Lizhen Yan, LMFT

Lizhen Yan is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) based in New Jersey. She welcomes people from any background and offers counseling that is informed by her Christian perspective. Lizhen speaks English and Mandarin and aims to make therapy straightforward and approachable for busy lives.

She helps people manage stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. Relationship concerns are a common focus, including communication problems, commitment worries, and blended family challenges. She also addresses issues such as abandonment, attachment questions, adoption and foster care matters, caregiving stress, and fertility or fatherhood concerns.

Lizhen combines several approaches to match a person's needs. She uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to look at thoughts and actions. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) and Client-Centered Therapy guide conversations about feelings and connection, and existential ideas help with meaning and life questions.

Her style is practical and goal-oriented. Sessions may include talking through patterns, practicing new ways to communicate, and setting small, concrete steps to try between meetings. Lizhen balances time on individual concerns with time focused on relationship dynamics when that is useful.

With five years of clinical experience, she blends therapy tools to suit each person's situation. To start, people complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.

How therapy approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings while choosing actions that match their values. It is often useful for stress, anxiety, and decisions about relationships. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying different behaviors to change mood and routines. It is practical and problem-focused, which can help with anxiety and depression. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) centers on emotions and connection, helping people understand patterns in relationships and communicate needs more clearly.

Choosing the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals and preferences, then suggest which methods to try. That decision is collaborative and can change as work progresses.

Confirm the current session options before booking, since formats are not specified here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week and reduce time spent traveling. Some people find shorter check-ins or audio-only meetings work better when they need more flexibility. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises, communication practice, and behavior-change homework to an online setting so the work stays practical and focused.