ANDERS CHEN, MA, LMHC
Find relief, connection, and the freedom to “just be”
BASED IN SEATTLE AND SERVING ALL OF WASHINGTON & MASSACHUSETTS
You’re tired of carrying the heavy burdens of the past, present, and future. The pressures, expectations, and oftentimes unspoken traumas of your upbringing, family, culture, and society leave you feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, and “stuck”. You want to find relief right now, explore and heal from your history, reconnect with yourself and others, and see brightness and hope moving forward.
I believe in your body's innate wisdom and intuition towards healing.
I'm Anders (pronouns: she/they). I am a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) in Massachusetts and Washington, and I have been practicing since 2010. Therapy with me is fluid, and involves a mixture of deep processing and more structured skill building.
As a somatic trauma counselor, I believe that greater healing occurs through reconnecting with our bodies, and listening to what it may be telling us, in addition to making sense of our thoughts and emotions. Many of my clients are highly capable and insightful, and have a great deal of understanding about themselves, and yet still feel unfulfilled, anxious, and held back in some way.
By engaging holistically – with the mind, heart, body and spirit – you will not only be able to cope better and find tangible relief in your day to day, but also be truly transformed to live with more ease, openness, and purpose.
You deserve to feel safe, seen, and supported.
We will work together to define your goals and hopes for therapy, and establish a space that affirms and meets your needs. As an Asian therapist with multiple intersecting identities – including Chinese, Taiwanese, Canadian, American, immigrant, child of immigrants and refugees, and Buddhist – I welcome your whole self.
I strive to provide an open, nonjudgmental, and compassionate space where you can explore all aspects of your identity, culture, family, and any other areas that may go unspoken and unseen in other relationships. We will work collaboratively to deepen your understanding of yourself, find your voice and confidence, grow your relationships, and discover your place in the world.
A bit more about me.
My parents immigrated to North America from Taiwan as young adults, and settled in Canada, where I was born and grew up. As a second generation, multi-cultural, person of color, much of my life has been spent recognizing, navigating and integrating multiple and intersecting identities and worlds that often seem at odds with one another. My interest in psychology and self discovery started early, and stemmed from my Buddhist upbringing and intense curiosity about the meaning of life, death, why we suffer, and how to be at peace with oneself and lead a life that feels fulfilling and real.
I majored in psychology at the University of Toronto, and received my Master's in Counseling Psychology from McGill University in 2010. I've worked in a variety of settings and have been in many roles - as a high school counselor, an addiction counselor at an outpatient rehabilitation center, a psychotherapist at a university counseling center, a research assistant for a study bringing mindfulness training to primary care settings, as a tobacco counselor for inpatients at a hospital, and even as a software engineer at a large tech company - all of which help inform and challenge my worldview and continue to shape my approach to therapy.
Credentials & Education
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
(Note: Please use my legal name "Andrea Chen" when checking licensing credentials)
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Massachusetts (License Number: 10293)
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Washington (License Number: LH60887605)
MA Counseling Psychology
McGill University (Graduated 2010)
B.Sc. Psychology Specialist
University of Toronto (Graduated 2007)
Certifications & Trainings
Somatic Experiencing (SE)
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Currently in the Advanced year of the training program offered by SE International.
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Completed Beginner and Intermediate level trainings.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
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Currently in the Level 1 training program offered by the IFS Institute.
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Completed 5-part training series with a certified IFS trainer.
Mindfulness and Self-Compassion
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Attended numerous workshops and trainings on and related to Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindful Self-Compassion.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
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Certified group instructor at an outpatient addiction center.
Experience
University Counselor
McGill University, Montreal
Addiction Counselor
Foster Addiction Rehabilitation Center, Montreal
Tobacco Counselor
Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston
In addition to my experience as a therapist, I have also worked as a software engineer. I attended a software developer bootcamp in 2015, and worked as an engineer for 4 years. I have a unique perspective on and interest in the particular pressures and expectations that arise with working in tech, the risks of burnout, and the impacts of technology in our everyday lives.