Get to Know Chen Gao (He|Him)

Psychology Intern

Chen (Fanchen) Gao, he/him, is a Licensed Professional Counselor in training and a fourth-year Counseling Psychology doctoral candidate at Tennessee State University. As an international student from China, Chen's journey in the U.S. spans six enriching years, deepening his understanding of diverse cultures, which he brings to his therapeutic practice.

Professionally, Chen has been refining his skills for the past four years, working with a wide age spectrum, ranging from adolescents to elders. With an extensive training background in CBT and DBT, Chen leans towards a client-centered approach in his practice, always prioritizing the unique needs and experiences of each individual. He deeply values and respect students’ feelings, experiences, and the words they use to describe their feelings. His foremost aim is to cultivate a warm and safe environment where students feel at ease sharing their unique stories and feelings. Chen enjoys engaging with college students and young adults, primarily focusing on addressing challenges related to depression, anxiety, and AOD.

Beyond his professional role, Chen enjoys outdoor activities. He's a keen hiker, rock climber, and fitness enthusiast. He also endorses tasting different cuisine and sleeping as options of his self-care activities.

Fluent in Mandarin, Chinese.

If I wasn’t in this line of work, I would be: A chef, a Tiktoker, or a nutritionist.

An app I downloaded for my own mental health: Zillow, an app to track your sleep, help you understand your sleeping cycle, affecting factors, also provide helpful tips to improve your sleep.

Coping skills I recommend to clients that I actually use myself:

1.     Actively moving. Eg. Exercise, hiking, kayaking, rock climbing (strongly recommend).

2.     Grounding techniques. Also, a good combination with #1.

3.     Stay with animals. Play with your pets, sit in a cat Café, volunteer at an animal shelter, visit a Zoo, or simply enjoy the moment watching squirrels.