Need help with assessments or accommodations?
Please contact me directly
About Dr. Ho Ying Chu
Experienced trilingual clinician (English, Cantonese, and Mandarin-speaking) with 18+ years dedicated to helping individuals achieve growth, resilience, and overall well-being.
I take a client-centered and compassionate approach, creating a supportive space where you feel truly heard and understood. With advanced training in Cognitive B
Experienced trilingual clinician (English, Cantonese, and Mandarin-speaking) with 18+ years dedicated to helping individuals achieve growth, resilience, and overall well-being.
I take a client-centered and compassionate approach, creating a supportive space where you feel truly heard and understood. With advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) at UCLA-Harbor Medical Center, I integrate evidence-based strategies to help you build coping skills, challenge unhelpful patterns, and create meaningful change. My goal is to empower you to become your own therapist—equipped with the tools to navigate life’s challenges, regain a sense of control, and unlock your full potential with lasting confidence.
Discover your inner strength with Dr. Ho Ying Chu, PsyD., LCSW
Let's begin
“Going through tough times — whether it's relationship struggles, grief, trauma, or challenges related to your career or academics — can feel frustrating and isolating. Starting therapy is a courageous step, and I’m proud of you for starting your journey. I hope that our work together will bring meaning to your journey. I believe all individuals have their own unique core of striking intelligence and are capable of success despite their actual or perceived vulnerabilities. I am enthusiastic about collaborating with you and discovering your inner strengths, which will enable you to regain your hope.”
My approach
"As a cognitive-behavioral therapist, my goal is to help you become your own therapist, equipped with tools to understand what’s happening in your life right now and how to navigate it effectively. My training in advanced cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), considered the gold standard in psychological treatment, took place at UCLA-Harbor Medical Center, where I had the opportunity to master the key components of CBT practice and treatment concepts. Through my training background and clinical experiences, I am truly passionate about empowering you to become your own therapist, so you can regain a sense of control and confidence in your life."
My focus
“Have you been feeling stuck, confused, conflicted, or like you're losing control as you work toward recovery? Do you want to unlock more of your strengths and feel more grounded in who you are? Recovery is a journey, not a destination—and you don’t have to walk it alone. I’m passionate about supporting adults who are navigating life transitions, managing anxiety and depression, and working through self-esteem and identity issues rooted in past trauma.”
My communication style
“I prioritize client-centered, warm, and collaborative therapy approaches, thoughtfully tailoring treatment to address your unique needs through the lens of biopsychosocial perspectives. I welcome you to reach out whenever you feel ready to begin. I’m here to provide a safe and supportive environment where you can be your true self.”
My journey to mental healthcare
“It’s been 18 years since I entered the helping profession, yet it still feels like yesterday. The excitement I felt at the beginning of this journey is still vivid, and as I approach my 19th anniversary, my passion and compassion remain as strong as ever. This career has truly been a dream come true. As an immigrant, among the many challenges I faced, learning a new language was one of the most difficult—and ultimately, one of the most rewarding. I’m blessed that I was able to achieve academic success with the support of my friends and mentors. My past experiences have shaped who I am today and deepened my passion for supporting others on their own healing journeys.”
My goals for you
“Through our collaboration, which I like to think of as teamwork, you can expect to gain deeper understanding and fresh perspectives on your struggles. I’m here to offer the support and tools you need to move toward your therapeutic goals.”
My first session with you
“Our initial meeting will give us an opportunity to get to know one another. Our discussion will focus on your background and what led you to therapy. We’ll talk about your background and what brought you to therapy. Together, we’ll build a strong therapeutic relationship over time—because therapy is a process. It’s completely normal to feel nervous about your first session. We’ll take it one step at a time, and I’ll be there to guide you through each part of the journey.”
Therapy is not just about overcoming obstacles—it's about discovering your strengths and innate intelligences as powerful tools for meaningful transformation. – Dr. Chu
Written by Dr. Ho Ying Chu, PsyD., LCSW
The Dream Behind My Book
"I want to publish Dr. Chu’s ABC’s Emotions because I deeply believe in supporting children’s emotional growth and empowering parents to be active guides in their social-emotional development. My purpose is to create a fun, engaging, and educational tool that helps children learn their ABCs while also building emotional intelligence and resilience.
My dream is for children to discover the joy of reading, develop healthy learning habits early in life, and feel safe expressing both positive and negative emotions. I hope my book inspires parents, teachers, and professionals to validate children’s full range of feelings and to use everyday reading moments to spark curiosity, empathy, and imagination.
Ultimately, my motivation is to make learning interactive, enjoyable, and meaningful—so children can reach their full potential and grow into joyful, resilient, and confident individuals." -Dr. Chu
Dr. Chu's Emotional Intelligence Board Game
Dr. Chu's Emotional Intelligence Board Game is designed to encourage parents to spend meaningful time with their children while helping them learn about emotions in a fun and interactive way. The game fosters open communication, empathy, and self-awareness by introducing children to different feelings and guiding them in healthy ways of expressing and managing them.
Through play, families can strengthen their bonds, build trust, and develop valuable skills such as emotional regulation, problem-solving, and positive communication. The game is perfect for family nights, classrooms, or therapeutic settings — making the process of learning about emotions both enjoyable and impactful.
An interactive children’s book
Dr. Chu’s ABC’s Emotions is an interactive children’s book that helps parents and caregivers nurture emotional intelligence while teaching the ABCs. Each letter introduces a new feeling and guides parents in asking thoughtful questions, sparking meaningful conversations, and encouraging children to recognize, name, and express their emotions.
The book is designed to make learning both fun and impactful by blending early literacy with social-emotional development. Parents and children can laugh, reflect, and connect as they explore emotions together, building empathy, resilience, and self-awareness along the way.
Perfect for bedtime reading, classroom activities, or therapeutic settings, Dr. Chu’s ABC’s Emotions transforms learning the alphabet into an engaging journey of understanding feelings and strengthening parent–child bonds.
A wonderful guide to helping kids and their caregivers identify and manage all of their emotions.
—Dr. Christopher Willard, Harvard psychologist