Qing Li

She/ Her

Tier I therapist

Have you ever felt that something within you was beginning to change—something intangible, yet undeniably present? You try to grasp it, but find yourself unable to put it into words or express it through actions. In today’s fast-paced world, being gentle with ourselves can feel like a luxury. But this gental is important because small, overlooked disappointments can gradually accumulate, leading to disappointment in ourselves and harsh self-criticism. I would like to co-create a space can be a quiet, engaging, and accepting space for you. I will be here to meet you and accompany you as you explore the journey of discovering yourself.

I am an art therapist with 11 years of meaningful engagement with art, and I integrate a wide range of visual art media based on each client’s needs and ways of expressing themselves. I see art as more than a creative activity. The process of making art can create space for reflection, discovery, and a deeper connection with experiences that may be difficult to access through words alone. Art can be gentle and grounding while also inviting curiosity, playfulness, and new ways of seeing ourselves.

I also believe therapy can be a collaborative exchange rather than a space where the therapist simply listens. When invited, I enjoy offering observations, reflections, and feedback that may help clients see their experiences from a different angle. My role is not to tell you what you should think or do, but to offer a perspective that you can explore, question, accept, or set aside. I believe meaningful therapeutic work makes room for both openness and individuality, while you remain the expert and decision-maker in your own life.

If you are tired of always having to explain yourself through words, you are welcome to come and sit here for a while. There is no judgment here. I will accompany you in experiencing the power of nonverbal communication, allowing your artwork to become a window through which you can express what words cannot.

Explore not only what is happening within you, but also what has shaped you—so you can release what no longer serves you and reconnect with your own voice and sense of self.

My Story

I began studying at an art school in middle school, and art has been an integral part of nearly my entire journey of growth. The emotional challenges I experienced in high school, along with the recovery process that followed, sparked my interest in mental health and ultimately led me to choose art therapy as my professional path in college. These experiences have also profoundly shaped my clinical orientation. I resonate with the humanistic principles of nonjudgment, empathy, and acceptance because I have personally experienced the healing power of being understood and accepted. At the same time, existentialist principles have taught me not to shy away from experiences of pain in therapy, but rather to view suffering as something that can contribute to the shaping of the self. I actively invite clients to use visual symbols to externalize, engage in dialogue with, and even reshape their experiences of suffering. I hope to create a safe and nonjudgmental space where clients can express their difficulties at their own pace and gradually discover their own sense of meaning, strength, and possibility.

As an art therapy student at the School of Visual Arts (SVA), I provided art therapy services to individuals with psychiatric disorders in both long-term and short-term inpatient units at a New York State psychiatric center. Working in a high-pressure and unpredictable clinical environment helped me gradually develop appropriate and clear therapeutic boundaries while also learning to hold and respond to clients’ emotions with greater steadiness and composure. In addition, this experience expanded my understanding and use of art materials, allowing me to see them as therapeutic tools that can support recovery rather than focusing solely on their artistic value. Through this work, I became better able to identify clients’ diverse therapeutic needs, collaborate with them to find appropriate art media and forms of expression, and develop treatment plans accordingly.

Another distinctive aspect of this hospital was that many patients entered treatment through social service systems or referrals following involvement with the criminal justice system. Working with these clients moved my understanding of systemic inequality beyond the theoretical level. Through direct clinical experience, I came to see more clearly how social structures, access to resources, and individual circumstances can shape a person’s life and psychological well-being. This experience led me to integrate a social justice perspective into my clinical work, attending not only to clients’ internal experiences but also to their social identities, cultural backgrounds, and structural circumstances. I strive to approach therapeutic relationships from a non-hierarchical stance and to build relationships with clients that are equitable, collaborative, and grounded in mutual respect.

Therapeutic Approaches

I pay particular attention to the hidden trauma within my clients’ experiences—those subtle wounds that may go unnoticed in daily life but gradually erode their sense of self-belief through repeated accumulation. As the saying goes, “Constant dripping wears away the stone.” In the context of modern society, hidden trauma can be more pervasive than overt trauma. Sometimes, what we carry is not only about what has happened within us, but also about what we have been surrounded by: the roles we are expected to play in our families, the ways we learn to relate to others, pressures in the workplace, cultural expectations, or messages from society about who we are supposed to be.

You may find yourself carrying stress, guilt, shame, or self-doubt without fully realizing where it comes from. You may have learned to adapt, achieve, care for others, stay strong, or meet expectations in ways that once helped you navigate your environment but no longer feel true to who you are.

Curiosity is an important part of how I work. I often find myself wondering alongside my clients: What if the way you have learned to see yourself is not the only way? What if some of the expectations you have been carrying were never truly yours to begin with? What happens when being yourself does not fit neatly into the roles, relationships, cultures, or systems around you?

These questions are part of how I bring a social justice perspective into therapy. Rather than viewing your struggles only as something happening “within” you, we can also explore the environments and relationships that have shaped you. Together, we can begin to recognize which voices and expectations have become internalized, reconnect with what genuinely matters to you, and make more intentional choices about what you want to keep, question, or let go of.

Art and creativity are at the foundation of my work. They offer another way to explore experiences that may be difficult to explain through words alone, allowing feelings, memories, and parts of yourself to take shape and be seen from a different perspective. Through this process, we can make room for greater self-understanding, self-trust, and choice.

Specialties

I am committed to supporting international students who are navigating the challenges of adapting to cross-cultural environments, individuals seeking personal growth, and women experiencing anxiety and depression. I am particularly interested in how women navigate and find balance among different identities and parts of themselves—for example, the tensions between “rationality” and “emotion,” “independence” and “dependence,” and “being true to oneself” and “meeting others’ expectations.”

While respecting each client’s social identity and sense of self, I hope to accompany them in exploring the personal experiences and social influences underlying these inner conflicts. Through this process, I support clients in gradually developing beliefs and values that genuinely reflect who they are, rather than those shaped primarily by external expectations.

Credentials

Supervisor: YuehChun Chao(Avery), LCAT 002513
Degree: School of Visual Arts, New York, USA | Master of Professional Studies (MPS) in Art Therapy(in progress)
Degree: Bachelor’s degree in Art Theory (China) from the Central Academy of Fine Arts

More About Me

I am a person who balances emotion and reason. I’m accustomed to observing and thinking rationally, which allows me to maintain a relatively stable sense of self in complex situations and often helps me understand things from different perspectives. At the same time, my long-standing engagement with art has shaped my keen sensitivity. I easily pick up on the subtle, deeper layers beneath emotions, and I’m often moved when I resonate with the authenticity, vulnerability, or complexity I find there.

I really enjoy photography and traveling, and I often bring my camera along to capture the scenery as I see it. In my free time, I engage in artistic creation as a way to spend time with myself. Recently, I’ve become fascinated with printmaking, and I’ve now mastered the technique of monotype printing.

Music is incredibly important to me; it has actually been a part of my life even longer than visual art. Besides enjoying listening to music, I’m actually a pretty good singer, too: 3.

I’ve been really into K-pop in recent years and am slowly learning Korean.

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