Dr. Vivian (Runze) Chen, Psy.D. (she/her/hers), is a postdoctoral fellow under the supervision of Drs. Anya Kogan, Ph.D. and Julia Birt, Psy.D. Dr. Chen is a bilingual clinician (Mandarin and English) who works with adults and couples. She supports individuals navigating anxiety and stress, OCD, trauma, grief and loss, depression, life transitions, and relationship difficulties, with the belief that each person is more than the struggles they are facing. Dr. Chen sees therapy as a space to explore, make sense of what has shaped us, and gently create room for something different. Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all approach, she draws flexibly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), family systems, psychodynamic, and relational approaches, tailoring her work to each client’s unique needs, history, values, and background. Dr. Chen works collaboratively with clients to understand the patterns that may be keeping them stuck, develop greater psychological flexibility in responding to difficult thoughts and emotions, reconnect with their strengths and values, and move toward a life that is more fulfilling and authentically their own.
Dr. Chen received her Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Palo Alto-Stanford PsyD Consortium. She completed her APA-accredited doctoral internship at the University of Southern California Counseling and Mental Health Center. Throughout her doctoral training, she received extensive training providing therapy to individuals, couples, as well as facilitating group sessions across a variety of mental health settings.
Dr. Chen was born and raised in Beijing, China, and moved to the U.S. in 2016. As a bicultural individual, she has a personal understanding of the complexities of cultural adaptation, immigration, identity development, and balancing life between cultures. Her clinical work is grounded in a multicultural and trauma-informed lens, with particular attention to how family, relationships, and social context shape each person’s experience. She believes that meaningful therapy begins with curiosity and compassion, and thrives to create an environment where clients can feel understood not only for where they are now, but also for where they have come from and where they hope to go.
