Therapist Spotlight: Ruifen Tan, MA LLC CRC

“I like to explore humanity,” Ruifen says. 

Ruifen earned her Master’s in Counseling from Michigan State University. She believes in helping people explore themselves in order to get to know themselves. As a therapist, Ruifen hopes to help people live a fulfilling life and find meaning. 

Drawing on her own experience of being an international student, Ruifen works with people who are exploring their identity with a variety of backgrounds. She primarily works with clients coping with depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder. 

Ruifen previously completed an internship at Michigan State University’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). She worked with college students ages 18 to 28 from diverse backgrounds experiencing various difficulties. Ruifen worked with students to navigate social anxiety, eating disorders, relationship issues, substance use, and more. She also co-facilitated a group on mentalization, focused on being curious about other’s intentions to avoid projecting your own, and a group on grief, where students had a safe space to discuss the shared experience of loss.

In session, Ruifen works to understand her clients’ cultural backgrounds. When asked what she wants potential clients to know, she said, “I want to listen to your story and try to understand you.” Ruifen strives to create a nonjudgmental and inviting environment. She works in various modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and more.

In her personal life, Ruifen loves to exercise and play a variety of sports. She often meets with friends to play pickleball, volleyball, table tennis, badminton, and any other sport you can name! She loves to hike, rock climb, and take road trips to national parks. Ruifen also spends her time reading and meditating to practice self-care.

Ruifen works with people above the age of 14 years old, specializing in young adults but working with a variety of age ranges. She offers counseling in English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. Ruifen sees clients both via telehealth and in-person.