Dr. Chen’s journey didn’t begin in a classroom. It began in the middle of pain. Growing up, he wrestled with deep insecurity, the quiet belief that something was wrong with him, and a persistent feeling of not being worthy of love. His father was physically present but emotionally distant, leaving a relational gap that shaped much of his early identity.

As one of the few Chinese students at a predominantly white school, he faced bullying, racist taunts, and social isolation that made him feel like he didn’t belong anywhere. In middle school, he turned to marijuana and dissociation — escaping into daydreams to survive. But everything began to shift in 7th grade when a spiritual mentor named Sister Joan of Arc handed him a copy of The Road Less Traveled by Scott Peck. That book cracked something open. For the first time, he encountered the idea that he had value — and that loving others required first learning to love himself.

In 9th grade, Dr. Chen visited a Vineyard Church and encountered the Holy Spirit for the first time. He saw people praising God with genuine joy — a sharp contrast to the rote recitation of his earlier faith experience. That night, he became born again. And his calling crystallized: to become a psychologist who could discern whether someone’s struggle was mental, spiritual, or both — and help them find freedom either way.