Dr Chansophal Mak

Written By Liz Schilpzand

Senior Psychologist

 

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor of Education in English, Royal University of Phnom Penh, Cambodia

  • Bachelor of Agronomy, Royal University of Agriculture, Cambodia

  • Master of Arts in Counseling, De La Salle University, Philippines

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Human Development and Family Science with Emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT), University of Georgia, USA

  • Postdoctoral Associate in Family Social Science, University of Minnesota, USA

Languages:

Khmer, English

 

I am a Cambodian Systemic Family Therapist trained in the United States. I became very interested in mental health and family therapy due to our history and the lingering effects of the horrific Genocide regime (1975-1979) on Cambodian individuals and families. The intergenerational impact of Genocide trauma is still going on without an effective interruption. I’ve been working to develop a culturally responsive therapeutic intervention to interrupt the intergenerational transmission of trauma within our community.

Between 2018 and 2025, during my doctoral program in Marriage and Family Therapy and my postdoctoral fellowship in the United States, I practiced Family Therapy with Cambodian refugees/immigrants, low-income families, undergraduate & graduate students, university staff/faculty, and other marginalized populations (i.e., trauma-affected, LQBTQA+). I was also a counseling psychologist and career advisor practicing in various contexts (i.e., university and NGO) in Cambodia between 2014 and 2018.

I am passionate about supporting children, youth, young adults, adults, parents, couples, and families who are struggling with mental health, identity, adjustment, and relationship issues. My ultimate goal is to support these individuals to achieve their fullest potential and highest level of well-being and quality of life.

As your therapist, making you feel safe, empowered, and fully yourself is a very crucial goal for me. I use a trauma-informed care framework to build trust, safety, and strong rapport with my clients. I also employ a range of evidence-based systemic family therapy approaches: postmodern therapy approaches (i.e., narrative therapy, solution-focused therapy, collaborative language therapy, & feminist therapy), intergenerational therapy approaches (Bowenian therapy), experiential/humanistic approaches (Satir growth model, expressive arts therapy), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET).

My areas of interest also include:

  • Educational Guidance and Career Counseling

  • Childhood Trauma

  • Relational Trauma

  • Traumatic Stress & Intergenerational Transmission of Traumatic Stress

  • PTSD

  • Adjustment issues/disorders

  • Anxiety issues/disorders

  • Depression

  • Body image & Self-hatred issues

  • Eating issues/disorders

  • Parent-child conflict & Sibling conflict & Intergenerational conflict

  • Positive parenting & positive child/youth development

  • Identity crisis

  • LQBTQA+ related issues

I love nature. When I am not in the therapy room, I like to get in touch with nature. I usually take a break from the busy city to stay in the quiet countryside so that I can hear, taste, smell, and touch nature. I also like to go on adventures to meet new people and cultures and to gain new experiences.

Liz Schilpzand
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