MY APPROACH

“I am the vine, you are the branches.

he who abides in me and i in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing.”

— John 15:5

TESTIMONIALS

• At first I was a tad bit weary that our needs and concerns would not be met because we can be a lot at times and I didn't think she would think that our issues were valid, but she listened and she tells is like it is. My favorite line was, "so your acting like children am I right?" LOL. I love that she plays with us also. She makes us pray too and that’s a plus.

• I can’t say enough amazing things about Lizhen. Within such a short time she helped me to feel better about my anxiety and our relationship issues. She’s so great at listening and understanding and she really takes everything in and provides amazing support. One of my favorite parts about her is her amazing sense of humor. We were nervous to take the step and get help and she made us feel so comfortable right from the start. I love how easy it is to communicate with her and how comfortable she makes us feel!

• Lizhen was a wonderful listener who really worked with me and my partner through our communication issues. She provided a platform for us to express our feelings in a safe way. She was also very generous with her time and was able to accommodate sessions when it was convenient for us. She was very attentive to our needs and truly wanted to help. I would recommend her to anyone looking for an effective listener who can work with you on your schedule.

• When I first came to " Better help" I was in a very bad condition. My situation was so hard that I felt like I was loosing my head, my life was falling apart and my marriage was in danger but since the very first video session with Lizhen I started to see some changes. In less than one month she helped me put myself together again. She gave me advice using both spiritual (biblical) and scientific references. Thank to her, I've got my confidence back, I can manage my anger, I have more communication skills related to my specific situation. I know lots of tricks that I get to use almost everyday to deescalate arguments and keep the conversations going. Lizhen is one of the most helpful counselor that I've have ever had the privilege to be assigned to.

  My wife actually loves the new person that I became. she is my best friend again, our relationship is healthier, my son is happier and my life is way easier right now.
  Thank you Lizhen Yan

• Lizhen is very professional and speaking to her has been very helpful to me. She understands me and gives me good advice. Since I started speaking with her a few weeks ago I’ve had a positive change in my mindset. Even my friends and family have noticed. I would recommend her to anyone seeking help.

• I’m so very grateful to have found Lizhen Yan. From the first day to present she’s done nothing but help me progress to a greater me. Her patience and wisdom alone has help steer my life back to stability. Beyond being qualified to assist you she’s dedicated to enhance the desire to just get it right. I’d recommend her to anyone who’s ready to change.

• Lizhen Yan has been very helpful and accessible. She gives practical advice with real life examples.

• Ms. Yan is amazing. She is filled with the joy of the Lord as she guides us through conflict resolution, blended family issues and negative emotions. She keeps Christ as the center of our sessions and we have come so far. The Lord continues to use her to bless our marriage. She is the answer to our prayers.

• Lizhen is wonderful and highly skilled in her profession. She’s an excellent listener, mentor, and confidant. Incredibly genuine and wise. I often feel like I’m talking to an old friend! She is flexible in offering multiple ways to connect, great with live sessions, and thoughtful with responses and relevant articles. I would highly recommend her services any day and I am truly grateful to be connected with her!

• Lizhen has a beautiful spirit. She has opened my eyes immensely on the very concerns of my heart whilst inviting god into our interactions. Having a therapist who provides warmth as if she is an extended family member really helps me to become vulnerable and have full transparency. I appreciate Lizhen and the lessons she has placed in my mind/heart. You will too!

• I've been seeing Lizhen for the last two months and she has been extremely helpful with my high anxiety and depression. Not only is she a great listener but actually gives me tools that help me outside of our sessions together.

• 2020年是很糟糕的一年，疫情的关系让大家经历到前所未有的害怕与紧张，但感谢神，我们能够跟LiZhen姐相遇。七月，因为一次和先生的争吵，我感到万念俱灰。冰冻三尺非一日之寒，我和先生的关系日益恶劣，他的言语暴力成为了压垮骆驼的最后一根稻草，从未想要对外寻求帮助的我，鼓起了勇气透过网络找到了LiZhen, 最初，我只想进行我个人谘商，因为长久在婚姻中被贬低，想从他人帮助中找回自己个人的价值及一个出口。但因为Lizhen的专业建议，她请我邀请先生一起参与谘商。原本以为先生会拒绝，没想到他同意了。在几次的谘商过程中，透过Lizhen姐的引导，我和先生从一开始的针锋相对到后来我们能够心平气和的听彼此内心里的话，也看清楚了结婚20年问题症结所在。感谢Lizhen姐透过圣经的教导带领我们去思考婚姻的意义，透过神的目光，让我们重新看待彼此，找回当初我们决定在一起的初衷。现在，我不再害怕与先生之间相处的不愉快，因为，我知道怎么去调整自己及换位思考。更重要的是，因为我们懂得在日常把爱 不满存起来，这样对彼此有不满时，想到对彼此的爱，那不愉快情绪也就很快烟消云散了。感谢神在2020年能让奇迹发生在我家，感谢Lizhen专业的协助，让我们家完整圆满了起来！

• Lizhen is wonderful and highly skilled in her profession. She’s an excellent listener, mentor, and confidant. Incredibly genuine and wise. I often feel like I’m talking to an old friend! She is flexible in offering multiple ways to connect, great with live sessions, and thoughtful with responses and relevant articles. I would highly recommend her services any day and I am truly grateful to be connected with her!

