Liz McGlinchey Tan (She/They)

Associate Professional Clinical Counselor #21179

Supervised by: Ami Koide, Clinical Supervisor (CA Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #136634)

Phone: 714-202-6273

Email: liz@gatherandgrowoc.com

what is your role at Gather and Grow Oc?

As an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor at Gather and Grow OC, I provide comprehensive mental health services to a diverse client base. I specialize in people who live with Neurodivergence, chronic illness, and parenting. I provide affirming and intersectional care to my clients. My role involves conducting individual, couples, and group therapy sessions through a client-centered relational approach.

school and training history

Short version: I have an MA from Antioch University, New England, and a BA from Goddard College, Vermont. Both are social justice-oriented programs, with a SAGE (Sex and Gender Expression) concentration.

Long version: My life experience led me through a variety of educational settings, from FIDM for a degree in fashion marketing to taking as many psychology and art classes as I could at community colleges, both in Philadelphia, where I was raised, and here in California.

After realizing in my thirties that my neurodivergence was likely the reason for my unpredictable path in education, I found the perfect fit at Goddard College in Vermont. A radical student-led learning environment was where I earned a Bachelor's in Psychology through their short-term residency program, with the accommodations my brain desperately needed for success. There, I was able to dive deep into my studies of gender, sexuality, and neurodivergence at my own pace, allowing me to learn how to learn and how to teach myself and others about the learning process. After transferring to Antioch University NE, I finished my Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

From there, I completed my Internship and Practicum, providing all levels of care at a Dual Diagnosis/Substance Abuse Crisis Center and at Shanti OC, one of the first and foremost providers of affirming care in Orange County since the 1980’s. I am proud to say that the work I did in community mental health truly formed me as a clinician.

INDIVIDUAL FOCUS

I recognize you are the expert. I am a guide on your journey of self-discovery. I usually start with somatic/sensory work, setting the groundwork for accommodating neurodivergence through nervous system-regulating skills. After a while, we may do work to help you find different parts of yourself through IFS or narrative work, finding a way to tell our story that helps us grow rather than keep us stuck in the same patterns. Sometimes parts of us show up in our interactions with others, and we aren’t super happy with them. Do we have a hidden angry teen? A younger child whom you feel protective of because no one did that when you were growing up? Or maybe a momager who keeps everyone running on empty. Either way, we will compassionately welcome them to the room. They need to be heard; all the parts of you are important and deserve care.

what excites you about being part of the gather and grow oc community?

I am over the moon to share space with people who are like-hearted, and approach therapy with the client and their unique identity centered at the forefront. I look forward to the cozy embrace of their offices as I grow my practice in this community. I hope to build support groups for neurodivergent people of all walks of life, from parents to newly minted adults. Gather and Grow espouses the same values I hold so close to my heart: acceptance, advocacy, and affirming care, and a love of learning and growth. 

Currently scheduling clients Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons, in person or virtual; Friday mornings in person and virtual in the afternoons.

Posts from the Grower’s Guide…

A Letter from Liz

Hi friend. Welcome to my weird little corner. I’m so happy you took the leap. I know it can feel huge and overwhelming. I remember so clearly those early days of my own inner work, where calling for help felt like the most terrifying yet necessary thing I could do. My name is Liz (she/they), and I have a passion for helping people see their way into whatever they want in their lives. 

As a neurodivergent person and therapist, I’m always down to hear you info dump on your special interest, or show me the new thing you found on social media that has you all wound up. I’m a relational therapist, which means I don’t leave myself out of the room. I’m a full person, so feel free to ask me what I’m reading, bring a craft to work on with our hands while we talk, and we can even dive into the history of psychology, politics, and feminism if you are game! I believe that being me allows you to be you. That relationships are key to human beings, and ours is practice for the rest of our lives.

While you can tempt me with a good time and we can yap about whatever you want to process, I am also the kind of therapist who will challenge you. I won’t let you skate around the issues you came in to face, and I believe compassionate confrontation is one way to grow. Validation alone won’t fix everything; otherwise, you could hit up an AI chatbot, and we wouldn’t be here. You’ll hear me say things like “well, two things can be true” and “what do you think their perspective was?”

You’ll regularly hear me looking at even the smallest moments of growth, and bullying you into cheering yourself on.  Because it’s the small things that add up over time to becoming who a person wants to be. I’ll be in your corner while you tell your story, helping you find ways to free yourself from shame. We don’t have to own the stories society and our families have handed us that no longer fit or never did. I will also be here to say that when this is a systemic issue, and hold space for the grief that comes with acknowledging what is and isn’t in our control. 

The truth is, grief is a huge part of my work. Knowing what to let go of, whether by our choice or otherwise, can be painful. Whether that is an identity that’s developing, or how we saw ourselves before or the way we thought life would be. Maybe it’s the loss of someone you loved, or someone you struggled to love. Life is often painful. It’s also beautiful, and I am of the camp that we have to acknowledge all of it to move forward. So, are you ready? I’m here when you want to take the leap.

Here when you’re ready,

Liz

You can contact Liz directly at 714-202-6273 or liz@gatherandgrowoc.com. View other therapist profiles HERE.