Meet Your Therapist
Nien Nicole Kuo
Nien has the academic background and years of continuous professional trainings and practicing experiences in psychotherapy, counseling, and child/adolescent development. Her long-term dedication in these fields enables her to work effectively on children, women, parenting, couple, and family related subjects.
- 10,000+ clinical hours of therapy sessions with clients
- Worked with individuals, families, couples, and children from diverse backgrounds
- Built successful long-term therapeutic relationship with clients pursuing growth and change
Nien is compassionate and believes that every person has the potential to change for the better and continuously grow. She is bilingual in English and Mandarin and has worked in private practice settings and in agencies including Family Assessment Counseling & Education Services (FACES), Salvation Army Adult Rehab Center, Blind Children Learning Center (BCLC), and YWCA - Silicon Valley. Nien is currently helping clients in California.
郭念慈
心理諮商師 (LMFT 103988)念慈畢業於加州大學富樂頓分校。加州執照心理諮商師(LMFT)，心理諮商碩士(MS degree)，大學本科主修兒童及青少年發展學(BS degree)。 她的專業背景及經驗使她能夠有效的服務兒童及青少年族群、女性族群、父母與家庭、以及婚姻感情人際關係等相關課題。 念慈擁有多年經驗服務於私人諮商診室，以及大型社福機構如 Family Assessment Counseling & Education Services (FACES)， Salvation Army Adult Rehab Center，Blind Children Learning Center (BCLC)， 以及 YWCA Silicon Valley。目前念慈居住在舊金山灣區並在 個人諮商診室及線上提供諮商服務。
- 10,000 小時以上美國臨床諮商經驗、華人文化背景、中英雙語
- 諮商對象包含個人、伴侶、兒童、青少年、年長者、以及家庭
- 憑藉專業與經驗、秉持真誠與同理心，建立長期諮商關係
念慈相信我們所有人都能從心理諮商獲益。任何人想要更加了解自己，或是重新了解自己都可以考慮找諮商師談談。無論老少、我們永遠有通過學習並改變而增進生活及生命品質的能力與機會。不需要等到瀕臨崩潰邊緣，或是正常生活真的受到嚴重影響後，才考慮尋求心理健康專業服務。當您感到工作充滿壓力艱辛、人際關係錯綜複雜、生活陷入泥沼，而您急需出口宣洩，考慮找心理諮商師談談吧！
Services
We provide in-person and online therapy services to you and your family.
Individual Therapy
Clients meet the therapist in one-on-one sessions. Although you participate alone, the therapist collaborates with you using a relational stance. (learn more ...)
Couple Therapy | Family Therapy
Couples/partners, parents, or family members participate in therapy jointly for various relational issues. (learn more ...)
Play Therapy
Designed for young clients of age 3+, special techniques and mediums are utilized to facilitate the therapeutic process in play therapy. (learn more ...)
How Does Therapy Work?
Therapy is both science and art. You and your therapist together make it work.
Many think psychotherapy focuses on psychology. While psychology is an important element in therapy, many modern therapy approaches emphasize system theory. System theory is about how people and things interact. Instead of trying to find and fix "the person with a problem", your therapist prefers to address symptoms relationally through a contextual lens. When you are stuck in your symptoms, your therapist assists you by temporarily joining your system (world) as a special element (a special person), and playing an unique role to facilitate transformation like the catalyst in chemical reactions. During this process, you will:
Build a therapeutic relationship with her
This is perhaps the most important factor to ensure therapy can begin to work. You will find the therapeutic relationship one of the most unique and protected relationships you will ever have with another person. It is not to be found among family members, lovers, friends, coworkers, or in any other social settings. This is also often the most challenging first step in therapy due to a lot of myths, misunderstandings, doubts, bias about therapy, or even prior bad experiences in therapy. Your therapist will assist you to get through this part, but you need to at least come with an open mind and be willing to give yourself a chance.
Help the therapist to help you
Many expect a "magical potion" from therapy to dissolve the issues fast, but this is not how it works. Instead of selling you a pre-formulated solution, your therapist helps you to find the optimal direction suitable for you and only you, but this direction ultimately come from within you, and the choices will always be made by you. Nobody in the world knows about you more than yourself after all. Your therapist utilizes therapeutic techniques to activate the opportunities in your system for you to see where you couldn't see, and think in a different way, but you will be the one to do the seeing and thinking. This process requires dedication and efforts from both you and your therapist.
Transform to a renewed self
Through this transformational journey with your therapist, the old symptoms will gradually subside. You will also grow to gain skills, capacity, resiliency, and wisdom to cope with life challenges. After achieving this, your therapist can either fade out from your system, or you can keep her as a resource to support your continuous exploration and growth. Congratulate yourself if you reach this stage for it is not easy. Please know that numerous former clients have reached this stage, and you can absolutely be one of them.
心理諮商如何產生效果?
