Yin Chun Siu
Hello, my name is Yin. I am a bilingual (English/Cantonese) Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Certified EMDR Therapist with over 24 years of clinical experience in mental health. In addition to my private practice, I serve as a Senior Behavioral Health Clinician at Berkeley Mental Health. My journey to becoming a licensed therapist has been long and, at times, challenging. There is often an assumption that therapists have had perfect lives—secure attachments, harmonious families, and a clear path forward. My experience has been different. As an immigrant from Hong Kong, I have experienced the pain of leaving loved ones behind, starting over in a new country, navigating family challenges and transitions, and moving through loss, heartbreak, and trauma.
I work with a range of mental health issues and day to day issues that everyone experiences for example feeling stuck in life, unfulfillment, guilt, shame, conflicts and anxiety.
These experiences have shaped who I am today and allow me to meet my clients with genuine understanding, empathy, and respect for their resilience and capacity to heal. They have deepened my belief that healing does not mean having a perfect life; it means learning to understand ourselves, finding compassion for our experiences, and discovering the strength to move forward. I want you to know that healing is possible and within reach. It is an honor and privilege to support my clients, especially in places that I, too, have traveled emotionally. I work with individuals experiencing depression, anxiety, trauma, relationship difficulties, guilt, shame, and other challenges that can leave them feeling stuck or overwhelmed. As a Certified EMDR Therapist, I incorporate EMDR when appropriate to help clients process difficult experiences and move toward greater emotional well-being. My goal is to create a safe, compassionate, and non-judgmental space where you can feel heard, understood, and supported as you reconnect with your strengths and move toward a more meaningful life.
First session
The foundation of my work is built on trust, empathy, and a non-judgmental approach. In our first session, my priority is to create a safe and welcoming space where you can feel heard, understood, and respected. We will take time to get to know you, what brings you to therapy, your current concerns, and what you hope to gain from our work together. Together, we will begin identifying your goals and exploring how therapy can best support you. There is no pressure to share everything at once—you can move at a pace that feels comfortable for you. As we continue working together, I will help you recognize your strengths and develop skills to better understand and navigate your emotional experiences. I believe deeply in each person’s capacity for growth, resilience, and healing. You are not broken or helpless. My role is to help you reconnect with the inner strengths and resources you already have and support you in using them to create meaningful change.
Strengths
Choosing to begin therapy is a meaningful and courageous step, especially during times of vulnerability, emotional pain, or life transitions. As a therapist, my goal is to provide a safe, supportive space where you can build self-confidence, gain insight, and grow through life’s challenges. I offer sensitivity and encouragement to help you recognize your strengths and better understand patterns that may be holding you back. Clients often describe me as down-to-earth, warm, humorous, and open-minded.
Ideal clients
My ideal clients are individuals who feel stuck, overwhelmed, anxious, or disconnected from themselves and are ready to explore what may be underneath these feelings. They may be experiencing depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, guilt, shame, or the lasting effects of difficult or traumatic experiences. I enjoy working with clients who are curious about understanding themselves more deeply and want to create meaningful change in their lives. They may not have everything figured out and may even feel uncertain about where to begin. What matters is a willingness to take that first step. I strive to meet each client with compassion and without judgment, working collaboratively at a pace that feels safe and manageable. Together, we can build self-understanding, process emotional pain, reconnect with strengths, and move toward greater hope and fulfillment.
Treatment methods
Motivational Interviewing
My approach to therapy is collaborative, compassionate, and tailored to each client’s unique needs and goals. I incorporate Motivational Interviewing (MI) to help clients explore ambivalence, build confidence, and strengthen their motivation for meaningful change. Through reflective listening, thoughtful questioning, and collaborative goal-setting, I create a supportive space where clients can better understand themselves and identify their own path forward. As a Certified EMDR Therapist, I also incorporate EMDR therapy when appropriate to help clients process distressing or traumatic experiences that may continue to affect their emotions, relationships, and daily lives. I believe that healing involves more than simply managing symptoms—it can also mean understanding the experiences that shaped us, developing new perspectives, and reconnecting with our strengths. Together, we will work at a pace that feels safe and manageable, with the goal of helping you feel more empowered, connected, and hopeful about your future.
EMDR
I am a Certified EMDR therapist (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) . I am continually impressed by how effective EMDR can be in treating trauma, anxiety, and other concerns. EMDR works by helping the brain reprocess distressing memories so they are no longer stored in a way that triggers intense emotional or physical reactions. During sessions, I will guide you through bilateral stimulation techniques while you recall difficult experiences in manageable, gradual steps. Over time, these memories become less overwhelming and more integrated. This process allows painful experiences to be processed more fully, often leading to a release of emotional and somatic tension that has been held in the nervous system.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Asian / Asian American
Woman
Top specialties
Anxiety
Depression
Trauma and PTSD
Other specialties
Coping Skills
Grief
Life Transitions
Mood Disorders
Self Esteem
Women's Issues
Serves
Adults (18 to 64)
Elders (65 and above)
Doesn't specialize in
Individual Therapy
Licensed in
CaliforniaLicense 49715
Accepted insurance
Cash - $150 per session