshops to help people unlock the power of their voice through photography. Her style is sophisticated, minimal, and surreal, but is constantly evolving with her as she encounters new parts of herself.

Our Mission

We envisioned this guide to sit on people's coffee tables to break the stigma on mental health and remind everyone that mental health should be a part of the conversations in our everyday lives. The Indwell Guide has been a labor of love and we are so excited to share this guide with you and make inner wellness within reach to more people.