My Story
About Grace Chen, Ph.D, LMFT
Hi, Welcome to my site. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I received my Master’s Degree in Counseling and Human Services from Syracuse University in 1996 and my Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Michigan State University in 2008.
— Howard Thurman
Since 1996, my work has primarily focused on assisting individuals and couples in working through their old unfit patterns, healing from traumatic experiences, and transforming one and couple relationships into a new life. I started my journey to become a therapist when I was a college student volunteering at a Life Line Association.
Then, I studied to become an individual therapist to work with clients in the community in my master’s program. I developed an interest in working with adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse during this period. After receiving my Master’s Degree in 1996, I went back to Taiwan. I had opportunities to work with adult survivors of childhood abuse and intimate partner violence clients for a few years. During that time, I was trained extensively in Gestalt Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Psychodrama, and Object-Relation Theory.
Working with survivors of trauma opened my interest in the issues of family dynamics. The clients’ strengths inspired me in their recovery. But, more importantly, I would like to help them stop the cycles of abuse in their families of creation. Therefore, I decided to pursue my Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy to understand better the family dynamics and their impact on the individuals.
What makes me come alive is the moment when you and I transform your unfulfilled feeling into inspired and satisfied life!
I gained the knowledge of treating clients from a systemic perspective (everyone in the system interacts and influences each other) instead of a linear perspective (A cause B) while integrating my work experiences with individual clients during my doctoral training. After graduating from Michigan State University in 2008, I taught in a Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program for a couple of years.
Then, I decided that working in the clinical setting suits me better. I was very fortunate to receive the offer as a Marriage and Family Therapist at the Lowell Vet Center to work with Combat Veterans and their families and Military Sexual Trauma Survivors.
Working with veterans broadens my clinical expertise to work with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Anxiety, and Complex Trauma from a systemic perspective. As a result, I launched a series of training for myself.
In 2015, I started training in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), an evidence-based treatment for PTDS and Complex Trauma. I received my certification in 2019 and continued to seek consultation and training regularly. In 2022, I started my EMDR Consultant-in-Training process and received my Approved Consultant status from the Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association (EMDRIA) in 2024.
Recognizing the impact of trauma on attachment injuries and interpersonal relationship difficulties, I started the Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) training in 2020 and am currently a level 3 clinician.
My clinical interests have also extended to supervision and consultation in recent years.
As I reflect on my professional development, I deeply appreciate the clients and couples I have worked with for over 20 years. They allowed me to walk every step of their changes with them and witness their beautiful transformation. They allowed me to see that Human beings strive to be better and work towards their optimist potential.
The repeated old patterns that we want to break through used to be survival strategies. Therapy is a conscious examination of the benefits of old habits and updating these patterns into positive forces to help human beings reach their potential.
I am eagerly anticipating the opportunity to be a part of your transformation journey!
Education
PhD, 2008, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI
Major: Family and Child Ecology, Marriage and Family Therapy Specialization
Dissertation: Influence of Early Attachment on Couple Relationship for Child Sexual Abuse Survivors and Their Partners
MS, 1996, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
Major: Counselor Education
License
Massachusetts LMFT 1447
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy Training (AEDP)
(All trainings were received via AEDP Institute.)
2020, AEDP Immersion (by Jennifer Edlin, MFT and Karen Kranz, PhD, R Psych), 30.5 hours
2021, AEDP Essential Skills (ES1) (by Ben Medley, LCSW and Jerry Lamagna, LCSW), 65 hours.
2022, Advanced Skills Modular: Memory Reconsolidation at Work Across States in AEDP: Portrayals and Metaprocessing (with Ron Frederick, PhD), 13 hours
2022, AEDP’s Magnificent ‘9+1’ Affective Change Processes (with Diana Fosha), 17 hours
2022, Befriending AEDP’s Triangles (with Karen Pando-Mars, MFT), 13 hours
2022, Navigating AEDP’s Experiential-Attachment Work in the Context of Trauma, Dissociation and Multiplicity (with Kari Gleiser, PhD), 13 hours
2022, Fine-tuning AEDP Experiential Interventions in interpersonal and Intrapsychic Contexts (with Benjamin Lipton, MSW, LCSW, ACWS), 13.5 hours
2021-2022 AEDP Complex Trauma Group Supervision with Kari Gleiser, PhD. 27.5 hours
EMDR Training
EMDR Advanced Training
Contact Dr. Chen
Get In Touch
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Address
12 Essex St. STE 8, Andover, MA
Phone
978-482-7480
