(she/her)
New to Grow
Welcome, my name is Cynthia Fong! I work with children, youth, and adults navigating a wide range of life challenges. My goal is to create a safe, supportive space where you can explore your concerns and build the skills needed for a more fulfilling life. I specialize in supporting people experiencing anxiety, depression, pregnancy and parenting challenges, grief, life transitions, and various forms of trauma including sexual, emotional, and physical abuse.
You may feel a mix of excitement and nervousness—this is common. We'll discuss what brought you to therapy, review consent and confidentiality, and address any questions. I'll ask about yourself, your coping mechanisms, and your symptoms. This openness with a stranger can feel surprising, especially if you haven't been so candid with others.
My counseling style is down-to-earth, compassionate, and caring. I believe in honesty, treating everyone with dignity and respect, and maintaining an open mind. I create a nonjudgmental, empathetic atmosphere where you feel safe to share your thoughts and feelings. I combine active listening with strength-based, solution-focused, and cognitive behavioral approaches tailored to your unique needs. Together, we'll identify practical tools and strategies that help you move forward and create meaningful change in your life.
With 27 years of experience and a personal foundation as the child of Hong Kong immigrants, I specialize in serving high-functioning professionals who feel a profound disconnect between their external achievements and their internal sense of safety. I am best positioned to support "cycle breakers" who are navigating the heavy intersection of bicultural identity, perfectionism, and intergenerational trauma. Rather than just managing symptoms, we work to bridge the gap between your analytical mind and your nervous system, moving past intellectualization into deep, relational healing. My ideal client is ready to trade the "model minority" mask for authentic earned security, seeking a seasoned partnership that honors their heritage while fostering profound individual liberation.
Trauma Informed Care
Nearing two decades as an LCSW, Trauma-Informed Practice (TIP) has evolved from a clinical framework into the core foundation of my professional identity. It is not a single treatment, but a universal lens through which I view every client interaction. Trauma-Informed Practice is a shift from asking "What is wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?" It assumes that most individuals have a history of trauma and focuses on physical and emotional safety to prevent re-traumatization.
Attachment-based
Attachment-based work is the "how" behind my clinical interventions and provides the mechanism for relational healing. Attachment-based work focuses on the internal working models we develop in childhood. It explores how our early bonds with caregivers dictate our adult capacity for trust, emotional regulation, and intimacy. The goal is to move a client from "insecure" attachment (anxious, avoidant, or disorganized) toward earned security.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I view Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as the "engine room" of clinical change. While attachment work provides the depth and trauma-informed practice provides the safety, CBT provides the practical, evidence-based tools my clients use to gain immediate relief and functional control over their lives. CBT is a structured, goal-oriented form of psychotherapy based on the principle that our thoughts (cognitions), feelings, and behaviors are all interconnected. By identifying and challenging unhelpful thinking patterns (cognitive distortions) and changing maladaptive behaviors, individuals can significantly improve their emotional state and overall functioning.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
My approach to Culturally Sensitive Therapy (CST) is deeply informed by my professional training and my personal lived experience as the child of immigrants from Hong Kong. I don’t see culture as an "add-on" to therapy; it is the very lens through which my clients perceive pain, healing, and family. Culturally Sensitive Therapy is an approach where the practitioner emphasizes an awareness of the client’s background, ethnicity, and belief system. It moves beyond "cultural competence" (knowing facts) toward cultural humility—an ongoing process of self-exploration and acknowledging the power imbalances inherent in the patient-provider relationship.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I view Mindfulness-Based Therapy as the essential practice of "slowing down the nervous system" to create space between a stimulus and a response. Mindfulness is the practice of maintaining a non-judgmental, moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. In a therapeutic context, it helps clients move out of "autopilot"—where they are often stuck in past ruminations or future anxieties—and into the present, fostering a sense of calm and clarity.