About The Forest
A New Journey
After 10 years in primary care, I decided to trim my practice down to do what is most meaningful - connecting with families and guiding them through challenging concerns about their child’s development and behavioral health.
I am detailed-oriented while keeping the big picture in mind. In other words, I can see the trees without losing sight of the forest.
The Forest refers to each family’s own vision and values, or what they want to cultivate. It is set in the context of the larger community, with local resources and personal connections that hold us up and nourish our lives.
Together, we can determine what needs to be pruned and where to invest time and energy to serve your family’s and children’s growth.
A Place Where Forest Grows
Forest is also the name of my firstborn, who died just before his due date in 2022. His greatest gift to me was a complete re-alignment of my own values and vision for life. His legacy lives on through this practice and this fund to support reforestation efforts worldwide.
Practice Values
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All are welcome and celebrated. No hate will be tolerated.
Every person deserves respect, even when we disagree.
Authenticity is cherished in this space. You are safe to be you.
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Children are not bad. They are seeking connection using their limited but developing abilities.
We do the work of unlearning harmful patterns to be the best parents we can be.
We can always learn something from others. New information is feedback for our own personal growth.
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Where The Forest Grows operates on the unceded home of the Duwamish people.
We do the work to dismantle systemic racism, sexism, and ableism in medicine, starting with our own implicit biases.
We stand up for the marginalized and oppressed. We speak up and make space for others. We listen to others.
Hello, I’m Dr. Lim!
A little about me
I worked as a general pediatrician for 5 years in San Luis Obispo on the California Central Coast before switching to telemedicine after the death of my son. Previous to that, I was a general pediatrician at a rural clinic for farm-working families in Salinas Valley and a NICU hospitalist at UC Davis, where I also helped set up a pediatric hospitalist program at a local community hospital.
I was honored as First 5 San Luis Obispo County's Hands-On Hero in Sept 2021 for my work in the community, where I served on the steering committee for the area’s new Help Me Grow program and championed the state of California’s ACEs Aware campaign to do more screening, prevention, and treatment around toxic stress. I am currently on the board for the Northwest Children’s Foundation, which funds programs that help end the intergenerational cycle of child abuse, neglect, and trauma.
My training
I studied Molecular and Cell Biology at UC Berkeley with a music minor. I earned my MD and MPH from the University of Washington in Seattle, completed my internship at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu, and finished residency at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. After residency, I completed a healthcare MBA at George Washington University. I am a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Dr. Lim was recently a guest on a parenting podcast!
I am a classically-trained pianist. I also sing and love to paint with watercolors and acrylics. I speak Mandarin and English and dabble in Spanish and French. I live with my husband, Forest’s little sister, and 2 dogs in Seattle. We love spending time in nature and finding signs from Forest, always wishing for more sun and shade.
There is inherent grief in parenting as our children grow and change, just as we can grieve and celebrate different versions of ourselves.
My personal life shapes who I am and how I provide care.
I was born in Singapore and grew up in Portland, OR. I was the oldest of 4 children in an immigrant family and the sibling of a child with a disability. My grandparents grew up in poverty and survived the Japanese occupation of Singapore. My family and I have also been affected by trauma, chronic mental illness, and suicide. I thrive today because my ancestors survived, and I am in awe of their resilience!
These experiences, along with the death of my son at 36 weeks, allow me to meet families where they are at with compassion and curiosity, treating them as a whole unit rather than just focusing on the patient alone. It is possible to sit in the grief of a different journey than we imagined and still discover ways to thrive!