Hello, I’m Tzu-Chen
Born and raised in Taiwan, I lived on the island until the age of 27 before moving to the United States in 2014 on a Taiwanese government-funded fellowship. After living in several states, I now call Seattle home. I love the seasonal colors of the Pacific Northwest and its easy access to mountains and islands. While I embrace the beauty of life in Seattle, what I miss most about Taiwan is the warmth and comfort of its street food, as well as the care Taiwanese people show for one another.
My journey toward understanding who I am and how my identity as a Taiwanese immigrant occupies space in the United States has been a long and ongoing one. Along the way, I have become more aware of how my intersecting identities shape my experiences: the privileges I hold as someone who is cisgender, heterosexual, able-bodied, and neurotypical, as well as the challenges I navigate related to my ethnicity, language (English as second language), and the invisibleness as an Asian person. Through years of personal work and the support of community, I have gradually become my own strongest ally. I have learned to bring my voice—one that feels authentic to my heart—into the spaces I show up in the United States.
In my clinical work, I hope to offer clients the kind of support that helps them build a compassionate relationship with themselves. I want to help them discover their own ways of healing the cultural and legacy burdens they carry, while cheering them on as they reconnect with who they are beneath those burdens.
I have been licensed to practice in Taiwan since 2012 and in Washington State since 2019. I am also an EMDRIA-Approved Consultant in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). Alongside EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a central foundation of my clinical practice and continues to shape how I understand healing, relationships, and the complexity of our inner worlds.
Outside of my work as a psychotherapist, I enjoy learning languages, throwing pots on a wheel, and gripping an épée to fence.
I started learning English at the age of eight at 何嘉仁, an English institute for children in Taiwan. I embarked on learning Japanese at 18 and began learning Spanish in 2026. Learning different languages has helped me notice the nuances in word choices and the ways language shapes how we express ourselves and connect with others. It has also kept me humble, reminding me what it feels like to be a student navigating what I don’t yet know.
Sitting at the pottery wheel gives me a much-needed break from screens. It is a space where I can reconnect with my creativity, let my mind wander, and become more aware of my body. And then there’s fencing. I started fencing at 18, and this sport has been one of the greatest teachers of my life. Throughout my competitive career, I have lost far more bouts than I have won. Fencing has taught me to make room for both good days and bad ones, to keep showing up even when things don’t go my way, and to build the resilience to get back up after a difficult bout. In many ways, the lessons I have learned on the fencing strip continue to shape how I approach life.
Professional Credentials
Licensure and Certifications
- Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Washington state (LH61127805)
- Licensed Mental Health Practitioner in Taiwan (002160)
- EMDRIA Approved Consultant
- EMDRIA Certified Therapist
IFS Training (selected)
- IFS Level 3 trained (completed in Oct 2026)
- IFIO Advanced – Relational Neurobiology, Shame and Reactivity, Led by Toni Herbine-Blank and John Palmer (ongoing training, completed in November 2025)
- IFS Level 2 trained (IFIO, completed in April 2024)
- IFS Level 1 trained (completed in Oct 2022)
- Treating Complex Trauma with IFS by Frank Anderson with PESI (completed in 2022)
- IFS online circle (completed in 2021)
- IFS for EMDR therapists by Bruce Hersey (completed in 2020)
Education
- Master of Education in Clinical Mental Health, North Carolina State University
- Master of Education in Counseling Psychology, National Chengchi University (Taiwan)
- Bachelor of Arts in Diplomacy, National Chengchi University (Taiwan)