I am a licensed counseling psychologist and my work has been with late adolescents (18-30 years) and adults (30+ years) in individual and group therapy. I’ve worked in college counseling centers, substance use centers, correctional settings, and community agencies serving survivors of political torture and victims of violence. My trauma-informed training tends to be most helpful for People of Color, immigrants, LGBTQ folx, and women.

I am also a tenured professor of counseling psychology at Santa Clara University. I teach, mentor, and advise graduate students. I conduct research to advocate for BIPOC communities and needs. As a 1.5 generation immigrant, I was born and raised in Taiwan until age 6 and then moved to the US, where I grew up in southern California. My commitment to our society is addressing the health needs of immigrants, refugees, and BIPOC. In terms of my identities, I am a temporarily able-bodied, Taiwanese American, cisgender, heterosexual woman. I am also a feminist, an aspiring anti-racist, and an LGBT-ally. I’m politically active, outspoken, and identifiable in the public eye for many reasons. Since 2020, I have been featured, cited, and interviewed in the media on the topic of anti-Asian racism, anti-immigrant sentiments, and the need for cross-racial coalition building.

Despite my many roles as a psychologist, I believe that therapy is a sacred space and a sacred relationship dedicated to your needs, your growth, and your journey. There is no other place like it, and no relationship that will allow you to focus on yourself without being judged or swayed to do anything else. It is the only space to be able to go there-- to talk about hard stuff-- without needing to take care of anyone else. My approach to therapy begins with offering an emotional and psychologically safe space to focus on YOU. Where else is there a place to talk about you and your needs? A dedicated space to talk about hard things, painful things, shameful things, life things. Therapy can be that space. Over time, we can also identify patterns, history, and triggers to identify the root of the pain and suffering. You do not need to figure things out alone. We can identify the heart of the problem to tackle it together.