My Mission

I understand how vulnerable and hard it can be to face conflicts and issues head-on, I work hard to ensure Safety & Confidentiality for clients and that all people are met with Empathy, Respect, and Non-Judgement.

My personal and professional training and experiences allow me to work collaboratively with Individuals, Couples, and Families across a broad range of issues and goals. I am passionate about gathering more tools and resources to better help and advocate for those I work with.

A Little/A Lot About Me

Hi! I'm Judy, a Chinese/HongKong Canadian born in Scarborough, Ontario and currently residing in York Region. Throughout my life I have struggled with my own personal mental health challenges and found that while I was going through my own battles with anxiety, depression, trauma, and body dysmorphia that I never found someone quite safe enough for me to share with them the toughest and most vulnerable challenges of my life. As I struggled to better understand what was going on, my journey and curiosity led me towards studying psychology and human behaviour.

I found myself completing my Honours B.A. at the University of Waterloo where I majored in Psychology and double-minored in Sociology and SMF (Sexuality, Marriage, and Family Studies). During this time I completed a thesis in Social Psychology under the supervision of Dr. Hilary Bergsieker, studying the impact of Interethnic Ideology on Stereotype formation (basically big words for researching the impact of culture and social structures on stereotyping and racial/cultural profiling). I also worked as a research assistant under Dr. Wendi Adair and Dr. Zhaleh Semnani-Azad studying the impact of cross cultural interaction in time-sensitive business decision making and communication success.

Upon completion of my undergrad, I spent a year working and volunteering in multiple agencies. Working in Respite and in day programs teaching and mentoring youth on the autism spectrum, people with developmental disabilities, persons with dual/multiple diagnoses, and individuals with disabilities and/or special needs. During this time I also had the pleasure of volunteering and working with folks suffering from Dementia and Alzheimers and supporting their loved ones through this grief.

I completed my Masters of Science in Couple and Family Therapy at the University of Guelph, the only English Couples and Family Therapy program accredited in Canada. During my time in the program, During this time I also completed a week long Sex Therapy Intense training program. I've worked in various agency and mental health clinics before opening up my own practice in Vaughan/Concord in 2017, a city and part of the GTA where I saw a real need for more representation in culturally competent psychotherapy. Some of my previous experiences include working in not for profit organizations and agencies providing addictions counselling and child, couple, and family services across Toronto, York Region, and Peel-Dufferin Region.

Gathering from my own personal experiences and professional training, I am honoured and delighted to walk alongside others as they seek my help and support in navigating the difficulties and challenges they are facing in their own life.

Today, If I am not busy working with my clients, or my small and growing number of associates and staff; you will find me writing for various projects, conducting supportive supervision work with other therapists and therapists in training, running a small but growing Persons of Colour Support Group for Therapists within Canada, writing and creating art in the form of our practice instagram page, and scrolling through pages upon pages of pet adoptions posts fantasizing about adopting all the little furry animals that I am tragically allergic to.

As a natural born homebody, I am spotted typically in the company of my endearing and ever-so-patient-with-me loved ones or contently on my own snuggled in some cozy corner with a good cup of tea reading a newly acquired book or planning my next road trip/vacation.

Style & Technique

I believe that therapy should be a collaborative effort between all those involved. I maintain an inviting and nonjudgmental space for all regardless of identity, race, gender, ability, culture, and/or sexual orientation. I believe that we all have our own unique voice and way of thinking that allows us to experience life in our own diverse ways, I see part of my role as being able to help guide towards making changes that will take you to your most preferred way of life and living. I believe that all of us possess the tools within ourselves to create those changes. Sometimes it's hard to shift our ways of thinking and to start looking within ourselves for the answer, I strive to create a safe and compassionate environment so that I can aid you in that journey.

My clinical approach to therapy utilizes a strengths-focused postmodern systemic perspective, specifically drawing on the therapeutic models of:

• Culturally-Informed Therapy Modalities

• Dialogic Therapy

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing Therapy)

• Emotion-Focused Therapy

• IMTT (Image Transformation Therapy)

• Narrative Therapy

• Sex Therapy

• Solution-Focused Therapy

I am constantly learning new approaches and techniques to better serve the unique needs and goals of each and every one of my clients.

Training & Experience

As Clinical Director & Owner of Your Story Counselling Services. I work with a wide varier of multidisciplinary professionals to support and promote the mental health and well-being of individuals, couples, and families. I provide evolving, evidence-based, high-quality, accessible, and patient-centric integrative mental health services to all of my clients. I invite you to scroll down below to learn more about my experiences.

Memberships Registered Psychotherapist- College of Registered Psychotherapist of Ontario Certified Canadian Counsellor- Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association EMDR Canada- Professional Membership EducationUniversity of Guelph, M.SC.  Master of ScienceCouple and Family Therapy - Deans Scholarship- Deans Scholarship- Graduate Growth Fund- Alf and Mary Hales Graduate Scholarship in Family Studies- Leah Mildred Webster Shedden Scholarship University of Waterloo, B.AH.Bachelor of Arts HonoursPsychology Major Sociology Minor | Sexuality, Marriage, & Family Studies Minor Hong Kong University International Exchange ProgramSocial Studies - Psychology- University of Waterloo International Experience Award.

Training & Conferences2021-2022 ECHO Ontario Mental Health: Trans and Gender Diverse Healthcare - CAMH & The University of Toronto - Toronto,ON 2021 Clinical Supervisory Training | Presenter: Veena Kaur - KW Counselling - Kitchener/ Waterloo, ON2021 Sex as a Safe Adventure Eft and Sex Therapy Workshop | Presenter: Simakhodskaya & Moran - Center for Psychological and Interpersonal Development (CPID) - New York, USA2021 Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Psychosis | Presenter: Noah Lazar, PhD, C.Psych. - Sick Kids Centre for Community Metal Health Learning Institute - Toronto, ON2020 Leadership and Motivation for Supervisors | Presenter: Susan Geary, PhD. - Sick Kids Centre for Community Metal Health Learning Institute - Toronto, ON2020 Essential Skills for The New Supervisor | Presenter: Susan Geary, PhD. - Sick Kids Centre for Community Metal Health Learning Institute - Toronto, ON 2020 EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy Training II - Niagara Stress & Trauma Clinic - Toronto, ON 2019 EMDR - Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy Training I - Niagara Stress & Trauma Clinic - Toronto, ON 2019 Image Transformation Therapy Workshop- Dr. Miller  - Peterborough, ON 2018 Gay Men's Mental Health Summit - Toronto, ON 2017 - Treating the Invisible Wounds of Sociocultural Trauma: A Multicultural Relational Perspective - Dr. Kenneth Hardy -Toronto, ON 2017 - Love, Sex, & Gender Science Outreach Conference- Toronto, ON  2016 - Ontario Association of Marriage and Family Therapy- FamilyTherapy and Systemic Practice Conference , Toronto, ON 2016 - Intensive Sex Therapy Training Program- University of Guelph, Guelph, ON  2013 - International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP) Poster Presentation: Regional Meeting of the IACCP 2013- California, USA

Research & Writing Malone, R. M., Stewart, M. R., Gary-Smith, M., & Wadley, J. C. (Eds.). (2021). An Intersectional Approach to Sex Therapy: Centering the Lives of Indigenous, Racialized, and People of Color. Routledge.- Chapter 6. Who Am I? Working with Young First Generational LGBTQ2+ Chinese CanadiansJudy T. Lui and Andy Mok Lui, J. T. (2017). Chinese Culture in Therapy: Competencies for Therapeutic Alliance. The AtriumLui, J. T. (2014). Honours Thesis: Interethnic Ideology on Shifting Stereotype Content - Diversity and Intergroup Relationship LaboratoryRice, D., Lui, J., Semnani-Azad, Z., & Adair, W.L. (2013). Role of Deadlines in Cross-cultural Negotiations: Influence of Time Perception on Goals and Outcomes. Poster Presentation - Annual Regional Meeting of the International Association for Cross-cultural Psychology, Los Angeles, CA, USA.