Entering Into The World of KPop: A Therapist’s First Encounter

I'll be honest with you. Until this summer I was pretty much unaware of KPop. I couldn't have named a single band beyond BTS, let alone sung along to a song. But when I was looking for something to do with my daughter one weekend and spotted that the 8th UK K-Pop National Competition was taking place nearby, curiosity got the better of me. I went along not knowing what I’d find, and ended up walking into a world I hadn’t expected at all.

A performance by the group Segno at the 8th KPOP UK National Competition

Diversity Beyond Expectation

Taking place near New Malden, often called “Koreatown” and home to what is reputed to be one of the largest Korean communities outside of South Korea, I went to the competition imagining I would find a predominantly Korean presence both on stage and in the audience.

But what I encountered was far broader. Performers stepped forward from a whole range of ethnicities and from all across the UK. Performers ranged from their early teens to their late 20s, and there may even have been a performer around my own age. Moreover, I was struck by the diversity of body types proudly dancing in synchrony in the groups, and gender expressions that celebrated expansiveness and defied easy categorisation. I was blown away by the performances referencing a vast range of influences from hip-hop aesthetics, to voguing which showed up in style in the dance-offs. The performances were cute, camp, fierce, swaggering. More than anything the whole event was vibrant, unashamed, and deeply inclusive.

The KPop subculture seems to be a meeting place of so many and so much, and I was surprised to hear Korean lyrics sang with confidence and zest by so many young people on and off-stage (given the dire rates of foreign language learning UK schools and universities). Whereas I had imagined a narrow youth subculture I found a wide-open cultural space.

The Aisle Becomes a Stage

During the interval, a group of about 7–10 year olds formed their own impromptu stage at the back of the aisles. They belted out every lyric from the KPop Demon Hunters tracklist, throwing themselves into the moves with a mix of shyness and courage.

Those who had performed and now sat in the audience, who the children looked at as though idols, looked onto them with pride, singing along with them. It wasn’t just performance; it showed the best of community. And care. By this time me and my daughter were totally caught up in the spirit of the space and even through her noise-cancelling headphones my daughter started bouncing up and down to the rousing beat of “Take Down”. I was totally sold and this ear-worm of a song now frequently turns up in our kitchen.

The Power of Youth Culture in Therapy

Walking out of the theatre, I realised KPop isn't niche at all. It is mainstream, vibrant, and central to the lives of countless young people and their families. And it reminded me of a core truth in my work: pop culture is such a democratic medium and youth culture is the heartbeat of so many children and teenagers. It is their language, their way of making meaning, of feeling seen and heard. For experimenting with new possibilities, forging identities and becoming in the nexus of communities coming together.

If we don’t even know certain pop culture elements exist, or refuse to lean into it, we risk excluding the very young people we hope to support. I am glad that A New Hope Academy is providing a home to therapists who, like me, deeply value pop culture in all its forms. If we stay curious, open, and willing to keep learning, our therapy spaces expand. They become places where the worlds of children and adolescents are welcomed in, rather than left at the door.

Why KPop Matters

Will KPop become a daily fixture on my playlists? Probably not. Will I be back at the UK KPop Championships next year? Absolutely!

Because the truth is we can’t authentically meet young people where they are without paying attention to the cultures that shape them. And in that theatre, I saw young people claiming a culture that gave them joy, connection, and courage.

Sometimes the most healing spaces are the ones that let us sing, dance, and belong - loudly, proudly, and together. And our therapy room should be at home with this.

Note from A New Hope Academy: If you'd like a window into the wonderful world of KPop and gain ideas of powerful clinical tools that harness it, do check out the Academy's KPop Demon Hunter: Healing in Harmony webinar series now available on-demand!

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Lucy Annison-Koskei (she/her) is a Play Therapist and expressive arts-based Psychotherapeutic Counsellor for Adolescents based currently in the UK. She is passionate about harnessing the power of metaphor, youth cultures, creativity and storytelling in therapy, creating spaces for children and young people to center the symbols and cultural references that resonate most deeply with them. Lucy is also dedicated to providing anti-ableist support to fellow therapists, particularly those using expressive arts, to share their wisdom and lived expertise across international therapeutic networks. You can learn more about her work at www.therapistsinsight.com.