Michelle Jiang, MA, Mental Health Clinician

Michelle (she/her) is a master level therapist at Joy.

Michelle (she/her) is a master level therapist of Joy Mental Fitness, which has locations in Jersey City, New Jersey, and Boston, Massachusetts. Michelle also provides telehealth services to patients throughout New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New York. Michelle is bilingual, proficient in both English and Chinese Mandarin. 

My Path to Becoming a Therapist

Born and raised in a traditional Chinese family, I have witnessed and experienced both the burdens and immense support that come from being part of a collectivist culture. Later, I came to the United States as a first-generation college student in my family. The process of transitioning from China to America was both painfully insightful and healing. The values I carried from my culture and family were constantly challenged during my years here, but this journey also allowed me to discover and connect with parts of myself that I wasn't so familiar with. I learned to draw more attention and awareness to my own feelings and embrace my authenticity.

My passion for cross-cultural differences led me to participate in research investigating the function of vicarious memories among Asian participants. I explored how the cultural focus on interdependence and relationships impacts one of humans' most essential cognitive functions. Additionally, I researched different parenting styles and their relationships to emerging adult coping styles, helping me recognize the significance of early childhood experiences and family dynamics on an individual's development and mental health.

The duality of experiencing two different cultures profoundly shaped my perspective on relationships and mental health, inspiring me to become a culturally sensitive therapist who values both individual growth and community support. Along with self-reflection on my identity as an Asian female international student, it also breeds my curiosity and sensitivity toward other dimensions of identity, including race, gender, socioeconomic class, and sexuality. I appreciate the vast differences in human experiences and understand the unique experiences of systematic oppression and struggles of different identities and intersectionality.

Insights into human experience as a fellow human being

From the moment we are born, we have two essential needs: attachment and authenticity. We need to belong and to express who we are in a relationship. These needs aren't always compatible, and sometimes, we repress our need for authenticity to maintain the attachments our lives depend on. In my practice, I strive to help clients discover and connect with their authentic selves and build boundaries where they can love themselves and others simultaneously.

Life also brings unavoidable topics embedded in our human existence, such as uncertainty, emotional pain, and the finitude of our loved ones, including our own. Our shared human experience allows us to meet each other as “brothers and sisters in the same dark night,” forming deep bonds through our common struggles. As a fellow human, I aim to provide a relational home, offering deep emotional attunement and empathy where devastating emotional pain can be held and integrated.

My Clinical Approach

As an integrative therapist with a relational focus, person-centered therapy forms the foundation of my practice. I aim to provide a safe relational home that can hold all kinds of emotions and thoughts from my clients and embrace their unique identities. Feminist counseling informs my understanding of how complex and interconnected systems can impose psychological oppression and constraints on minorities.

In addition to building authentic and collaborative relationships with clients and advocating for social justice and equality, I utilize CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) to help clients capture and build awareness of their thinking patterns that fuel emotional distress. I employ ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) to manage uncomfortable thoughts and emotions through Mindfulness and help clients live lives aligned with their Values. I also use IFS (Internal Family Systems) to connect with different parts of ourselves, which might resemble the non-stopping critic or the vulnerable but playful child. With Curiosity and Compassion, I work with clients to free themselves from extreme beliefs and emotions carried by these wounded parts. We will also practice Somatic exercises like breathwork, body scans, and progressive muscle relaxation to bridge the mind and body.

I speak both English and Mandarin and specialize in topics of acculturation, anxiety, depression, life transitions, identity development, relationship issues, attachment trauma, adverse childhood experiences, ADHD, and complex trauma.

Healing should take the slowest pace, and sometimes, it is difficult to even start. It requires courage to face the darkness within us, but you don’t have to do it alone. Together, we will allow this gradual process to unfold naturally and gently at your own pace. My ultimate goal for clients is to foster their self-understanding, build nurturing relationships with others, and, more importantly, with themselves, along with effective coping skills to handle the emotions and uncertainties that life entails.

Some Questions to Get You Started on Your Self-Exploration:

How much do you trust your gut feelings?

What would you do without worrying about others’ judgments?

When was the last time you felt embarrassed?

What are your biggest triggers, and where do you feel they come from?