Jean Lau Chin, EdD

Jean Lau Chin, EdD, was born in 1944 in Brooklyn, New York of Chinese immigrant parents. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology at Brooklyn College, in 1966.  Then a few years later in 1974, she earned her EdD in psychology from Teacher’s College, Columbia University. Chin’s work focuses on the integrated approach of psychodynamic, multicultural and systems orientation.

As a leader in her field, Chin, co-authored the book, “Women and Leadership: Transforming Visions and Diverse Voices,” to inspire women to obtain leadership positions. She has held executive positions at a child guidance clinic, a community health clinic and a managed-care company. Chin is a past-president of Div. 35 and serves on the Board for the Advancement of Psychology in the Public Interest (BAPPI). In addition, she is the president of CEO Services, providing clinical, educational and organizational consulting services. At CEO Services, Chin focuses on cultural competence, which takes a systems approach. Notably, she was the first Asian-American psychologist to be licensed in the state of Massachusetts. In addition to her numerous appointments and membership, she has been awarded many honors and distinctions. In 2009, Chin received the Nassau County Women of Distinction Award. She was also recognized by the YMCA Academy of Women Achievers in 2003 (Adelphi University, 2011). 

As a strong proponent of cultural competence and identity development, Chin encourages the exploration of ethnic identity and the ways in which the gender and ethnicity of clients and practitioners influence the therapeutic relationship. Throughout Chin’s career, the salient issues of culture, race and diversity have inspired her work and leadership interests, which include work on the federal, state and local boards for policy development and advocacy. In particular, issues of cultural competence and community-based service delivery systems among Asian-Americans has been a major focus of her efforts.

References

Cynkar, A. (2007). Women Leaders: Jean Lau Chin, EdD.  APA Monitor^®, 38 (7) Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/monitor/julaug07/chin.aspx

MacKay, J. (2010). Profile of Jean Lau Chin. In A. Rutherford (Ed), Psychology's Feminist Voices Multimedia Internet Archive. Retrieved from http://www.feministvoices.com/jean-lau-chin/