Hello! 你好! I'm Irene, a bilingual (English and Mandarin) psychotherapist and art therapist at Transcendent Self Therapy, offering both in-person and virtual therapy throughout New York. My approach is grounded in humanistic, person-centered therapy, rooted in the belief that each person has an innate capacity for growth, healing, and self-understanding. My role is to create a compassionate, collaborative space where you can slow down, reconnect with yourself, and discover your own path forward.

I often work with adults navigating life transitions, grief and loss, identity exploration, cultural displacement, relationship challenges, and periods of emotional uncertainty. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by change, searching for a stronger sense of self, or trying to make meaning from difficult experiences, therapy can provide a space to process what you're carrying with curiosity, creativity, and care.

Before becoming a therapist, I trained extensively in architecture, a background that continues to influence my clinical work. It shaped the way I think about space, structure, and how we build relationships with both our internal and external worlds. Creativity remains central to my therapeutic approach—not as artistic talent, but as a natural human capacity for resilience, problem-solving, and self-expression. No art experience is ever required. Together, we may explore images, dreams, metaphors, or creative exercises when they feel helpful, while also paying close attention to the nervous system so that healing is experienced not only cognitively, but emotionally and physically.

My clinical training includes work in palliative care, medical settings, and community mental health, where I supported individuals, couples, children, and families coping with medical trauma, serious illness, grief, existential concerns, and end-of-life transitions. These experiences deepened my appreciation for the complexity of human resilience and the importance of creating a space where every emotion has room to exist.

I believe that the therapeutic relationship itself is one of the most powerful agents of change. Therapy offers an opportunity to experience trust, authenticity, and connection in ways that can extend far beyond the therapy room and into everyday life. As someone with a cross-cultural background, I also understand how culture, identity, family history, and belonging shape our experiences. I welcome clients from all backgrounds and identities, and I strive to create an affirming space where every part of your story is respected and explored with compassion.