Lang Chen, Ph.D., LLMSW

ll
Pronouns she/they
Job Title
Embedded Social Worker, LSA Graduate School
Education:
M.S.W. (University of Michigan),
Ph.D. (Buddhist Studies, Yale University)
M.T.S. (Harvard Divinity School)
B.A. (Literature, Peking University)
Professional Interests:
- Student-faculty relationship and academic performance
- Cultural bereavement and cross-cultural adjustment
- Spirituality and religions
- Parenting and intimate relationships
- International students/immigrants
- Women in academia
- Outreach and prevention
Approach to Therapy:
In our era enchanted by AI and virtual reality, creating a genuine interpersonal relationship with the client, I believe, has never been as important. Achieved through listening to their unique stories and recognizing their distinctive strengths, this relationship possesses inherent therapeutic value and serves as the foundation for any other methods and techniques. Building on this, I assist my clients in articulating their needs and wants across bio-psycho-social-spiritual dimensions, and subsequently in identifying practical and attainable steps to foster personal growth. Drawing inspiration from both Asian spirituality and existential philosophy, I consider accepting and discovering the authentic self, coupled with creating meanings for life, as the ultimate goal of our therapeutic journey.
Approach to Wellness:
When I need relaxation, I enjoy spending quality time with my family and friends, snuggling with my dog, playing the piano, and running outdoors. When I long for intellectual stimulations, I listen to audiobooks that delve into subjects close to my heart. Watching stand-up comedies performed by individuals hailing from diverse cultures and backgrounds seems to have been serving both ends very well.
Additional Language(s):
Mandarin