Pin-Yu Chou

About Me | Psychotherapist in Training under Supervision

Hello, I am Pin-Yu Chou. I am a psychotherapist in training based in Vienna, Austria, working from a Gestalt therapy approach. Thank you for taking the time to get to know me and the kind of psychotherapy I offer.

Within the therapeutic relationship, I am a warm, open, steady, and genuine therapist. I value present-moment experience and, with curiosity and respect, accompany you in exploring the feelings and needs that arise here and now. I tend to speak with you in a clear and gentle way, and I believe that everyone holds the capacity to understand themselves, to adjust, and to grow.

Throughout the therapeutic process, I become aware together with you of the signals your emotions and body convey, coming to understand how you relate to yourself, to others, and to the world. I attend not only to "what happened," but to "how you are experiencing it in this moment." Through this awareness, we can gradually discover new choices and possibilities, and create space for change.

My own life experiences have deeply shaped my therapeutic style. Many times I have stepped into unfamiliar cultures and environments, learning to adapt to uncertainty and challenge — from studying at an English-taught university and an exchange in the United Kingdom, to moving alone to Vienna, Austria, after graduation to pursue the professional path of psychotherapy. These repeated cross-cultural experiences taught me to become my own companion, and cultivated a deep understanding of vulnerability, loneliness, and the process of transformation. They allow me to accompany others through life's difficulties and uncertainties with greater gentleness, acceptance, and steadiness.

The "Gestalt Prayer" by Fritz Perls, the founder of Gestalt therapy, has long been an important inner cornerstone of my work as a therapist. In just a few lines, it profoundly expresses the core spirit of Gestalt therapy — living in the present, respecting the boundaries of self and others, acknowledging one's own needs, taking responsibility for oneself, and creating genuine, nourishing contact within the space between us.

Here, I would also like to offer these words to everyone who feels confused or hurt within their relationships:

"I do my thing, and you do your thing. I am not in this world to live up to your expectations, and you are not in this world to live up to mine. You are you, and I am I, and if by chance we find each other, it's beautiful. If not, it can't be helped."

— Fritz Perls, 1969

These words are not about detachment, but about respect. Respect for your own true feelings and needs, and respect for others as independent beings. Within clear boundaries, relationships can unfold more freely and more authentically.