Rising Above reflects my belief in the capacity for growth and resilience, even in the midst of pain and difficulty, and the possibility of finding clarity and strength over time. It acknowledges that healing is not about bypassing struggle, but about moving through it with support, reflection, and connection.
It also represents the deeply human need to be seen, heard, and understood within relationships. From an attachment-based perspective, healing often happens in safe and meaningful connection with others, where emotional experiences can be held, explored, and made sense of.
I am also inspired by the phoenix, which symbolizes renewal and transformation—the ability to rise above adversity and begin again with greater awareness, integration, and strength.
You may experience moments where emotions feel intense, vivid, or difficult to hold. In therapy, these moments are met with care and curiosity, creating space for you to be seen, heard, and supported as you make sense of your inner experience. Over time, you can begin to rise above these difficulties with greater awareness, strength, and self-understanding.
About Me – Penny Pei
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), MACP, Autism and Behaviour Science Graduate Certificate, ME
My personal and professional journey has also involved multiple life transitions. Before entering the field of counselling psychology, I completed a Master’s degree in Engineering and worked in the engineering field for many years. Life experiences eventually led me toward autism and behaviour science, special education, and later psychotherapy and counselling. These transitions strengthened my belief in human adaptability, lifelong learning, and the possibility of growth and transformation across different stages of life.
As someone in an interracial relationship and a parent of neurodivergent children, I also bring lived experience in navigating cultural differences, family dynamics, neurodiversity, and the ongoing balance between individual, relational, and societal expectations. These experiences continue to shape my empathy, curiosity, and appreciation for the many ways people make meaning of their lives and relationships.
My path to becoming a psychotherapist has been shaped not only by clinical training, but also by diverse personal, cultural, and professional life experiences. As a first-generation immigrant who moved from a small village in China to Canada, I have personally navigated acculturation, identity development, and the experience of living between cultures. Having studied and worked in both China and North America, I have lived within Eastern and Western cultural values, family systems, and workplace environments, which deepened my understanding of the complexities of belonging, adaptation, and cultural identity.
My background has cultivated both a logical way of thinking, as well as a deep appreciation for emotional depth, creativity, and self-expression. From a young age, I was drawn to art and creative exploration, and today I continue to value the integration of structure and intuition, logic and emotion, within both life and therapeutic work.
In sessions, I aim to create a grounded and authentic space where you feel safe, heard, and respected. I bring empathy, curiosity, and a deep belief in each person’s capacity for growth, while also making space for pain, complexity, and lived experience. My approach is integrative, meaning I draw from different therapeutic modalities depending on what best supports you in the moment, rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model. I see my work not just as a profession, but as a meaningful privilege. I strive to walk alongside you as a steady presence—offering support, reflection, and advocacy when needed, while honouring your autonomy and lived wisdom.
What Shapes My Work
Person-Centered & Relational Foundation
Carl Rogers
safety， presence， empathy, unconditional positive regard
Attachment-Based & Developmental Lens
John Bowlby
early bonds, relational patterns, corrective emotional experience
Trauma-Informed & Nervous System Safety
Gabor Maté
trauma responses, regulation, stabilization, pacing
Cognitive & Behavioural Change Work
Aaron Beck
Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy (CBT), thoughts, beliefs, behaviours
Acceptance & Values Work
Steven C. Hayes
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), psychological flexibility, mindfulness
Emotion Regulation & Skills
Marsha Linehan
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), wise mind, validation, emotion regulation
Family Systems
Murray Bowen
systems lens, patterns and dynamics, roles and boundaries, differentiation of self
Experiential, Play & Creative Expression
Children, My Clients, and My Loved Ones
emotion accessed through playing, doing, creating, and acting
Meaning & Existential
Irvin Yalom
meaning-making, purpose, responsibility, narrative identity
Advanced Trainings
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) – Medical University of South Carolina
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): An Evidence-Based Approach to Treat PTSD and Related Conditions – Dr. Kathleen Chard
- Treating Trauma with Integrative Relationship Therapy – Dr. Tammy Nelson
- Treating Complex Trauma with Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy – Dr. Frank Anderson
- Relational Trauma Repair: Psychodrama Based Tools, Role Plays and Embodied Exercises for Experiential Trauma Healing – Dr. Tian Dayton
- Brainspotting: Integrating the Neuroexperiential Model for Rapid Trauma Healing – David Grand
- Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): An Energy Psychology Approach for Emotional Regulation & Trauma Processing – Dr. Robert Schwarz
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – Katelyn Baxter-Musser
- Couples Therapy Intensives – Dr. Ellyn Bader & Lori Weisman
- Intensive Couples Therapy Level 1 Training – Elizabeth Earnshaw
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) – Leanne Campbell & George Faller