Lily Truong, M.A.
Lily Truong (she/they), M.A. Paraprofessional Counselor
My ultimate intention in life is to share the transformative possibilities and benefits of counseling with those in search of healing. Grief has been my biggest torment and greatest teacher, as well as the driving force behind why I became a counselor. Effective counseling can be life-changing. It sure changed mine. I am a paraprofessional counselor and received my M.A. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Spiritual & Depth Psychology from Antioch University, Los Angeles. My work as a counselor began in community mental health at Southern California Counseling Center. As a business owner of a unique coconut catering service, I have been spreading joy and promoting wellness through consciously curated communal experiences with the magic of fresh coconuts that serve as grounding reminders to savor the present moment. My past career in entertainment and marketing has provided me with a rich history of cultivating relationships and building rapport through active listening and narrative storytelling, key elements in the therapeutic alliance.
Being human is hard. Sometimes, it can feel like we’re running in circles or sleepwalking through life on auto-pilot with racing thoughts that clutter the mind and paralyze the psyche. Overwhelmed by the weight of emptiness in the heart, but maybe already skipping or spiraling ahead to the next step to carry on with the performance of this existence because “everything is fine.” The show must go on, right? There may be limitations and even detrimental consequences to filling the void with excessive distractions. How did too much become never enough?
When was the last time you slowed down and took a deep breath? Why must we wait to die to “rest in peace” when we deserve to live a restfull life in peace now? We hold the power to alchemize our angst and anxieties into contentment, our lack of fulfillment into passion and purpose, and our pain into peace, possibilities, and even pleasure. Being alive is a creative expression. Life itself is an embodiment of living, breathing, blooming art in motion filled with awe and wonder. You are both the art and the artist worthy of celebration. You are in the driver’s seat. Let therapy be the vehicle for positive changes to unfold and give yourself the space and grace to flourish. If you connect to my words in any way, let’s explore your story and expand together.
*Lily is a master’s level paraprofessional counselor and is supervised by Matthew Shima, LMFT (CA#113018, HI#718)
Approach to Counseling
My approach is heart-centered, humanistic, holistic, experiential, and existential. I operate through a social justice lens with the perspective of a first-generation Vietnamese-American queer femme weaving between the intersections of Eastern philosophies of mindfulness and contemporary Western depth-oriented theories in clinical practice.
As a mental health clinician, I am passionate about decolonizing and dismantling oppressive ideologies, healing relational wounds and intergenerational trauma, reconnecting to ancestry to honor the lands and our lineages, merging inner worlds with outdoor environments by integrating nature’s healing into therapeutic practice, embracing life as an embodied experience, discharging shame for radical self-acceptance, bridging the interconnective synergy of mind, body, and spirit through psychosomatic awareness and integration, and promoting diversity consciousness, community empowerment, and compassionate action.
As counselors, we are told we serve as mirrors for our clients, but I believe the time and space we co-create can become a collaborative montage in a room full of mirrors with perspectives reflecting from every angle revealing to us our blindspots, unmasking the unconscious, and bringing our innermost truths to the surface to mirror one another. I feel deeply humbled and healed to be another human in the room because it is truly an honor to be let into another person’s world to support their evolution.
I am fascinated by disco balls because they are a mosaic of mirrored glass magically pieced together to emanate light and dance with their shadows. You are just that. Exquisitely whole, not broken as you may feel… a multidimensional disco ball searching for your light and dancefloors to shine upon.
Special Focus
Asian diaspora & BIPOC experiences
Overcoming existential dread
Managing anxiety, depression, ADHD
Working through relational issues
Recovering from career burnout
Living with chronic/terminal illness
Moving through life transitions
Navigating grief & loss
Services & Fees
Individual Counseling - $175 per 45 minute session
Teen Counseling - $175 per 45 minute session
Locations
Online counseling serving residents of California.
In-person outdoor sessions may be available (beach, park, walk & talk)
Languages
English
Vietnamese (conversational)
Select Education and Certifications
M.A., Clinical Psychology, Spiritual & Depth Psychology Specialization - Antioch University, Los Angeles, CA
B.A., Journalism & Media Studies - San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
International Exchange - Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Certified Teen Advisor - Girl Scouts
End-Of-Life Vigil Companion Training - By Your Side (Episcopal Communities & Services)
Community Resiliency Model (CRM) Training - Trauma Resource Institute
Clinical Skills, Couples & Families, Trauma-Focused Training - Southern California Counseling Center
EMDR I & II - The Institute for Creative Mindfulness
Relational Gestalt Therapy, Weekend Training Program - Pacific Gestalt Institute
Affiliations
California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists - Member
When I’m Not Doing Therapy…
When I'm not doing therapy, I might be chopping coconuts at events. Restorative resources for me include music, meditation, breathwork, binge-worthy watches in bed, writing, pole dancing, boxing, HIIT, hiking, solo road trips, chasing sunsets, being in the ocean, cloud gazing, feasting with friends & fam, and big spooning my sweet lil cat, Tofu.
Top of Glymur, the highest waterfall in Iceland (summer midnight sun 2022)
Post-hike lunch break in Yosemite with Tofu (autumn 2023)