I strongly believe in honoring each person’s life experiences, cultural context, and that resilient power and wisdom within.
Dr. Ellen Jia-Ling Lin’s Credentials
- 26+ years of counseling/therapy experience with clients from wide variety of backgrounds, intersecting identities, life experiences, and professional/management levels (professors, lawyers, managers, C-suite executives, non-profit leaders, health professionals, engineers and other tech industry professionals, etc.).
- 25+ years training, supervising, and/or providing consultations to countless doctoral-level therapists (was paid as a clinical supervisor as an advanced doctoral practicum counselor)
- CA Licensed psychologist (license #19278) since 2003 (click on this Board of Psych link to verify license)
- Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology –pursued Counseling Psychology instead of Clinical Psychology degree because of my strong belief in education, social justice, and preventive work and not just focus on pathology; counseling psychology degree also provided the education in clinical psychology
- Was Clinical Coordinator/Assistant Director of Clinical Services for 4 years, and Director/“chief mental health officer” for a university counseling center (with ~30 employees) an additional 4.5 years
- Trained and experienced in somatic, mind-body-emotion-spirit interventions to unlock deeply ingrained patterns and trauma, including clinical Emotional Freedom Techniques (teaching clients to tap on acupressure points to decrease fight/flight trauma response), Brainspotting, and Mindfulness-based techniques.
- Diplomate certificate in Comprehensive Energy Psychology from International Association of Comprehensive Energy Psychology (ACEP) since 2018, which incorporates a variety of traditional Eastern approaches, somatic, intention/awareness, and energy balancing techniques. ACEP also has a set of specific professional ethical standards (in addition to that of American Psychological Association ethics).
- Social-justice oriented: Developed and provided “Social Justice and Outreach” Seminar series for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees, “Diversity Discussion Seminar/Group” for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees, and “Supervision on Supervision” Seminar series for postdoctoral residents. I also dedicate some time for low-cost or pro-bono community service outside of providing therapy.
- Previously worked as as a successful middle manager/administrator (as “chief mental health officer”). I was the only management/administrator of the large team, in addition to being on-call almost all the time. I burned out and crashed really hard from this job, which was what led me to dive much more into additional non-Western, mind-body, energy, and spiritual healing modalities, and to reconnect with my love of direct service, to reopen my private practice.
- Previously worked as a Career Counselor.
- Bachelor’s in Psychology from UCLA, with a Business emphasis.
- Human Resources Certificate through the UCLA Extension program, after my bachelor’s and before switching careers to pursue my doctorate.
- Previously worked as a recruiter in human resources, collaborating with various professions and management levels.
- Trained as a Reiki master and teacher through the Usui Shiki Ryoho tradition. Clients have described me to be a calm, centered presence and highly intuitive. For example, sometimes I feel client’s physiological sensations (especially for in-person work) and may integrate that in my interventions, if interested. I may also incorporate reiki when I facilitate brainspotting or imagery work.
Click Here for Dr. Lin’s Curriculum Vitae
Personally
- She/her/they pronoun
- LGBTQ ally
- 1.5-generation immigrant, coming to the U.S. from Taiwan at 10 y.o. and having to learn English starting with the ABC’s. (Was mostly mute in school for those first 2 years in the U.S.)
- Proud first-generation college graduate and got through college exclusively as result of government grants, work-study money and part-time work (and the guidance of my older brother, who went to college before me). I was also on significantly discounted, low-income lunch programs in high school and was asked to help give out lunches behind the counter at times for free lunches.
- Understand very basic Mandarin but am not able to conduct therapy in Mandarin.
- I used to not be able to sit still or meditate at all, feeling the need to be working all the time or I’d get antsy. I’m so glad this is so not me these days, after significant healing and lots of mindfulness practices. I am so thankful that I’m so much healthier these days!
- I have found using variety of non-traditional talk therapy so helpful for my own healing journey, e.g., EFT/tapping, learning to practice much self-compassion for my own wounded being, practicing imagery journeys and meditations, reiki, brainspotting, etc.! This is coming from a very scientifically-oriented and former-skeptic me, who use to balk at anything that I couldn’t actually see or cognitively understand!
Pro-bono community work
I regularly provide brief pro-bono consultations for other licensed mental health professionals regarding clinical dilemmas and career paths.
Other volunteer activities: Speaker and workshop facilitator of mental health issues and listening circles for local non-profit agencies; mental health evaluator for asylum seekers; volunteer at a local, non-profit community garden; organized and facilitated support circles for Asian American mental health providers during the pandemic given the significant increase in Anti-Asian sentiments and also during this 47th U.S. administration.
Personal philosophy and life approach
I value integrity and transparency. And, I recognize and will contextualize experiences in the systems and environment that have shaped and continues to condition us; these include cultural and gender socializations and oppressions. I also strongly believe in each person’s capacity to grow into themselves, to reclaim that confident, curious, joyful being that we once were as a kid (even if you have no memory of that yourself). I invite you to integrate all parts of you in our therapy work, including those spiritual and emotional parts that have been barred over the years. It is through integrating all part of you that makes you whole and at ease.
I also love and believe in life-long learning and doing my own work/healing; I am careful to attend to my own wellbeing so that I show up as the best person and therapist that I can be, so that I keep improving my services to clients and the community. You may otherwise find me walking in my tree-filled neighborhood with my rescue dog, spending mindful time in nature, tending to plants, and spending time with loved ones.
Contact Dr. Lin
Please feel free to call me at 408-828-8375 or send me a message below to inquire further. Please note that completing this form goes through my Gmail account (EllenJLin@gmail.com). You are welcome to call me and/or you may note some available times when you’re free to talk without necessarily detailing your struggles here.
Learn to stay grounded and centered even when surrounded by life’s turmoil.
Ellen J. Lin, PhD 
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