My Philosophy

I don’t believe in one size fits all, especially not in therapy.

I adopt a person-centered approach, which means we will work on developing a plan together after listening to your story based on who you are and how you want to use our time together. I also understand that some clients like unconditional support (I call it emotional cuddling) while others prefer a more straightforward “tough love” attitude. But nonetheless, I will listen without judgment, and we might decide to do some exercises together, and through behavior activation, somatic experiences, exposures or mindfulness, or some people find talking itself brings enough solace and that is ok too, whatever works the best for YOU. With time and practice, you will learn to do it on your own, and that is the time we part our ways.

You will probably observe some of my own life philosophy through working with me. It is rooted in Chinese culture but also resonates deeply with who I am as a person, which is to maintain equilibrium, or balance, or harmony, whatever you call it. Here are some examples of where I found them competing with each other while pursuing a peaceful life: perseverance vs. letting go; ambition vs. flexibility; perfection vs. self-care. The key here is to avoid the temptation to choose one between the two extremities.

It is not a failure if you can’t achieve either or, because life is not “either or”, there is so much in between and that is what we will discover together – the “betweenness” that allows us to breathe.