Peitao Zhu
he/him
I see therapy as a collaborative journey, where you and I are fellow travelers.
Therapy can help with relieving stress, navigating a difficult transition, or addressing specific concerns—but it also offers something deeper. It provides a rare opportunity to grapple with life’s big questions: “Who am I?” “What truly matters to me?” “What do I want my life to be about?” My role is to offer support, encouragement, and guidance, while yours is to engage in honest self-exploration and take steps toward meaningful change. Together, we explore and integrate the many facets and layers of who you are in this ongoing journey of growth.
Specialties:
- Relationship Issues
- Trauma and PTSD
- College and Life Transitions
- Stress and performance
- Men's Issues
- LGBT and Queer
- Chronic Illness
I work with adults at various life stages and with a wide range of diagnoses and concerns. I have received specialized training working with survivors of complex and relational trauma. I also offer therapy sessions in Mandarin Chinese.
Lasting change often starts with self-awareness. This means learning to be curious and non-judgmental toward what you’re feeling, what’s influencing you, and what patterns you might be stuck in. I tend to adopt an integrative approach that emphasizes the common factors across all therapeutic orientations. I have been most influenced by person-centered, existential, psychodynamic, and narrative traditions, while also incorporating tools from cognitive-behavioral therapies when helpful. I listen deeply and ask questions to help you make sense of your experiences. I also offer honest feedback, new perspectives, and suggest practical steps when needed. I aim to create a space where you feel both supported and challenged, so you can move toward the life you want with more clarity and intention.
I earned my Ph.D. in Counseling and Counselor Education from Syracuse University, and M.A. in Mental Health Counseling and Behavioral Medicine from Boston University School of Medicine. I’m currently a core faculty member in counseling at Northern Illinois University and have authored over 20 peer-reviewed articles in high-impact counseling journals with a focus on trauma, group work, and multicultural issues in counseling.