Luna Zhang
LCSW, MA
Hi, I am Zhiyuan, go by Luna, she/her. I am a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW, CA, #123504).
Over 5,000 hours of direct clinical experience working with individuals navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, complex relational patterns, and the ways unconscious projections influence their relationships and sense of self.
My Approach
I describe myself as a structurally oriented therapist. Rather than only attending to emotions in the moment, I pay close attention to the deeper architecture of the psyche—the patterns, motivational systems, and unspoken conflicts that quietly shape how we relate to ourselves and to others. Emotions are important, but they are rarely random; they often emerge from long-standing structures that deserve to be understood.
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In our work together, I can function as a mirror. This means I reflect not only what you say and feel, but also the dynamics and tensions that remain unspoken: the cycles of anxiety you may find yourself repeating, the relational impasses that keep you stuck, or the social and familial expectations that you have unconsciously internalized. My role is not simply to offer comfort, but to help you map these structures with clarity, so that what once felt confusing or burdensome begins to make sense.
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This process can be challenging at times—especially when it involves bringing projection or hidden patterns into awareness—but it is also profoundly liberating. By seeing these underlying structures clearly, you begin to reclaim agency, loosen old cycles, and return to a more grounded and authentic sense of self.
The Frameworks I Use
My clinical framework blends psychodynamic insight, somatic awareness, and structural deconstruction to address both the surface emotions and the deeper patterns shaping your experience. Reflective dialogue and symbolic exploration form the foundation of my work, helping you uncover unconscious motivations and recurring relational or emotional cycles.
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I work with both individuals and couples, supporting people in navigating personal challenges as well as complex relational dynamics.
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In addition, I integrate body-based interventions that directly engage the nervous system, providing a bridge between cognitive insight and embodied experience:
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Brainspotting – a neuroscience-informed method that targets trauma and anxiety at the neural level, facilitating deep emotional release and lasting relief.
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Parasympathetic regulation and grounding techniques – practical tools to stabilize the nervous system, cultivate presence, and enhance emotional clarity.
This integrated framework allows clients not only to understand their struggles intellectually, but also to experience profound shifts in how they feel and respond, building resilience and agency from the inside out.
Through our work, people can learn to:
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Identify and break out of repetitive relational and emotional cycles.
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Develop language and frameworks to articulate inner conflicts.
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Reclaim agency from shame-based or socially imposed narratives.
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Build resilience and embodied stability through somatic and neuroregulation practices.
Background & Perspective
In addition to individual sessions, I also offer reflective, interactive experiences designed to deepen self-awareness and explore relational or emotional patterns in a supportive setting. Participants leave with fresh insights into habitual dynamics, practical tools for emotional clarity, and a sense of how deep psychological work can translate into everyday life.
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Beyond clinical settings, my perspective has been shaped by years of walking with clients across diverse cultural and personal landscapes. From community mental health settings to private practice, I’ve witnessed how much of human suffering is not just personal, but also deeply tied to family histories, cultural narratives, and societal structures.
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Because of this, I approach therapy not only as symptom relief, but as a process of restoring connection—with self, with one’s body, and with one’s own story. My goal is for clients to feel not just understood, but also equipped with clarity, resilience, and a renewed sense of possibility.