Hello and welcome to my page. My name is Ray, and I genuinely hope that my bio resonates with what you are searching for. I had the privilege of growing up on a beautiful tropical island called Penang, Malaysia. When I was 14 years old, I started attending an American international school with over 28 nationalities of students, ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade. It was at this boarding school that I found my passion for understanding the differences between individuals, especially the core values of quality relationships. I do believe that the exposure I’ve had to diversity and cultures has allowed me to adapt quickly to the United States as an immigrant!

As a therapist, I work hard on learning from my clients and adapting to their needs. Being able to recognize my clients’ immediate needs, allows me to provide the next best tools for action and practice. These tools will help improve your interpersonal skills with the intention of sustainability. Expect me to be an active participant in every session!

I am a person who continuously strives to remove any biases I may have to make objective and culturally informed treatment decisions. I look forward to meeting you and having the honor of walking through life together.

My name is Raymond Pow, and I am writing this personal statement with hope of joining the fantastic group of passionate psychotherapists, at the Therapists of Color Collaborative. Allow me to share a bit about my past experiences, and the skills I have acquired over the years have brought me to the doorstep of TOCC.

I grew up on a beautiful tropical island called Penang, Malaysia. At the age of 14, I started attending an American international school ranging from K to 12, with over 28 different nationalities of students. It was at this boarding school that I learned to appreciate and embrace cultural differences, and more importantly the zeal for community services. We were privilege enough to travel internationally all over southeast asia to compete in different sports with other international schools. Regardless of the seriousness of the competition, or the fun exploration that we benefitted from traveling, dedicating at least a day or two to community services is a must. We would visit different villages, homeless shelters, school systems, to support in any ways that we could. Being part of a larger group collaborating towards a common goal was incredibly rewarding and purposeful.

The trend of human services never slowed down for me as the years had past. I challenged myself to say yes to any opportunity that crossed my path, and had been blessed with the honor of working alongside many selfless givers.

After graduating high school in 2014, I had the privilege of moving to the United States to pursue an undergraduate degree. It was during my time at Oklahoma State University that I found my true strength and passion for therapy. I fell in love with understanding the challenges of family dynamics, parenting, and romantic relationships. It was during my time in college that I learned the true importance of healthy marital relationships and their effect on the entire family system. Since then, I have spent countless hours having discussions with everyone around me about the relationships they have had in life, and recognized the uniqueness of every individual’s experiences.

My preference of approach in therapy is rooted in a non-pathological approach to viewing difficult situations. I believe that every issue serves the purpose of protection for individuals, couples, and families. Thus, by addressing those factors, individuals would be able to find autonomy in their lives with minimal resistance. Due to the exposure I’ve had to cultural diversity, I am confident that I have the skills and ability to adapt quickly to the individuals’ needs while being sensitive towards the distinctive experiences tht they bring to the table.

I am a person who constantly strives eliminate any biases that I have, in order to make effective, objective treatment decisions. Because the reward I get from assisting my clients to succeed is so gratifying, I am very intentional about the focus and attention I provide when working with clients. I look forward to being part of the collaborative and having the honor of walking through life together.

With warmth and anticipation,

Ray