Today we’d like to introduce you to Elsa Yao.
Hi Elsa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In my early 20s I was working with underserved youth and young moms in Chicago. The things I saw there – the systemic trauma, the love and brilliance of the people I met, and how much beauty they brought to the world, just broke my heart. I kept imagining how they could live their lives if only they didn’t have to constantly worry about their next meal, their next bill, or staying alive in the midst of gang and gun violence. Working with them, along with learning how counseling helped other friends in my life, inspired me to become a trauma counselor. Today I don’t do much crisis counseling, but I do feel like I get to bring a little more peace, healing, and empathy into the world and slowly change systems as I continue to do trauma counseling.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Once I figured out, I wanted to pursue counseling, the road has honestly been smooth for me. I’ve had a lot of great mentors and opportunities that have come my way and made it possible for me to learn and grow in this field, which gives me a lot of affirmation that this is what I’m supposed to be doing.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in trauma work, as well as working with BIPOC populations, particularly those who have grown up in the States with immigrant parents. I’ve always been interested in the long-term effects of trauma and how to help people cope with that. For my BIPOC folx, there’s such a relief that is felt when you can work through your concerns with someone who has experienced growing up with a similar background and culture and gets it without needing it to be explained. Sometimes, these two specialties overlap, but sometimes, they’re kept separate in my work. Either way, I love helping people find balance in their lives by accepting all parts of themselves and the cultures that have shaped them. The greatest compliment I receive is when my clients tell me they can imagine my voice in their heads when they’re going through something difficult, like “I can imagine Elsa telling me to breathe right now,” or “I bet Elsa will be proud of me when I tell her about this.” That means so much to me, and the reason we have such an effective therapeutic relationship like that is because I keep it real with my clients. I’m practical, realistic, and straightforward with them. There’s a lot of laughter in my sessions. We laugh at the absurdity and morbidity of it all, but they trust me to guide them in and out of their pain. And the greatest satisfaction I feel is when my clients tell me their trauma no longer weighs them down because of the work we’ve done together or that their family relationships have improved because we’ve found the right balance they needed in their lives.
We’d love to hear about any fond memories you have from when you were growing up.
I had such an idyllic childhood; it’s really hard to pick a specific memory! I would say my best memories are of the unusual amount of sleepovers I got to have with my friends, either at my home or theirs. My parents were generous about that, and I look back fondly on my friends and I, trying to squeeze out every moment of playtime we could, manipulating our parents into talking longer so we could play longer before one of us had to leave. I’m still friends with all of those girls today, 30 years later.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yaocounseling.com
