Shih-yi Hsu

Shih-yi is a bilingual master’s-level counselor at Mosaic Wholeness Center in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, providing counseling services in English and Mandarin for individuals navigating life transitions, cultural identity, grief, trauma, and the quiet yet persistent weight of feeling disconnected from themselves or the world around them.

Who She Helps

Shih-yi works with people who are carrying more than they can hold alone, and who are ready, even if only barely, to step off the shore and see what is possible. She has a particular heart for those navigating the disorientation of crossing between cultures, generations, or life seasons, and for anyone who has looked around and wondered whether anyone will truly understand where they are coming from.

She specializes in working with:

• Immigrants and first-generation individuals navigating acculturation, identity, and belonging
• Mandarin-speaking clients seeking a culturally attuned therapeutic space
• Individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, and grief
• People working through trauma, including childhood wounds and relational pain
• Young adults and college students are facing pressure, identity questions, and major transitions
• Parents struggling to support children or teens through emotional and behavioral challenges
• Clients who want a holistic, mind-body-soul approach to healing

How She Works

Shih-yi’s approach is built on three foundations: connectedness, collaboration, and cultural sensitivity. Her years as a registered nurse in medical, critical, and oncology care taught her that the body, mind, soul, and spirit are not separate systems but one whole person, and that this truth shapes everything about how she practices therapy. She draws from a person-centered foundation, adapts Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients understand how their thinking shapes their direction, and integrates trauma-informed care and mindfulness for clients navigating deeper pain. She describes her role as responding to the weather of each client’s journey: sometimes that means building coping skills, sometimes processing deep grief, and sometimes simply sitting with someone until the horizon becomes clearer.

Her Story

Shih-yi’s path to counseling was not a straight line. She was born in Taiwan, came to the United States to study nursing, and spent years caring for patients during some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. That work showed her something she could not unsee: that physical pain and emotional wounds are almost always intertwined, and that a person’s mental and emotional wellbeing is what ultimately shapes their capacity to endure and find hope. The calling became more personal when a young girl in her community took her own life. The grief over that loss and the wish that someone had been there for her and her family in their darkest season changed the direction of Shih-yi’s life. She became a counselor because she wanted to be that someone.

She also understands cultural complexity in ways that go beyond textbooks. After moving to China two weeks after her wedding, she experienced profound culture shock that required constant adjustment, even within a culture that shared her language and many of her food preferences. That experience taught her that culture exists on a micro level: every family carries its own values, communication patterns, and unspoken rules that deserve to be honored. In a society as diverse as the United States, she is deeply committed to honoring the unique culture of each person’s story.

Education and Training

• MA in Mental Health Counseling, Trinity International University
• Registered Nurse (RN) with clinical experience in medical, critical, and oncology care
• Bilingual clinician (English and Mandarin)
• Training in person-centered therapy, CBT, trauma-focused CBT, and mindfulness

A Little More About Shih-yi

Shih-yi is a mother of two college students and brings everything she has learned through her own crossings, as an immigrant, a nurse, a wife, a mother, and a person of faith, into the room with her clients. She sees her role at Mosaic Wholeness Center the way she sees the mosaic itself: one piece working alongside others to help each person find their uniqueness and purpose as part of something larger.

Ready to Take the First Step?

You do not have to know how to row the boat before you get in. All it takes is the willingness to step off the shore. Shih-yi would love to explore this journey with you. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation.