Dr. Psyche Xu, PhD
Clinical Experience
Dr. Psyche (Huanzhen) Xu is our founder and principal psychologist. She received a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Bowling Green State University and a BS in Psychology from the University of Minnesota Duluth.
Dr. Psyche completed her psychology residency at the Counseling and Testing Center at the University of Akron, assisting college students with a range of issues including relationships, trauma, life transitions, academic stress, learning disorders and ADHD assessment.
She also has extensive experience working in medical settings. She has worked at the University of Toledo Medical Center Cardiovascular Rehabilitation Department, where she supported patients with end-of-life issues, smoking cessation, sleep disorders and lifestyle modification. Dr. Psyche also worked at the Sandusky County Board of Developmental Disabilities, where she primarily provided psychological testing for various serious mental disorders.
More recently, Dr. Psyche has worked in private practice assisting individuals with social security disability evaluations and workers’ compensation evaluations. She also has experience performing pre-employment evaluations and fitness for duty examinations for first responders.
Lastly, Dr. Psyche has taught various courses in Psychology, including general psychology and psychophysiology. She currently holds a clinical faculty position at Northeast Ohio Medical University, where she teaches clinical interviewing skills to future physicians.
Therapeutic Orientation
The most researched therapeutic orientation in psychology is traditional CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), which focuses on helping clients identify dysfunctional cognition, emotions, and physiological states, and replace them with more functional ones. This approach is particularly helpful for situational issues and short-term problems, especially when these problems have not led to serious behavioral impairments.
For clients who report long-standing distress and functional impairment, third-wave CBT may be more appropriate, with a focus less on changing internal events, but more on the improvement of the quality and quantity of activity in which clients find value. In such situations, Dr. Psyche is a proponent of ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), an action-oriented approach that helps clients move towards what matters in their lives instead of getting stuck in the unending cycle of unnhelpful thoughts and feelings.
She/Her/Hers
For disorders with a centered difficulty in emotional expression and communication, the focus in therapy may not be behavioral changes but emotional and cognitive exploration. Dr. Psyche uses techniques from emotional-focused therapy (EFT) and functional analytical psychotherapy (FAP) to help facilitate these goals. If a client is struggling with emotional regulation and impulsive behaviors that may lead to unwanted outcomes, Dr. Psyche may use components of dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) to help increase awareness of emotions and modify reactions.
Dr. Psyche understands the importance of being culturally humble and curious. Regardless of her clients' identities, she considers a strong working alliance the foundation of transformative therapeutic work and strives to be her clients' supportive ally.
Academic Research
Dr. Psyche is a published academic researcher whose research interests are centered around identifying, developing, and disseminating effective psychological treatments for populations whose mental health has been overlooked. She is also a published author in areas of acculturation, stress management, assessment development and psychological impacts of COVID-19. Her work with underserved populations has won her awards and recognition.
Please see links below for articles featuring Dr. Psyche: https://contextualscience.org/student_spotlight_award_recipient_huanzhen_xu; https://www.bgsu.edu/news/2021/08/doctoral-candidate-wants-to-help-asian-students-with-transition-to-american-culture.html).
Please find her publications via this link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Huanzhen-Xu/research
A Word from Dr. Psyche
Hello, I am Dr. Psyche and welcome to Dr. Psyche Health! I grew up in a small city in China, where I walked by Buddhist temples and morning meditation groups every day. Drawn by the sense of certainty offered by the sciences, I studied physics, biology, math and chemistry. Then my wildest dreams came true when I was accepted into college in America. I fell in love with the study of Psychology and was later awarded a full doctorate scholarship to study clinical psychology.
I am absolutely passionate about my profession, as I see psychology being the connection between science and the human “Psyche,” body and mind. As a researcher, I look for evidence and facts, and as a human I also long for unconditional acceptance even in the oddest expression of emotions. In modern western medicines, clinicians are trained to view any discomfort as a symptom. While it may bring a sense of relief by putting a label on our experiences, I find it also limits the understanding and later the treatment of individual cases. I searched for a balance. The juxtaposition of my own culture and my academic pursuit helped me see the beauty that I overlooked in Eastern philosophy and the practice of mindfulness. I recognized that one of the best techniques I can offer to my clients is flexibility, powered by my fortunate emersion in both western and eastern worldviews and philosophy. As a psychologist, I no longer fear uncertainty, but focus more on cultivating my capacity for acceptance and for the ever-changing nature of our human experiences.
I am an advocate for value-driven living, and I believe that with the help of effective tools, everybody can create a life full of satisfaction, peace, and joy. Often times our lives become stuck not because of “the way we feel", but rather a disconnection between our personal values and our executed actions (or inactions). It may surprise you, but research has shown that the activation of behaviors/actions is the primary reason for therapeutic success and the key for an improved wellbeing. As a scientist-practitioner, I take pride in my capacity to keep up with the most recent academic studies and deliver to my clients the treatment founded in science, not just “what sounds right.”
Our practice helps clients improve their lives by promoting both emotional and behavioral health, using them as engines to power the pursuit of personal values. I hope we can help you find not only acceptance and understanding, but also clarity and self-growth, as well as observable results in your day-to-day behaviors and interactions.