I put my credentials below because those are helpful for buidling trust, such as my Harvard degree, my professional training, my certification in executive coaching, and publicities.
What is more important is my philosophy in life. I live the same way I want my clients to do. I never stop acquiring knowledge and building new habits that could help myself and my clients in learning about ourselves, and most importantly strengthen the relationship between our bodies and minds.
As someone who was born and raised to be highly sensitive, I know first hand the internal chaos that could haunt our daily reality. It has taken me decades time to learn how to collaborate with my own body, emotion and thoughts to maximize my potential in each moment for joy, productivity and love.
It is my lifetime mission to share the knowledge I acquire, and continue to collect, with my clients.
CECILIA'S BACKGROUND
Cecilia was born in China and grew up in America. She continues to learn and combine the lessons from both cultures. After graduating from Harvard University, she entered the financial industry, specializing in international IPO and venture capital. At 30, she started a real estate investment and management company. After having found money but not passion, she decided to change her focus and stay on as a passive investor. After spending several years writing and doing self-reflection, she connected with her love for our inner emotional world, decided to return to her roots of helping others as a life-coach and therapist. After completing Master’s in Counseling, she received training in motivational interviewing, play and movement therapy, executive coaching EFT couple therapy, sex therapy, trauma resolution techniques including EMDR, mindfulness, hypnosis and somatic therapy. She is registered with the State of California and Illinois.
Having grown up and studied in multiple cultures, she is particularly experienced with the opportunities and challenges cross-cultural and intergenerational differences can bring for our growth. She specializes in guiding clients to transform themselves through this process. She coaches clients who are immigrants or first-generation Americans from with origins from a more communal culture. She excels in helping clients find an authentic identity within their multi-cultural reality and build the connection skills both within and without their communities.
Cecilia has had a passion for empowering others since high school and received media coverage from notable publications including the New York Times and Boston Globe, and several services awards including one from Hillary Clinton. She leads workshops and support groups on relationship, mindfulness and runs online workshops for participants from multiple countries. She enjoys writing and contributes regularly to mental health publications. She speaks and writes English and Mandarin fluently, has a working knowledge of Cantonese. Cecilia splits her time between Berkeley, Beijing, Cambridge & Shanghai.
“The Wound is the place where the Light enter you.”
–Rumi
I believe passionately that changes in life are portals for transformation.
I am here to guide you in these exciting, and at times, painful moments.
*Supervised by Licia Freeman in California LMFT 36758 for clients residing in California