Meet Gina Li
“Finding yourself” is not really how it works. You aren't a ten-dollar bill in last winter's coat pocket. You are also not lost. Your true self is right there, buried under cultural conditioning, other people's opinions, and inaccurate conclusions you drew as a kid that became your beliefs about who you are.
“Finding yourself” is actually returning to yourself. An unlearning, an excavation, a remembering who you were before the world got its hands on you.
~ Emily McDowell
"I prefer to think of my patients and myself as fellow travelers, a term that abolishes distinctions between 'them' (the afflicted) and 'us' (the healers). We are all in this together, and there is no therapist and no person immune to the inherent tragedies of existence."
~ Irvin Yalom, Psychiatrist
Meet Gina Li
Hi there. I know that finding the right therapist for you can make or break your experience. I hope that by sharing a bit of my own story, you can better decide if we’d work well together.
I became a therapist due in part to my own life experiences. When I was younger, I became severely depressed to the point of becoming physically ill. And…after trying really hard to tackle my struggles on my own to no avail, I found myself involuntarily hospitalized.
These and other tough life experiences imparted upon me a deep-seated understanding of the interplay between our mental and physical health. They’ve also taught me that mental health struggles do not just come out of nowhere. It is not just “all in your head” as popular culture often has us believing.
I carry on these lessons in my work as a therapist, in addition to the formal education and training I’ve received and continue to seek. Using a personalized approach, we’ll work together to address your stressors from multiple angles. We’ll unearth and strengthen aspects of your life that help you feel whole, as well as address patterns that have left you feeling stuck, without control, and disconnected from yourself and others.
You deserve to see and engage with possibilities again.
I would welcome the opportunity to work with you in making this a reality.
From a fellow traveler,
Gina
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (License Number: 105460), 2021
Board of Behavioral Sciences, California
Masters in Clinical Social Work, 2018
Specialization in Integrated Behavioral Health
Boston University
Domestic Violence Peer Counselor Certification, 2012
Women Organized to Make Abuse Non-Existent
(W.O.M.A.N., Inc)
San Francisco, CA
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Behavior, 2010
Minor in Education
University of California, Irvine
Formal Credentials
Licensed Mental Health Therapist, Foresight Mental Health,
2022-Present
Remote, CA
Licensed Mental Health Therapist, Northeast Medical Services,
2020-2022
San Francisco, CA
Associate Mental Health Therapist, Asian Health Services,
2018-2020
Oakland, CA
Clinical Social Work Intern, Bay Cove Human Services,
2017-2018
Boston, MA
Clinical Social Work Intern, Excel Academy Charter Schools, 2016-2017
Boston, MA
Peer Counselor, Richmond Area Multi-Services,
2015-2016
San Francisco, CA
Crisis Line Peer Counselor, W.O.M.A.N. Inc.,
2012-2015
San Francisco, CA
Mental Health Work Experiences
Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment Certification
Somatic Experiencing:
Module 1
Post-Graduate Training
I am committed to ongoing trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, anti-racist trainings as much as I can afford. I will be updating this section accordingly to reflect this for transparency.
Languages
English
Conversational Cantonese
Curious to learn a bit more about me as a person?
Here are a few quick facts:
I love singing. One of the reasons I am drawn to singing is the same as the reason I’m drawn to being a therapist. Within both, I have a medium through which I can support someone in attuning to their deeply-felt emotions and self.
I value one’s lived experiences— not just one’s formal educational experiences. I think each hold their unique value and I try to incorporate each of my clients’ unique knowledge base into sessions.
I’m totally okay with you swearing during session. I think swearing allows for a type of expression that has no substitute. Plus, I grew up in a swearing-friendly household so it’s normal to me :)
I value and practice authenticity and humility. How this shows up in sessions with me can look like: me letting you know when I’m confused, me apologizing to you when I’ve made a mistake, me incorporating humor, and me truly believing that you have the wisdom and strengths that are unique to you and essential in your mental health/healing journey.
I’ve been to a therapist myself before. I empathize with the awkwardness and skepticism related to therapists and am intentional about earning your trust.
I’ve been the youngest, middle, and oldest child of my family at one point. *You can ask me how this is possible in our session if you’re interested. I think having been in every spot of the child order, has given me a unique perspective on the role of family relationship dynamics on one’s mental health.
