Therapist in Schaumburg, IL |
Online Therapy Across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Wisconsin, Oregon & Massachusetts
You Don’t Have to Shrink to Be Seen.
You’ve likely spent much of your life figuring out how to be understood—and maybe more often, how to be acceptable. You might know what it feels like to shape-shift—changing how you speak, move, or show up depending on the room, the language, or the expectations.
You’re not just looking for support—you’re looking for safety, for space to bring the full complexity of who you are, without needing to perform or explain yourself.
That’s the kind of therapy I offer.
Hi, I’m Tsuki (she/her)
My name is Tsuki Niu—the name I was given in my mother tongue, Taiwanese. My legal name in Mandarin is Tzu-Chi Liang (梁子祈). I’m a cisgender, bisexual Taiwanese woman in my 30s, neurotypical, able-bodied, and 1/4 Indigenous.
I hold a Master’s in Couple and Family Therapy from Purdue University Northwest and a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Tunghai University in Taiwan.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with individuals, couples, and families across a wide range of identities and life experiences—from six-year-olds navigating big emotions to elders in their 70s reflecting on decades of life.
I’m a Registered Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant (I/ECMHC) in Illinois and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level II (CCTP-II). I’m currently under review for the Registered Play Therapist (RPT) credential and in training to become a Certified Sex Therapist (CST), under the supervision of an AASECT-approved CST-S.
Beyond the Credentials—This Is My Story
I grew up in Taiwan in a middle-class Christian family where the church was a central part of life. That upbringing rooted me in community care and social justice—but also came with pressure: to succeed, to conform, and to hide parts of myself that didn’t fit the mold.
Like many of my clients, I internalized messages about discipline, morality, and productivity that left little space for rest, play, emotional expression—or reclaiming my sexuality. I learned to carefully show only the parts of me that felt safe enough to be seen.
In 2020, I moved to the U.S. for graduate school—arriving in the midst of a global pandemic and racial justice uprisings. As a first-generation immigrant, those years were disorienting and heavy—but also deeply liberating. I found space to explore and ask deeper questions about my identity, my place in the world, and the parts of me I had long kept quiet—while holding compassion for the shame and urgency I was learning to unlearn.
That journey continues to shape who I am—and how I show up in the therapy room.
I believe that healing also includes revisiting how we understand identity and belonging.
Whether you’re an immigrant, someone with a cross-cultural background, someone who’s carried unspoken roles in your family, or someone exploring your gender and sexuality, emotions, or neurodivergence—this is a space where the quiet ache, the inner tension, and the longings that don’t always have words are welcome.
So is your strength—all the ways you’ve made it through.
You don’t have to shrink yourself to be understood here.
The Heart of My Practice: Where Story, Systems & Self Meet
I understand the exhaustion of code-switching—the constant recalibrating of how you speak, move, or show up, just to feel safe or accepted. The ache of being too much and not enough all at once. The longing for rest, paired with guilt for needing it. The complexity of holding both pride and pain around your culture, family, or history.
These aren’t abstract ideas to me—they’re lived.
I bring that understanding into every session with warmth, curiosity, and a deep respect for your full humanity.
We’ll explore the systems that shape your mental health—racism, sexism, classism, colonialism, capitalism, cisnormativity, heteronormativity, ableism—and how they intersect with your personal, cultural, and generational experiences. These aren’t side conversations. They’re central to the work.
I don’t offer care from a distance. I offer it from lived experience, ongoing learning, and a belief in your wholeness.
I’m not here to fix you. I’m here to walk with you—gently, honestly—as you come home to yourself.
My Values
I am committed to therapy that is deeply rooted in decolonization, anti-oppression, and social justice—centering healing, liberation, and systemic awareness. My approach is warm, collaborative, and shaped by the belief that your story deserves to be heard and honored in its full complexity.
What guides my work:
Decolonizing & Anti-Oppressive Therapy – Challenging systems of oppression, centering marginalized voices, and honoring cultural histories in the healing process.
Trauma-Informed & Equity-Informed Care – Recognizing the impact of personal, collective, and intergenerational trauma—alongside systemic inequities—on mental health and well-being. Supporting clients in breaking free from intergenerational trauma cycles and understanding how environments shape our stories.
Social Justice-Oriented Healing – Understanding that mental health cannot be separated from social, political, and historical context, and working to name and address those layers with care.
Intersectionality-Centered Practice – Holding space for the complexity of multiple, layered identities and lived experiences, acknowledging how they shape access, privilege, and oppression.
Relational & Inner Child Work – Supporting those navigating relational wounds, reparenting their inner child, and healing at the root. Together, we explore how past patterns show up in the present, and gently rebuild trust in yourself and others.
GSRD-Inclusive & Affirming Care – Honoring Gender, Sexuality, and Relationship Diversity (GSRD) by welcoming all expressions, identities, and configurations. I hold deep respect for each client’s unique story, including culturally, spiritually, and historically rooted understandings of gender, sexuality, and relationships—beyond Western frameworks or labels. All of you is welcome here.
Neurodivergent-Affirming – As a neurotypical therapist, I am committed to ongoing learning and co-creating flexible, non-pathologizing spaces that honor diverse ways of thinking, feeling, and being—without expecting clients to mask or conform.
Autonomy & Agency-Focused – Supporting each person in reclaiming their voice, boundaries, and power, with deep respect for self-determination.
Sex-Positive & Body-Affirming – Creating space for open, empowering exploration of sexuality, pleasure, and body autonomy—free from shame and judgment.
Community, Compassion & Connection – Valuing collective care, relational healing, and deep empathy as core parts of well-being.
Cultural Roots & Belonging – Supporting clients in reclaiming their true sense of belonging—honoring both where you come from and who you’re becoming.
Justice, Diversity & Education – Committing to lifelong learning, unlearning, and action toward equity and inclusion.
Anti-Genocide & Anti-Oppression Stance – Standing in solidarity with global movements for justice, human rights, and dignity—for all people, across all borders.
