Seven Rooms: Psychotherapy Novel

An original Korean-language psychotherapy novel inspired by seven real clinical cases.

For individuals living with PTSD, emotion dysregulation, suicidal crises,
eating disorders, and other forms of psychological suffering.

Originally written and published in Korean as 일곱 개의 방, Seven Rooms invites readers into the difficult but necessary process of turning toward the past we wish to bury and beginning the path toward healing.

Book Description

Seven Rooms is an original Korean-language psychotherapy novel inspired by seven real clinical cases from The Tree Group. The individuals who come to The Tree Group for treatment bring with them different life stories, different wounds, and different forms of suffering.

Among countless clinical cases, seven representative stories were selected and transformed into fiction so that readers unfamiliar with psychotherapy could more easily understand what the therapeutic process can look like. Through the lives of seven characters who reflect the psychological struggles of people today, readers are invited into a moving and engaging journey of recovery from PTSD, emotion dysregulation, suicidal crises, eating disorders, and other painful conditions. Alongside The Tree Group, these characters cry, laugh, struggle, and gradually move toward healing.

Through this book, readers can witness how psychological suffering begins, how treatment unfolds, and how a new sense of happiness can emerge. The beginning of psychological pain may be a shocking traumatic event, but it may also be a quiet wound that has slowly taken hold over many years, often without the person fully realizing it.

In many cases, people come to the clinic while turning away from the source of their pain, or without knowing why they are suffering. As the characters begin therapy, discover the origins of their pain with their therapists, and gradually move their lives in a better direction, readers will gain a more accurate understanding of psychotherapy—and perhaps also find a warm sense of hope.

Author’s Note

일곱개의 방 조용범 박사의 글 저자 서문

About the Authors

Yong Cho, PhD.

Yong Cho, PhD, is a psychologist licensed in New York State and President of The Tree Group. He graduated from the University of Utah and earned his doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The New School for Social Research.

He completed clinical training at Beth Israel Medical Center and Long Island Jewish Medical Center, where he also established the Asian American Family Clinic. His work with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds was featured in The New York Times in 2003, as well as in other media outlets.

After founding The Tree Group in Korea, Dr. Cho introduced evidence-based psychotherapies such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE), and behavioral therapy to Korean clinical settings. He continues to provide treatment, service, and research for clients from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, as well as for trauma survivors seeking relief from psychological suffering.

Songhee Chae, M.A.

Songhee Chae is a specialist in DBT and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE). She graduated from the Department of Psychology at Ewha Womans University and received her master’s degree in psychology from the same institution.

She completed clinical training at The Tree Group and at its affiliated training institution, Evidence Based Treatment Centers of Seattle (EBTCS), in the United States. She also completed DBT training through Behavioral Tech.

Ms. Chae has provided treatment for survivors of sexual violence and has consulted with various organizations and agencies working in this field. She also provides behavioral therapy for children, adolescents, and adults, and works clinically with children who have experienced trauma.

Eunyoung Choi

Eunyoung Choi studied Western history and Korean literature at Korea University and worked as an editor at Changbi and Prunsoop Publishing.

She developed Reading Fingers, Korea’s first tactile picture book series for blind children, and The House of Mind, the first Korean book to win the Ragazzi Award Grand Prize.

She continues to work as a writer and editorial planner.