Meet Dr. Chongzheng Francis Wei
Professional Credentials
Licensed Clinical Psychologist (PSY36580)
Assistant Professor, Santa Clara University
PhD in Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology, University of California, Santa Barbara
American Psychological Association-Accredited Full-time Clinical Psychology Doctoral Internship, Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility, San Diego, California
Clinical Experience
Over the course of my clinical training and professional practice, I have provided psychotherapy, psychological assessment, crisis intervention, and group therapy across a wide range of settings, including university counseling centers, community mental health clinics, psychiatric hospitals, substance use treatment programs, correctional settings, and LGBTQ+ community organizations.
My clinical experience includes working with:
LGBTQ+ individuals navigating identity development, coming out, family relationships, minority stress, and discrimination
Asian American, immigrant, and bicultural clients experiencing identity conflict, acculturation stress, and intergenerational family challenges
Individuals recovering from trauma, complex trauma, and adverse life experiences
People experiencing anxiety, depression, self-criticism, perfectionism, shame, and burnout
Survivors of stigma, rejection, bullying, and conversion-related harms
Individuals seeking greater self-compassion, authenticity, resilience, and emotional well-being
Relationship concerns, interpersonal difficulties, and attachment-related challenges
Adults navigating life transitions, grief, loss, and questions of meaning and purpose
My clinical training includes work in:
University Counseling & Psychological Services
Trauma-focused community mental health programs
Adult and adolescent psychiatric inpatient care
Residential substance use treatment
Psychological assessment clinics
Correctional mental health services
LGBTQ+ affirming support programs and community organizations
Across these settings, I have worked with clients from diverse cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual, gender, and socioeconomic backgrounds. These experiences have deepened my commitment to providing culturally responsive, trauma-informed, LGBTQ+ affirming, and evidence-based care.
My Approach to Therapy
I view therapy as a collaborative relationship rather than a one-size-fits-all treatment. My approach is warm, relational, culturally responsive, and grounded in evidence-based practices.
Depending on your needs, I draw from:
Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)
Psychodynamic and relational approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Mindfulness-based interventions
Self-compassion practices
LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy
Multicultural and liberation-oriented frameworks
Together, we will explore patterns that may be keeping you stuck, strengthen your relationship with yourself, and cultivate new ways of responding to life’s challenges with greater flexibility, compassion, and authenticity.
Research & Professional Contributions
As a psychologist, researcher, and educator, I am committed to advancing mental health and well-being for LGBTQ+, Asian, immigrant, bisexual+, polyamorous, and other marginalized communities. My research examines topics including minority stress, self-compassion, trauma, identity development, and mental health disparities, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ populations across diverse cultural contexts.
I regularly present at national and international conferences and have published peer-reviewed research in journals such as LGBT Health, Journal of Counseling Psychology, Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, the International Journal of Transgender Health, and Frontiers in Psychology. My goal is to ensure that my clinical work remains informed by the latest research while staying grounded in the lived experiences of the communities I serve.
Learn more about my academic and research work:
Hi! Wherever you are, welcome to my website!
I am Dr. Wei (魏), and you are welcome to call me Chong or Francis. My Chinese name is Chongzheng (重政), and Chong is my generational name, shared by my siblings and cousins of the same generation. As an immigrant, this name keeps connected to my cultural lineage and ancestry, and more importantly, it reminds me of where I come from and of the privilege and responsibility of representing my family and generation through my work and service.
Francis is my English name and I chose it because my love for nature and poetry resonated with St. Francis of Assisi who was a poet and said to speak to birds. And perhaps fittingly, I now live in San Francisco :)
I am a licensed clinical psychologist, university professor, researcher, and therapist dedicated to supporting people whose identities and experiences have often been misunderstood, marginalized, or overlooked.
For more than a decade, I have worked alongside LGBTQ+, Asian, immigrant, bisexual+, and BIPOC communities through psychotherapy, research, teaching, advocacy, policy work, and community engagement across China, France, Thailand, and the United States.
As a faculty member in Counseling Psychology at Santa Clara University, I teach graduate-level courses in Human Sexuality, Group Psychotherapy, and LGBTQ+ Affirming Mental Health Care. My research focuses on minority stress, identity development, self-compassion, trauma, and mental health disparities affecting LGBTQ+ communities. My work has been published in leading journals including LGBT Health, Journal of Counseling Psychology, Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, and International Journal of Transgender Health.
I bring both professional expertise and lived experience to this work. As a Chinese immigrant and bisexual man, I understand what it can feel like to navigate multiple identities while searching for belonging, authenticity, and self-acceptance.
I believe healing happens not only through insight, but also through meaningful relationships, self-compassion, and the courage to live more fully as ourselves. Therapy can be a place to slow down, reconnect with yourself, and build a life that feels more aligned with who you truly are.