Kayla provides individual, couple, family and group therapy in both English and Mandarin with a special focus on adolescents, college and graduate students, and adults of all ages. She has a warm, reflective, and engaged manner  and utilizes a systemic, growth-oriented, and research-grounded approach. Her orientation is strength-based, and solution-focused. She values creating a welcoming and supportive space for open communication, exploration, creativity, and change.

Kayla supports clients with understanding and exploring family, social, and multicultural influences and with diverse concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, intergenerational trauma, body image, gender and sexuality, emotional and interpersonal dynamics, school and work, and life transitions and adjustments. Her background in Shanxi, China and experience as an international student and working in the U.S. inform her interest and appreciation for multicultural influences, challenges, and identity formation.

Kayla is experienced working with couples and families to assess and improve functioning and relationship quality in areas such as connection, understanding and intimacy, respect and acceptance, emotional awareness, sexuality, communication, conflict management, mutual support, problem solving, and decision making.

Kayla draws upon intensive clinical training and experience integrating frameworks and tools from relational and interpersonal focused approaches, Family Systems, and Emotion-Focused (EFT), Cognitive Behavioral (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment (ACT), and Mindfulness-based therapies.  Kayla earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northwestern University’s Family Institute and her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.