Yong Cho, Ph.D, is a psychologist licensed in New York State and the founder and president of The Tree Group and the DBT Institute of Korea. After graduating from the University of Utah, he earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The New School for Social Research.
He began his clinical training at Beth Israel Medical Center in 1997. In 1998, he continued formal psychotherapy and DBT clinical training at Zucker Hillside Hospital / Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New York. He completed an APA-accredited internship program at the same hospital. Beginning in the early 2000s, he became one of the first clinicians to apply DBT with Korean and Asian clients experiencing emotion dysregulation, borderline personality disorder, and Hwa-Byung symptoms. He also established the Asian American Family Clinic within the hospital system, where he provided psychotherapy for clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. His work was featured in The New York Times and other media outlets.
In 2003, he founded The Tree Group in Korea, where he has provided evidence-based psychotherapy programs including DBT, Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and behavior therapy. In 2007, through collaboration with Marsha M. Linehan and DBT specialists in Seattle, he established the Dialectical Behavior Therapy Center of Korea under The Tree Group. In 2008, he invited Dr. Linehan to Korea and organized a DBT professional workshop.
In 2023, he founded the DBT Institute of Korea, a professional training institute dedicated to the ethical dissemination and implementation of DBT. During 2023–2024, he collaborated with Behavioral Tech to organize the official DBT Intensive Training program in Korea. He currently provides DBT treatment and education for Korean- and English-speaking adults, adolescents, parents, and families as both a clinician and educator.
Education and Licensure
- Licensed Psychologist, New York State, USA
License No. 015603 - PhD in Clinical Psychology
The New School for Social Research, New York, USA - MA in General Psychology
The New School for Social Research, New York, USA - BA in Psychology
University of Utah, USA
Major Professional Experience
- Former Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, Ewha Womans University
- Former Director, Open Clinic for Victims of Human Rights Violations
- Psychologist, Asian American Family Clinic, Zucker Hillside Hospital / Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New York, USA
- Completed Clinical Psychology Doctoral Internship, Zucker Hillside Hospital / Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New York, USA
- Completed Clinical Psychology Doctoral Externship, Zucker Hillside Hospital / Long Island Jewish Medical Center, New York, USA
- Completed Clinical Psychology Externship, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, USA