• Lizhen has a beautiful spirit. She has opened my eyes immensely on the very concerns of my heart whilst inviting god into our interactions. Having a therapist who provides warmth as if she is an extended family member really helps me to become vulnerable and have full transparency. I appreciate Lizhen and the lessons she has placed in my mind/heart. You will too!

• Ms Yan has helped me with my depression. She is easy to talk to and helped me set goals and stay on track. Would recommend! I've been seeing Lizhen for the last two months and she has been extremely helpful with my high anxiety and depression. Not only is she a great listener but actually gives me tools that help me outside of our sessions together. I’m so very grateful to have found LIZHEN Yan. From the first day to the present she’s done nothing but help me progress to a greater me. Her patience and wisdom alone has helped steer my life back to stability. Beyond being qualified to assist you she’s dedicated to enhancing the desire to just get it right. I’d recommend her to anyone who’s ready to change.

• I have to admit when I first contacted Ms. Lizhen Yan for counseling I was a bit apprehensive as it had been many years since I had sought therapy. I knew from the first few moments I spoke with her that I connected with her emotionally and spiritually. She immediately made me feel at ease, as if I were speaking with a friend I had known for years. I sought her assistance to help me have a better understanding of the relationship I had with my daughter which was going through a rocky time and also to re-connect with my own self worth. She helped me to see things with great clarity and my relationship with my daughter, myself and my family is in a good place now because of her insight and guidance. I would highly recommend Ms. Yan to anyone seeking to improve their well being. I cannot thank her enough in words for how she has changed my life in a positive way. She is a true blessing to me.

• Lizhen has been incredible with her work as a therapist for my parents.

  As an only child who is an American Born Chinese with very limited in my Chinese, I felt I had little hope with any traditional therapist due to language and cultural barriers.

  I was lucky to align with Lizhen.

  She is unique in that she brings her support on multiple fronts thru language barriers (Chinese) and interpersonal skills to open my usually very conservative parents up to speak openly. I would totally recommend her as a therapist if you are in a need of a therapist that can speak Chinese and who has a strong understanding of the unique characteristics/topics of the Chinese community. All I wanted was to see my parents happy. And, I can now hear, feel, and see that they have opened up and are living life now and to the future! Thank you again Lizhen.

IN THE NEWS

The Council Connection Newsletter, Dec. 2020

Spotlight: Meet our Newest Treatment Provider - Lizhen Yan

How exactly did you come to the decision to become involved in problem gambling counseling?

I am a licensed marriage and family therapist and have a private practice named Enriched Life Therapy. The first time I learned about gambling issues was in a training class provided by New Jersey Prevention Network in 2019. When I learned that a survey done in Las Vegas shows that among the gambling population, 20% of it consists of Asians, it led me to recall a memory of one of my close relatives whose gambling problem had destroyed hers and three brothers' lives. At the same I also realized that gambling has been a big social issue in China where I come from. When the course trainer shared the information about being a provider for 800gambler, I immediately felt there was a calling for me to help my Chinese community with my fluent Chinese and Asian population and my Asian cultural background.

Do you have a therapeutic school of counseling to which you subscribe? Favored techniques?

I have been using motivational interview theory and Cognitive behavioral therapy and applying various techniques including providing family counseling service to get family involved as I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in providing help to the gambler and their family.

What has surprised you about working with problem gamblers?

What has surprised me about working with problem gamblers is to see the amount of pain expressed on their faces and the guilt after having lost another big amount of money.

How has helping the problem gambler changed during covid-19 and how do you think this affects the future of providing care for the problem gambler?

Due to covid-19, the telehealth has become the sole channel. Online service provides convenience to the people seeking for help and telehealth removes the limitation of distance, which allows care to be more accessible.

Can you share a story of success?

I just started providing counseling service to people who have gambling disorders, but from my counseling experiences to other disorders, I believe success starts with building a trust relationship. Once you have the trust, you can confront their irrational thinking, which leads to change.

What is your advice to anyone who might be thinking of becoming a treatment specialist?

Counseling is about changing, and to quit gambling it also requires a gambler to make significant changes in their lives. Since gambling opportunities penetrate every corner of our society, it is a widespread issue. As a therapist, we will certainly encounter clients with the gambling issues. My philosophy is that since it is so common, becoming a treatment specialist will equip me to be a more effective therapist and help the larger population.