Rebecca Liu, she/her
MA, LMHCA

Professional background

Masters in Mental Health Counseling,
Certificate in Multicultural Counseling,
Antioch University Seattle.

Associate Core Energetics practitioner,
Seattle School of Body Psychotherapy.
WA, USA.

(MA) Fine Art, University of Edinburgh, UK.
(this was my undergraduate degree, but this particular degree required 2 years more than a regular BA, hence it was an MA)

Hello, welcome.

Thanks for being here. It takes courage to seek out therapy, and it can feel daunting to choose someone to work with. Hopefully telling you something about me will help.

I came to this work, as a third career, to look for meaning and answers after a major life event that was in equal parts the most joyful thing that ever happened, as well as the hardest: Motherhood.

The addition of a baby to the family system can change the dynamics and shake up the status quo. People take on new family roles and power. Traditions, values, and beliefs around child-rearing emerge and collide with new ones. Especially so, for a Hongkonger Chinese family like mine, with first generation, 1.5 generation, and 2nd generation, under one roof.

Reflecting on my childhood and adolescence, I realized that the social-cultural rules I’d been following according to my roles, trying to be a “good” wife, mom, daughter-in-law, person, etc, apparently kept others happy but not me.

It was a lot of work but I’m grateful for the privilege I had to juggle a corporate job and a Masters in Mental Health Counseling. I wanted to “figure it out” for myself, and I wanted to be able to help others, so that fewer of us will suffer alone.

Why a somatic approach

In my healing journey, I found a need for an integrated body-mind-spirit approach. For a while I worked hard at positive thinking and read self-help books. Intellectually I understood, but that didn’t stop my emotions. When I allowed myself to feel my feelings, such as to have a good cry, however, it only provided temporary relief. It was cathartic, yes. But some time later I would do it again, and each time it’s the same. The pain did not lessen, I didn’t find new insight or anything. Now I know what was missing.

The healing journey (which, like you, I’m still in it) is not a straight line from point A to B. It’s a spiral that might feel like a plate of spaghetti. We don’t have to untangle each noodle and lay them out in perfect rows. We can try, if you want! We could also stick our hands in it, play with it, eat a few, see what happens. Perhaps in that process we begin to feel… less troubled, different. And then let’s see where that takes you! Everyone’s journey is unique.

For me, it is the greatest gift in my work that I’ll get to see you and support you. To celebrate you as you are and when you change. May you to come home to yourself and rebloom, over and over.