I became a psychotherapist after working a journalist in China and then moving to the United States to advance my education.
One day, in California, I was at an art exhibition where I overheard a young girl commenting about a painting.
This painting feels very sad,” she said to her mother, who responded, “What do you think was going on with the artist when he was making this painting?”
I wasn’t sure what type of work the mother did, but this brief conversation made me realize that understanding one’s self and others were essential to living a happy life. This led me to delve into psychology and spirituality and apply tools from these disciplines to build a stronger inner life.
Earning a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology at California State University, East Bay, was just part of my learning process. After enduring a personal tragedy and experiencing deep grief, I acquired the skills to rebuild my life by exploring different types of therapy. This motivated me become a better therapist and to help people to gain the strength and skills to lead a better life.
Today, I help individuals, couples and families solve a variety of problems. Rather than use a single method, I tailor treatments to meet the needs of each person and situation. My passion for art brings creative approaches to therapy.
Before entering private practice, I worked for five years with adolescents at Adolescents Counseling Services. I later received training at the Mental Research Institute in Palo Alto, the birthplace of family therapy, and those studies deepened my understanding and practice of family therapy.
Work experience:
Therapist at Mental Research Institute, Palo Alto, USA
Therapist at Adolescents Counseling Services, Palo Alto, USA
Crisis counselor at Santa Clara Suicide and Crisis Hotline, San Jose, USA
Reporter and Editor at China Daily (the only official English newspaper in China) , Beijing, China
Education:
MA in Counseling Psychology at California State University, East Bay, USA
BA in Journalism and Mass Communication at Xiamen University, Fujian, China
