About Dr. Lau

I am a licensed psychologist (NY #019374; DC #1001102; FL #TPPY2010; VA #0810008065) with close to 20 years of clinical experience and graduate training in Counseling Psychology and psychotherapy. I earned an M.A. in Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from Golden Gate University, followed by an M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Notre Dame, an American Psychological Association (APA) accredited doctoral program.

My clinical and psychotherapy training took place across community mental health agencies, schools, and college counseling centers. I completed my clinical internship at the University of California, Irvine Counseling Center in an APA-accredited internship program.

I have over 12 years of experience in academic and administrative positions at Felician University, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology (DC), and Teachers College, Columbia University. In these roles, I conducted research on multicultural psychology and mental health and taught graduate students at the master’s and doctoral levels. My courses included psychological assessment, educational evaluation, counseling skills, and multicultural psychology. As a Department Chair and Director of Clinical Training, I helped oversee doctoral education and the clinical preparation of future psychologists.

My earlier academic research continues to inform how I think about culture, identity, relationships, and emotional health in psychotherapy. Selected areas of my scholarship include Asian American men and gender roles, the health effects of racial discrimination, and culturally informed approaches to trauma. I have also written for broader audiences about racism, racial trauma, and mental health, including the effects of indirect and vicarious racism on individuals and communities. These interests continue to shape how I think about identity, culture, relationships, stress, and emotional well-being in psychotherapy.

Before coming to the U.S. for college and graduate school, I grew up in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Taiwan.  These experiences inform my interest in cultural and personal identity issues and this is infused throughout my psychotherapy and consulting work.  In addition to English, I am proficient in Mandarin Chinese and can understand 3 other Chinese dialects (Hakka, Hokkien/Taiwanese, and Cantonese).  

My background in clinical practice, graduate teaching, multicultural psychology, and international living has shaped an approach that is both depth-oriented and context-sensitive. I understand people not only through symptoms or diagnoses, but through their relationships, identities, cultural histories, family experiences, and the ways they have learned to adapt. This perspective informs my work with clients seeking greater clarity, emotional freedom, and more satisfying relationships.