Yuansheng Lu
Yuansheng Lu, RP
Registered Psychotherapist
He/Him
Specialties: OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder), anxiety disorders, complex trauma and PTSD, depression, perfectionism, intergenerational and relational patterns, life transitions, newcomer and immigrant mental health, international student wellbeing, workplace stress, family dynamics and attachment wounds.
Clients like: Clients often describe me as calm, steady, and genuinely curious about their story. My approach is collaborative and science-based: I want to understand what's actually driving your struggles, build a plan together, and give you tools that make a real difference outside of sessions.
Modalities: Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused ACT, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) principles, Prolonged Exposure (PE), Written Exposure Therapy (WET), Mindfulness-Based Approaches.
Availability: In person, virtual.
Schedule: Sundays and Monday evenings.
Languages spoken: English & Mandarin
More About Me
Hi, I'm Yuansheng Lu, a Registered Psychotherapist who specializes in OCD, anxiety, and trauma. I trained at the University of Toronto and have worked across community mental health, private practice, and hospital settings, including a practicum at Nanjing Brain Hospital where I led therapy groups for people living with OCD.
A lot of my clients come to me feeling exhausted by their own minds. Maybe you've spent years fighting intrusive thoughts, getting pulled into rituals that take up more time than you'd like to admit, or running on a background hum of worry that never really quiets. You might be incredibly hard-working and capable, and somehow that same drive makes the anxiety worse, not better. I understand this dynamic well, and I find it genuinely meaningful work to help people shift it.
My approach to OCD is grounded in ERP — Exposure and Response Prevention — which is the gold-standard, most researched treatment available. But I don't see it as a rigid protocol. I integrate ACT (a type of therapy based on values and choice) principles to help you build a life that moves toward what matters to you, rather than just away from what scares you. Mindfulness plays a role too, not as a relaxation tool, but as a way of changing your relationship to difficult thoughts and feelings so they have less power over your choices.
For clients dealing with trauma alongside anxiety or OCD, I incorporate EMDR and trauma-focused ACT to address the deeper layers driving current symptoms. I've also worked extensively with people navigating the specific pressures of immigrant life — the weight of family expectations, the stress of performing in a second language, the loneliness of not having your community nearby. This is work I understand from the inside, not just from the textbook.
I believe good therapy is a partnership. Before we move into any intervention, I want to make sure you understand why we're doing it and that it actually fits for you. I'll check in regularly, not just about symptoms, but about whether this feels helpful and whether you feel connected to the work. You're not here to complete a protocol. You're here to build a different kind of life, and I'm here to help you do that.
I see clients in-person at our Ajax office on Sundays and Monday evenings, and virtually across Ontario throughout the week.
Book a free consultation to see if we’re the right fit to work together.
Education & Certifications
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Master of Education, Counselling Psychology (Global Mental Health), Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, 2025
Honours Bachelor of Science, Psychology & Linguistics, University of Toronto Scarborough, 2023
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EMDR Foundational Training — EMDR Cleveland LLC / Archer Therapy with David Archer and Thomas Zimmerman (2026)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD — University of Pennsylvania / Nanjing Brain Hospital Therapist Training, 2024
Trauma-Focused ACT — Psychwire, 2025–2026
ACT for Depression and Anxiety Disorders — Psychwire, 2025–2026
Treating Complex Trauma with Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy — PESI, 2025
Clinical Applications of Internal Family Systems Therapy — PESI, 2025
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Evidence-Based Approach for PTSD — PESI, 2026
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy for Couples — Nellie Health, 2023
Cognitive-Behavioural Strategies for Clinical Perfectionism — Oakville Centre for Cognitive Therapy, 2025
Integrating Emotion-Focused Therapy Principles for Working with Older Adults — University of Toronto, 2024
Enhancing Trauma-Informed Clinical Toolkit for Adolescents and Adults — OISE, University of Toronto, 2024
DBT for Kids and Parents — Kinark Child and Family Services, 2024
DBT for Eating Disorders, PTSD, and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury — 1st Chinese International DBT Conference, 2024
Mindfulness Intervention for Emotional Distress (MIED) — 2024
