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About Jen
“Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing we'll ever do.” – Bréne Brown
Hello, my name is Jen. Thank you for your courage to be here.
I support adults, parents, and teens who are navigating anxiety, depression, burnout, relationship stress, life transitions, parenting, and cultural identity challenges.
As a second-generation Chinese Canadian, a mother, and a partner to a first responder, I bring a deep understanding of the complexities of being bicultural and the silent negotiations many of us make between cultures, roles, and expectations.
Having spent over a decade in the corporate world, I carry a lived understanding of the real-life challenges of carrying multiple roles while striving for both professional success and personal fulfillment. These experiences shape the compassion, authenticity, and relatability I bring into the therapy room.
I also bring years of experience as a yoga and mindfulness teacher. These practices continue to support my belief in the mind–body connection and the healing that becomes possible when we learn to listen inward.
My integrative and client-centred approach draws from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and mindfulness and somatic-informed perspectives.
Outside of work, I find joy in travelling with my family, spending time in nature, reading, and being present for life’s simple moments.
Wherever you are in your journey, I’d be honoured to walk alongside you and hold space as you own your story. Connect with me today to book a free 15-minute consultation and explore whether we’re a good fit.
Who I Work Best With
I tend to work best with:
I tend to connect most with people who have a genuine desire to keep growing. They don't have to have everything figured out, but they're curious about themselves and willing to ask some of the harder questions. Even when the work feels uncomfortable, they're open to exploring it because they're looking for lasting change, not just temporary relief.
Many of my clients are thoughtful, caring people who have spent much of their lives taking care of others, meeting expectations, or striving to do everything "right." From the outside, they often appear like they're managing well, but internally they may feel overwhelmed, anxious, disconnected from themselves, or unsure of why they keep falling into the same patterns.
I especially enjoy supporting adults and older adolescents navigating anxiety, stress, burnout, perfectionism, relationship challenges, life transitions, identity, and emotional regulation. While those may be the reasons someone first comes to therapy, I often find we're exploring something deeper together. We begin to understand not just what's happening, but why, and how those patterns may have developed over time.
I think the people who connect most with my approach are those who are willing to do the deeper work, even when it's difficult. Not because they have all the answers, but because they're open to exploring them. My hope is that they leave therapy feeling more connected to themselves, more compassionate towards themselves, and more confident in their ability to navigate whatever life brings next.
The conversations I find myself having again and again
People come to me for therapy for all sorts of reasons. Sometimes it's anxiety or burnout. Sometimes it's a relationship that's struggling, a major life transition, grief, or just a sense that something doesn't feel quite right anymore. But underneath those different stories, I often find we're having very similar conversations.
Many clients come into therapy saying things like, "I don't know why I react this way," "I feel stuck," "I'm exhausted," or "I feel like I've lost myself." They're often carrying the weight of trying to be everything for everyone else while quietly wondering why they don't feel like themselves anymore.
One of the conversations I find myself having again and again is helping people move away from asking, "What's wrong with me?" and towards asking, "What is this trying to tell me?" Whether it's anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or self-doubt, I believe these parts of us developed for a reason. They often started as ways of protecting us. When we become curious about them instead of judging them, we create space to better understand ourselves rather than constantly trying to fight ourselves.
I also find myself talking a lot about expectations. The expectations we place on ourselves, the expectations we've inherited from our families, culture, or society, and the quiet pressure to always be doing more, achieving more, or holding it all together. Those conversations often lead us to bigger questions about identity, belonging, boundaries, and what it means to live in a way that feels more aligned with who we are.
Those are the conversations I never seem to get tired of having. Every person's story is different, but I continue to be humbled by how often our deepest struggles come back to the same human needs: to feel seen, understood, connected, and accepted for who we are.
What gives me hope
What continues to give me hope is witnessing people's capacity for change, even when they can't see it in themselves yet.
Some of the moments that stay with me the most aren't necessarily the big breakthroughs. They're the quieter ones. The first time a client laughs after weeks of feeling weighed down. The moment someone finally allows themselves to cry after holding everything together for so long. Or when a client catches themselves responding with compassion instead of criticism and says, "I don't think I would have done that six months ago."
Those moments remind me that healing doesn't always happen all at once. More often, it happens in small, meaningful shifts that gradually change how we relate to ourselves and the people around us.
My clients have also taught me that people are far more resilient than they often give themselves credit for. They continue showing up, even when life is difficult. They take the next step, even when they're uncertain. That willingness to keep showing up inspires me every day.
I believe that no matter how disconnected someone feels from themselves, there is always a part of them that longs to grow, heal, and reconnect. Having the privilege of witnessing that process, and walking alongside people as they rediscover their own strength, is what continues to give me hope.
What's my story
If I had to describe the journey that has shaped me most, it would be learning how to come home to myself.
Growing up in a Chinese Canadian family, I learned the importance of hard work, perseverance, and putting family first. These are values that I continue to carry with me today. At the same time, I also grew up with messages that there was rarely enough, that emotions were often pushed aside, that expressing anger, sadness, and upset could be seen as disrespectful and ungrateful, and that our worth was tied to how much we achieved or how much we sacrificed for others. Like many people, I've spent years unlearning some of these beliefs while holding onto the parts that continue to serve me.
