Biography: Van Tran, MA, Behavioral Medicine Intern, is an Associate Mental Health counselor who speaks both Vietnamese, English, and is learning Spanish. She was born into a family of Vietnamese refugees, where she witnessed firsthand the profound impact of physical and emotional suffering, healthcare disparities, and cultural stigmas surrounding illness. These early experiences instilled in her a deep sense of empathy, curiosity, and determination to advocate for understanding underserved populations. She is LGBTQIA+ affirming. Her work focuses on instilling personal strengths. She is passionate about community outreach, psychoeducation, and holistic care that considers diverse factors to address mental health concerns effectively. Van’s clinical experience includes conducting psychodiagnostics and neuropsychological evaluations for children and adults. She possesses experience working with individuals with anxiety, depression, and ADHD. She also incorporates somatic exercises into her clinical practice.
Professional areas of Interest: She is passionate about community outreach, psychoeducation, and holistic care that considers diverse factors to address mental health concerns effectively
Hometown: Orange County, California
Hobbies: (What I do for fun): Van likes creative activities, including collaging, drawing, painting, and calligraphy. She also enjoys being outdoors with her dog and caring for injured snails.
Why did you choose to do your internship at CVCH?
From the moment I searched for community health sites for internship, I was touched by the acknowledgement that CVCH had for the stressful process that future interns were going into. To see an organization take the time to acknowledge the stressful nature of internship applications and openly encourage questions provided me with a sense that CVCH cares about its employees. Additionally, the interview at CVCH truly stood out from all my other interviews. From the start of interview day, where CVCH took time to honor the indigenous land and people, it really spoke to my heart. It showed that diversity and culture would be honored and cherished here. Furthermore, I was truly impressed that CVCH dedicated time to lead applicants in meditation. This showed me that CVCH doesn’t just recommend self-care; they make an intentional effort to integrate it into their environment. Moreover, an important factor motivating my pursuit of psychology was the desire to support families facing medical health challenges. Collaborating with a diverse group of healthcare providers and facilitating warm hand-offs allows me to fulfill one of my primary objectives for entering this profession.