It all starts with a presenting problem, either a specific issue or a feeling of “stuckness”. It can be a turning point in life, which is taking you into uncharted territory – such as a new phase in life, or even moving to a foreign country. Transitions come with many personal challenges and adapting to a new culture does not make it easier. Sometimes we need a place where to tell our stories.
I am Zhi Li, a psychologist and a coach based in Rotterdam / Amsterdam. I listen to people and I support them to move into a life where they can thrive.
I have a Master’s degree in Psychology at the Maastricht University. After I graduated in 2014, I went through a personal transition from a graduate student, to a social entrepreneur and finally a psychologist with private practice. As a psychologist, I have been receiving continuous education and supervision. Since 2019 I am also studying person-centered and solution-focused coaching at the ICCI International Coaching Diploma Course.
As a psychologist, I gained over 2,000 hours of experience in client work. I have been working with individuals with international backgrounds, especially students, young professionals, first and second generations of immigrants. Together with my clients we have worked on home-, study- or work-related issues, such as performance stress, study delay, finding meaning in work and life, and interpersonal issues (usually about finding friendship or dealing with parents).
From my personal and my professional experience, I believe that, in an accepting, non-judgmental, compassionate helping environment:
- we can look at what things are happening
- our feelings would be consoled
- our sense of self can be consolidated
- we gain wisdom from our own life experience
- we grow, and we increase our resilient (or mental flexibility)
If you want to work on a solution and are ready for taking courageous moves to change – becoming more aware of yourself and learning to better cope with difficult feelings – you have come to the right place.
Specialties:
- Personal development
- Adult child-parent relationship
- Stress
- Low self-esteem
- Lack of motivation
- Cross-cultural issues (especially East Asian)
- Feeling lonely
Approaches:
- Person-centered (humanistic) approach, Solution focused approach
- Schema-Focused Therapy (SFT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment approach (ACT), Psychodynamic approach, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
When to find coaching:
- deal with acute problem or stress
- personal development