Before becoming a therapist, I spent over a decade in the corporate world. I don't look back on that chapter as being the wrong path. In fact, I believe those experiences allow me to better understand the pressures many people carry today as they balance work, relationships, family, identity, and the expectations they place on themselves. I often tell my clients that I don't think I would be the therapist I am today without having lived through those experiences first.
The turning point came after the birth of my second child. There was a quiet voice inside me that kept saying, "Something isn't aligned. I want to be more present." I didn't know exactly where that voice would lead, but I chose to listen. Looking back, that was the beginning of my own journey inward. It wasn't a straight path, and I certainly didn't have everything figured out, but it taught me that some of the most meaningful changes begin when we have the courage to slow down, listen to ourselves, and explore what we've been avoiding.
That experience continues to shape how I work with clients today. I don't believe therapy is about becoming someone new or fixing what's broken. I believe it's about reconnecting with yourself by acknowledging all parts of who you are with compassion and curiosity, even the parts that feel difficult to face. I've learned that the places we most want to avoid often have the most to teach us. When we approach ourselves with less judgment and more understanding, we create space for meaningful and lasting change.
Modalities
Specialties
What's it like to work with me
I would describe my style as warm, genuine, and collaborative. I bring both structure and flexibility into our sessions. Some days we may have a clear direction or goal, and other days we may realize that what felt most important when you walked in isn't actually what needs your attention. I try to leave room for both.
Clients often tell me they appreciate that they don't feel like they have to have everything figured out before coming to therapy. You're welcome to bring whatever is on your mind, whether it feels big, small, messy, confusing, or even difficult to put into words. We'll make sense of it together.
I also don't believe we need to have lived the exact same experiences to genuinely connect. While every person's story is unique, I believe our shared humanity allows us to understand one another in meaningful ways. Whether it's grief, fear, uncertainty, joy, or hope, there are emotions that connect us all, and that's where I strive to meet my clients.
Something that naturally finds its way into my work is helping clients slow down. Many of us spend so much time trying to think our way through life that we don't always notice what our body, emotions, or nervous system are trying to tell us. I enjoy helping clients connect those pieces because I believe that's often where some of our most meaningful insights come from.
While I enjoy exploring the deeper patterns that shape our lives, I'm also mindful that insight on its own isn't always enough. I want clients to leave sessions not only understanding themselves better, but also feeling like they have something they can carry into their everyday lives, whether that's a new perspective, a practical tool, or simply feeling a little lighter than when they first walked in.
I think what might surprise people is that therapy doesn't always have to feel heavy. There is room for laughter, moments of lightness, and even humour. Some of the most meaningful sessions I've had have included both tears and laughter. To me, that's part of being human.
Education
Languages
What changes would you hope clients notice in themselves
Meaningful progress doesn't always look like dramatic change. More often, it's found in the quieter moments.
It's noticing that you're speaking to yourself with a little more kindness. It's pausing before reacting. It's setting a boundary without carrying as much guilt. It's recognizing your needs instead of automatically putting everyone else first. Sometimes it's simply realizing that something that used to completely overwhelm you no longer has the same hold on you.
I also hope clients begin to trust themselves more. So many people come to therapy looking outside themselves for certainty or reassurance. Over time, one of the most rewarding things to witness is when they start listening to their own inner voice with greater confidence and compassion.
If therapy has been helpful, I hope clients leave with a deeper understanding of themselves. Not because they've eliminated every struggle, but because they can meet those struggles with more curiosity, self-compassion, and resilience. Life will always have challenges, but my hope is that they feel more equipped to navigate them without losing themselves along the way.
If I met a client six months or a year after therapy ended, I don't necessarily hope they'd tell me that life had become easier. I hope they'd say, "I know myself better now. I trust myself more. I know how to come back to myself when life feels overwhelming."
To me, that's what meaningful change looks like.
What misconceptions about therapy do you often challenge
One of the biggest misconceptions I see is that people believe they need to have everything figured out before they come to therapy. They often apologize for not knowing where to start or say, "I don't even know what I want to talk about today."
You don't need to arrive with the right words or a clear plan. Part of therapy is making sense of things together. Sometimes what feels most important at the beginning of a session isn't actually what we end up exploring, and that's okay. Often, our minds and bodies have a way of guiding us toward what needs our attention.
Another misconception is that therapy is about fixing what's wrong with you. Most of the struggles people experience today made sense at one point in their lives. Anxiety, perfectionism, people-pleasing, or the tendency to shut down often began as ways of protecting us. Rather than asking, "How do we get rid of this?" We might ask, "What is this trying to protect?" That shift from judgment to curiosity can completely change how we relate to ourselves.
I also think people are often surprised to learn that therapy isn't about having someone tell you what to do. My role isn't to give you all the answers. It's to create a space where you can better understand yourself, reconnect with your own inner wisdom, and begin making choices that feel more aligned with who you are.
Finally, I wish more people knew that you don't have to be in crisis to benefit from therapy. Sometimes people come because life feels overwhelming, but just as often they come because they want to know themselves better, strengthen their relationships, or simply live with more intention. Therapy isn't only about helping us through the hardest moments. It can also help us grow, reconnect with ourselves, and create the life we want to live.
I often tell my clients that therapy isn't about becoming someone new. It's about coming home to who you've been all along.
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