About CNPAF

About Us

Bridging the gap between culture and psychology, turning empathy into concrete action. We are here to build that bridge — with warm, steadfast support.

Who We Are

Founded on August 26, 2022, the Chinese Psychological Assistance Foundation (CNPAF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit registered in Los Angeles, California. We provide compassionate, culturally attuned psychological support for overseas Chinese communities.

We know that adapting to a new culture can be challenging, often bringing unexpected emotional hurdles. Our mission is to provide a supportive framework for the most common stressors — language barriers, homesickness, and identity challenges — strengthening resilience and wellbeing across the community.

Our services reach communities worldwide, including the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, and Hong Kong. By championing mental wellbeing, we strive to create an inclusive environment where people seek help free of stigma.

Why We Exist

Our Mission & Core Philosophy

We did not start CNPAF because the world lacks therapists, but because the current mental health system is structurally misaligned with international students — it often requires you to be "ill" before you can get help. We assume every visitor is not ill, simply in a situation that calls for support. Not all distress is pathological; much of it stems from cultural dislocation and systemic neglect. We are committed to filling the gap between struggling alone and clinical treatment, building a de-pathologized, culturally sensitive support network.

Real change takes grounded action and rigorous scholarship. So we built a self-sustaining loop: community service reaches Chinese communities worldwide with immediate humanistic, non-clinical care; field practice takes us deep into those communities to gather rich first-hand data; that data becomes academic research, distilling patterns and enriching the evidence base; and finally we give back, letting deeper knowledge guide practice so the field serves our communities better.

Psychology has long been led by Western scholars and centered on Western populations. Our ultimate goal in founding CNPAF is to break through that limitation — building a new standard of psychological support, assessment, and care for Chinese, Asian, and other minority communities.

Our Team

Our Team & Think Tank

Our programs are co-designed by alumni of Harvard, Cambridge, Peking University, Tsinghua, Duke, and UCLA. Ivy-League academic standards and a global outlook are built directly into our DNA.