Cheryl Tien, Psy.D.

Psychological Associate

Supervised by: DR. KIMBERLEE DURHAM, Psy.D.

My goal as your therapist is to not only help you reduce your suffering, but to help you thrive and experience greater joy than you could have imagined. I am warm, compassionate, humorous, and recognize that it is a privilege to hold your life story.

My therapeutic approach is rooted, first and foremost, in my personal identities as a daughter of immigrants (Chinese-Vietnamese boat people/refugees), Bay Area native, lifelong learner, and creative healer. Combined with 10+ years of experience in various clinical, academic, and administrative roles in healthcare, I have had the privilege of helping individuals, couples, and families in their healing journeys within a culturally-responsive and trauma-informed lens. I have speciality training in:

Trauma  (discrimination, generational, developmental, acquired, complex, sexual)

Relationship issues (communication, setting boundaries, prioritizing yourself, self-care)

Life transitions (loss, grief, death, and dying; career growth/transition)

Adjustment to medical diagnoses (sub-specialities include: cancer diagnoses, fertility issues, pregnancy loss or pregnancy decision-making, chronic pain, accidents, and sports injuries)

Adjustment to medical diagnoses (sub-specialities include: cancer diagnoses, fertility issues, pregnancy loss or pregnancy decision-making, chronic pain, and sports injuries)

Addiction

Psychedelic integration

Multicultural/diversity considerations (BIPOC mental health, with speciality in Asian mental health; LGBTQ+; polyamory; gender diversity)   

When I am not seeing clients, my other professional offerings include: community mental health workshops and services; psychedelic coaching; business and marketing consultation for new mental health professionals, and student/trainee wellness consultation for training programs. My research interests include: the impact of social media on mental health, technology and mental health; the role of art in healing/recovery, and mental health advocacy and policy.

Outside of my professional activities, I enjoy crocheting and knitting, am an avid video and tabletop gamer, and accidental dog mom.

Successful psychotherapy boils down to the chemistry you have with your therapist. Whether you're skeptical about how therapy could be helpful to you, or you've been in therapy and are looking to deepen your understanding of yourself (or engage in shadow work), I invite you to reach out and set up a complementary 15-minute phone consultation* to determine if we may be a good fit. 

*Psychedelic integration can be deeply transformational and I'm excited about the current psychedelic renaissance. That being said, it is still a largely unregulated field and research is on-going. I firmly believe that special considerations are necessary to maximize the benefits of psychedelic integration. If you are interested in psychedelic integration, complementary phone consultations are 25-minutes long. 

Education

PsyD, Doctorate of Clinical Psychology, University of San Francisco

M.S., Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology, University of San Francisco

B.A., Bachelors of Arts, Psychology, UC Santa Cruz

Certified Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Provider, Integrative Psychiatric Institute - anticipated October 2023