Exploring Life & Business with Charles Zeng of Taming Shame Psychotherapy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Charles Zeng.

Hi Charles, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I am a licensed clinician that specializes in working with clients around shame, imperfection, imposter syndrome and navigating setting boundaries within relationships with others, especially for those who identify themselves as people pleasers. I always knew I wanted to do something with psychology, but it took me a while to answer the call. I think that was my life’s way of letting me gain some lived experience first so that I can better understand the clients that I serve. Like many other therapists, being a clinician was not my first career. I was an interpreter. I worked in unscripted TV. I was a screenwriter/ghost writer for quite a while before I found my way back to being in psychology. My very first job was working as a Resident Advisor in campus housing, so I spent a lot of time listening to students’ problems, helping them resolve issues, without often giving them direct advice. My college counselor was very vocal with me about how I could prosper as a therapist, but I didn’t heed the call then. I had to navigate my own journey of self-acceptance, working with my own sense of shame, and overcoming my imposter syndrome to get to the other side of the bridge, where I feel I can help others with my lived experience and knowledge. Having worked as a solo practice clinician for about 5 years or so, I knew that something was missing. My own lived experience as a neurodivergent, queer person of color has shaped a lot of what I do in the therapy field, and I especially cherish my connection with the international group therapy world where I get to learn from so many other wonderful therapists all over the globe and have a sense of community, especially during the time of the pandemic. I have decided within myself that I want to curate my own community of other like-minded clinicians who understand holding different marginalized identities and want to help others who are dealing with similar themes in their own journey of self-discovery. So, I sent out a flier to recruit associates to work for my practice, Taming Shame Psychotherapy, and got a lot of wonderful people applying to be part of my collective. After some soul-searching interviews and letting these people know about my mission and my vision in practicing psychotherapy from a decolonized lens, I am very lucky to now have a full team of 6 associates working with me to treat the BIPOC population, the LGBTQ+ population and neurodivergent folx.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There have definitely been a few bumps in the way. One thing I had to deal with was assessing myself as a potential employer. I had many experiences in the past where my supervisor or employer did not share the same values as I do, and I did a lot in compromising, which wasn’t helpful for me. I’ve learned over the years that instead of compromising, where everyone is giving up something, I’d much prefer to integrate everyone’s needs to find a solution that works for everyone. I was very clear in my interview as a group practice owner that I want to collaborate with my employees to figure out what is the best path forward for all of us involved. I wanted to share my vision and my values and hope to find others that align with them. I knew that my leadership style is not going to be “just a boss,” and I wanted to make sure that everything I do as an employer are for the “right reason.” Especially with how exploitative the therapy field can be for associates or pre-licensed therapists, I wanted to make sure that my associates receive fair pay and also valuable training opportunities with me that goes beyond just managing their client cases. Trying to find the right balance with that has been an ongoing task, because I truly believe in working from a decolonized lens, so I work very hard to be mindful of any capitalistic tendency that is often inherently in the system.

We’ve been impressed with Taming Shame Psychotherapy, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am the owner of a group practice for psychotherapy services for people in California. There are 6 associates in my group practice that share the values and missions of what Taming Shame is all about, which is to work with clients around shame, imperfection, imposter syndrome and navigating boundaries setting, and we have a particular focus with working with the BIPOC population, the LGBTQ+ population, and neurodivergent folx. Everyone in Taming Shame are people who are proud to serve their own communities. As a neurodivergent, queer person of color myself, I’ve found that a lot of my client base are people that share different parts of my identities. There is a sense of “knowing” and “not needing to explain” when it comes to working with the clients in my practice. The idea that we can truly be ourselves and not need to justify or educate our own therapists about our own cultural upbringing is something I treasure in the work that my associates and I do with our clients. All my associates are people of color, most of them in the LGBTQ+ community, and most of them neurodivergent themselves, so they truly understand the lived experience of those with similar identities and help with the process of healing for those who have been misunderstood and neglected because the world is still catching up in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our team works with clients on multiple levels, whether it is individual therapy, couples therapy, family therapy or group therapy, everyone is working under a deeply decolonized lens. And of course, our group practice’s namesake is “Taming Shame,” so we really understand the concept and impact of shame, and can help clients rediscover their sense of self, whether it is to shed their shame and say goodbye to them like an old friend, or to befriend shame so we are learning how to work on our deeper connection with ourselves.

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
We are always happy to receive referrals, for those who have friends or family or community that they believe could benefit from psychotherapy. We also welcome any requests for consultation on the subject of what we do, whether it is about providing psychotherapy services, or educating and raising awareness of the importance of mental health, especially for those who historically had less access to mental health services. I’ve personally been on different shows on NPR discussing topics like the efficacy of group psychotherapy, and discussing the idea of how having parents who can admit their mistakes and say sorry from time to time can help strengthen parent-child relationship and overcome intergenerational trauma. I’m also the co-president of Group Psychotherapy Association of Los Angeles, so I like collaborating with other educators and therapists to provide more workshops that strengthen the understanding of therapeutic practices and curate supportive community among mental health practitioners so we are not all on our islands alone.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://TamingShame.com

Image Credits
All photos are courtesy of Christopher Wierer