Shel Hsu

Raised by a family of first generation Asian-American immigrants in the U.S., I have developed both a curiosity for people different than me as well as the impulse to build community wherever I am. I have sought to serve my community in various ways, such as starting an afterschool program for low-income students through the AmeriCorps, supporting adults with disabilities who live independently, and being an advocate for sexual assault survivors. My penchant for exploring other cultures led me to live in Argentina for a couple years, which was a period of reflection and reassessing societal norms and values.

I am genderfluid. I navigate society and pass as female while I understand that the gender binary is a social construct. I seek to embrace my non-feminine and masculine energies in addition to my feminine energies while understanding that using those terms is reinforcing the binary system.

I identify as queer in sexual orientation, able-bodied, and relatively high in ability to access resources in society. All of the above together means that I have experienced marginalization in various ways, lending me a keen interest in advocating for those who are marginalized, including in ways that I have not been. At the same time, I carry the legacy of my privileges, so I have my own blind spots. As a result, I will always welcome feedback and questioning of my missteps, mistakes, and perceived harm. I appreciate the opportunity to repair if possible and to continue to learn and grow.

Following my love for the outdoors, I received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences and Management at Portland State University. After I realized that healing the environment was not possible without healing the humans, I attended Lewis and Clark to receive my M.A. in Counseling Psychology. I have trained in ecotherapy with Alliance Counseling at Heron Hill and also practiced as a bilingual counselor working with monolingual Spanish-speaking clients at Domestic Violence Resource Center.

I look forward to continuing my work with PTSD and healing acute and complex trauma in individuals, so that they can increase self-compassion and have healthier relationships with others. Ideally, I am hoping to work with individuals and relationships of all configurations, such as polyamory and monogamy. I also guide mindfulness exercises with consent in order to return awareness to the body, which is often neglected after trauma. This can be especially helpful in sex therapy as people learn to listen to their body cues again. Throughout this process, I aim to adhere to the principles of radical acceptance, affirmation, and gentleness.