心理諮商是科學同時也是藝術 您與諮商師合作無間 共同努力 才能發揮功效
許多人認為心理諮商的科學基礎就是心理學。傳統心理學確實是心理諮商的一部分，然而近代心理諮商更注重系統理論。系統理論談的是人類是如何與世界 產生互動。先進的心理諮商技術並不全然單方面地將問題的根源，歸咎到個人病理因素，而是以一種相對性的多重角度，觀察探討複雜人際系統中互動的模式，找出可能造成衝突或阻滯的部分， 並試圖通過臨床技術調整。心理師的作用即是加入您的系統中，並扮演一個引發系統互動模式重組的角色，就像化學反應中的催化劑一樣。在這個過程中， 您將會經驗到下列階段:
與心理師建立諮商關係
諮商成功的先決條件，就是能與諮商師建立諮商關係。家人、朋友、伴侶、或任何其他人際關係，或多或少都會牽涉到其他人，然而諮商關係是人與人的關係中最獨特也最被保護的一種。 您與諮商師的互動內容，永遠不會在您不同意的狀況之下被第三者知道。就是這種別處沒有的絕對隱私環境，使您得以在諮商中真正的完全面對以及檢視自己，以及自己所處的世界。 獨特安全的保密環境再加上諮商師的專業能力，才得以幫助您達到調整及最終蛻變的目的。想要成功地建立這種關係，您需放棄成見，相信專業以及多年累積的學術研究與臨床證據， 並願意給自己機會。
與心理師一起努力
諮商師無法直接把您的痛苦與掙扎像外科手術一樣直接割除，也無法改變您所處的環境，更無法直接賣給您一劑萬靈丹，讓所有的困難都自動消失。然而，諮商師可以喚醒您內心沉睡的力量與自覺， 讓您能夠重新以更全面的角度與更高的高度來檢視問題，也可以教妳各種檢視自身、調節情緒、應對他人的技巧，更可以營造有利的諮商環境，使您的心靈免疫力及人生智慧能夠加速成長。但是這一切 也需要您自身的努力，畢竟沒有人比您自己更了解自己，也沒有人比自己更有資格為自己做決定。心靈免疫的肌肉與抗體是練出來的，諮商師會設置有利的諮商環境並在其中引導您， 但無法取代您並幫您代勞自身必須努力的部分。
蛻變為全新的自我
在這個循序漸進與諮商師一起經歷的旅程中，您會發現以往的痛苦掙扎不再那麼折磨，也會發現自己逐漸可以游刃有餘的面對生活與生命中的各種挑戰與艱難險阻。以往會輕易造成衝突 或是引起情緒波動的人或事件，不再能夠影響您，甚或擊垮您。當您注意到自己蛻變的同時，我們要誠心地恭喜您，也要向您致上敬意，因為這是非常不容易的過程。但是請您相信，許多參與諮商的人 最終都達到了這個階段。當您親身體驗改變的發生，並且察覺到自己的成長，您就能真正開始相信並掌握內在的心靈潛力，愈來愈能以更從容又游刃有餘的姿態向前邁進。
Our Philosophy
"The good life is a process, not a state of being. It is a direction, not a destination." -Carl Rogers
Therapy is not about "fixing" you or anybody around you. It is about growing your resiliency, capacity, and wisdom while co-existing with the inevitable challenges and adversities in life.
我們的理念
心理諮商的目的不是證明誰有心理問題，而是要自我了解成長，喚醒內在的力量，增強心理抵抗及免疫力，累積人生智慧，學習與自己和世界溝通及和解的技巧，並與生活與生命中無法避免的各種艱難挑戰游刃有餘的共處 !
Frequently Asked Questions
常見問題回答
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How long does each session take?
Individual sessions (including child play therapy sessions) are 50 minutes long. Family therapy and couple therapy sessions are 90 minutes long.
每次諮商需耗時多長?每次個人諮商 (包含兒童遊戲治療) 為 50 分鐘，伴侶及家庭諮商為 90 分鐘.
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How frequently should we meet?
Your therapist will meet you weekly to begin with, and adjust the frequency according to your progress.
每隔多長時間需要見諮商師一次?諮商師會先每周與您見面，然後依照您的狀況或進度進行調整.
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How many sessions do I need?
Depending on your mental/psychological fitness status, the process may take from several sessions up to 2 years+. Your treatment program will be designed with you and tailored for you according to your personal needs.
我總共需要與諮商師見面多少次?根據每個個案不同的狀態，整個治療過程可以短至數周，或長至兩年以上，總治療時程會根據個案狀況而有所不同.
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Do you accept insurance?
Your therapist is out-of-network and does not bill or claim insurance on client's behalf. If you plan to claim insurance by yourself, please first contact your insurance provider to find out the coverage details and conditions of out-of-network psychotherapy.
你們有接受醫療保險嗎?您的諮商師是 out of network provider，目前並沒有加入任何商業醫療保險系統，若您想自行申請保險給付，請先自行連絡保險公司，確認您保單能夠給付 out of network service 的範圍及條件.
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Can I get superbills?
Superbill requires a diagnosis. It will only be issued if the client's condition meets the DSM5 criteria. We are not a testing center and do not provide "diagnosis only" services.
我可以要求諮商師開具 superbills 嗎?您的諮商師可以開具 superbill, 但是有效的 superbill 中必須要包含確診的心理疾病診斷. 您的諮商師只有在您完全符合 DSM-5 中確診條件後，才會在累積一定諮商時數後提供 superbill. 我們不是精神病理測驗中心，恕不提供只為確診某種心理問題的服務.
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How do I justify the expense for therapy?
We believe that therapy in a private practice is a self-investing scenario instead of a "buying a product from the store" one. You pay for a potential return in terms of wisdom, life capacity/resiliency, and overall mental/psychological fitness. The good news is that you will have a lot of control in this investment. Ultimately, you get to decide if and how you would invest in yourself in therapy.
我要如何說服自己花錢做心理諮商?在私人諮商診室做心理諮商，有別於在商店中買商品，也不同於去醫院看病，它應該被視為對自己未來能過得更好的一種投資. 是否要投資自己，讓未來能過得更順心， 與家人、子女、另一半相處更融洽呢? 畢竟未來人生的幸福指數應該增值，不應該掉價不是嗎? 這樣的投資對自己是否值得，判斷與決定權永遠把握在每個人自己的手中.