Angela Y. Ou, A.M., Ed.M, LSW
English | Mandarin | Cantonese
Anxiety, Depression & Burnout
Relationships & Relational Patterns
Identity, Culture & Lived Experience
Licensed Social Worker
Languages: English, Mandarin, Cantonese
Hi, I’m Angela. I help people who’ve had to be resilient find more peace within themselves.
When people ask how you’re doing and you say “okay,” do you feel the gap between what you’re living and what you’re longing for?
On the outside, people see you as strong and resilient. You might be doing everything “right,” yet still feel tired, restless, or a little disconnected. Sometimes that strength comes from having to hold it together when what you truly needed was safety, compassion, and care. If you’ve spent much of your life bracing yourself, it makes sense that a part of you wants to exhale.
I offer therapy for people navigating burnout, anxiety, relationship strain, or a lingering sense of not quite belonging. You don’t have to carry it alone.
Therapy with me is a place to slow down and make sense of what’s beneath the surface. Together, we’ll explore the layers of your experience with care and curiosity, including the cultural and systemic realities that have shaped you. We’ll listen to what your body and emotions have been trying to communicate — sometimes for a long time.
My role is to help create space for safety and change, so what’s already within you can begin to emerge.
If you’re interested in working with me, book a free 15-minute therapist matching call with our intake team. You can share what you’re looking for, ask about my current availability, and get a sense of whether I might be a good fit.
On Being a Counselor
Many of my clients experience pressure in their lives to find the “right” words. That’s one reason this space can feel like a relief. I notice shifts in tone, pauses, and the subtle cues that carry more than words. Often, those small moments are where the most meaningful work begins.
Sometimes what you experience is easier to feel than to explain, especially across languages and cultures. You don’t have to arrive with the right words. We can start with what’s present and let language come in its own time.
At times, I’ll invite us to slow things down so we can better notice what's coming up. From there, we can start to explore and understand the patterns shaping how you move through the world: what earlier experiences taught you, what once made sense as protection, and what might be ready to shift.
My approach is attuned and intentional. When things get heavy, I stay warm and steady. You can count on me to remain grounded and present with you in the work. Whatever comes up, we will approach it together, trusting the pace that works best for you.
Practitioner Background
I grew up moving between different cultures and communities. Wherever I was, I often noticed that I felt things deeply with people and for people, picking up on what was happening before I had words for it. That kind of emotional attunement was simply how I moved through the world, and it made me deeply curious about people and about what supports wellbeing.
I found myself drawn to the questions underneath. Why do some people feel like they belong, while others do not? Over time, it became clear to me that self-doubt and confusion are often shaped by exclusion. I began to wonder what happens inside someone when they finally feel understood.
At UC Irvine, I began exploring these questions through research with families navigating autism and how attachment and relationships influence mental health. Those questions stayed with me.
Later, while studying social work at the University of Chicago, I continued that exploration through work on mental health stigma in Asian American communities, and how cultural and family expectations shape people’s expression of distress. The work deepened my interest in how our identities intersect and shape how we relate to the world.
What stood out across all of it was this: one supportive relationship, at the right moment, can change everything. Research confirms it, and my clinical work continues to reflect it. That recognition is what ultimately led me to become a therapist.
After completing my master’s training in social work at the University of Chicago, I had a stronger understanding of the larger systems and forces that shape people’s lives. I also wanted to go deeper into what happens within someone as they navigate those systems, and how relational healing actually takes root. I returned to school for a second master’s degree in psychological counseling at Columbia University. It isn’t the typical path, but for me, it was the right one.
What draws me to this work is a quieter truth: one person showing up with genuine curiosity and steadiness can shift everything. Not by having the right answers, but by offering a relationship where it finally feels safe enough to be fully known.
More About Angela
Key Philosophical Beliefs
- You do not need to lose what helped you survive in order to change.
- Self-doubt and confusion are often the products of exclusion, not personal failing.
- Diagnoses are descriptive, not defining — a tool, not an identity.
- One supportive relationship, at the right moment, can change everything.
- Slowing down creates space for what's been carried to finally emerge.
- You deserve to be met where you are — without having to find the right words first.
- The mind and body hold a natural capacity for healing, and it unfolds when we attune to the here-and-now with curiosity and care.
Counseling Training
- Ed.M. Psychological Counseling, Columbia University Teachers College, New York, NY
- A.M. Social Work, University of Chicago Crown Family School, Chicago, IL
- B.S. Psychology, University of California, Irvine, CA
- Licensed Social Worker (LSW), Illinois
- Trained in Psychodynamic Therapy, Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute Treatment Center
- Trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Trained in Motivational Interviewing (MI)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Somatic Experiencing (SE)
- Mindfulness-Based Approaches
- Trauma-Informed Care
- Culturally Responsive and Affirming Therapy
Specializations and Experience
- Anxiety, depression, and burnout
- Relational patterns and relationships
- Cultural identity, immigrant experience, and the complexity of belonging
- LGBTQ+ affirmative care
- Life transitions and identity shifts
- Trauma and recovery
- Body image and food concerns
- Grief and loss
- Alcohol moderation and substance use
- Young adults, students, and young professionals
- First-generation Americans and immigrants
- Multilingual therapy: English, Mandarin, and Cantonese
Angela as a Person
I was born in Hong Kong and grew up in a warm, car-free residential town before moving to Shanghai in middle school. My parents are from Taiwan, and I often returned to stay connected to my culture and heritage. Growing up and navigating those intersecting identities hasn't always been simple. Belonging takes time, and I've learned that firsthand.
After high school, I lived in California before moving to Chicago, then New York for graduate school. I found myself drawn back to Chicago for its sincerity and grounded feel.
I love traveling and seeking out local experiences and conversations — noticing how people can be so different yet still connect in meaningful ways. In Chicago, you'll find me exploring food and cafes in different neighborhoods, walking along the lakefront with a podcast, or sitting by the lake in the summer breeze. I stay grounded with practices like acupuncture, chiropractic care, or a restorative hot bath — whatever helps me show up fully present for the people I work with.
