Pei-Chun Tsai

Dr. Pei-Chun Tsai is an Associate Professor in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University. She previously served as an assistant and later associate professor at Radford University, where she advanced her research and teaching in counseling psychology. She holds a PhD in Counseling Psychology from Iowa State University and a master’s in Counseling and Counselor Education from Indiana University-Bloomington.

• PhD in Counseling Psychology – Iowa State University
• M.S.Ed. in Counseling and Counselor Education – Indiana University Bloomington
• Bachelor’s Degree – National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan

Dr. Tsai’s research centers on strength-based approaches to coping with adversity, particularly among racial and ethnic minorities, international students, and counseling trainees. She investigates how culturally relevant resources such as bicultural competence, collective self-esteem, and supervisory alliances moderate the impact of discrimination and stress on mental health outcomes.

Her recent publications reflect a consistent focus on identity, discrimination, and resilience. Across her work, themes of language barriers, racial microaggressions, and acculturative stress emerge, analyzed through the lens of protective coping mechanisms. Her research often employs both quantitative and qualitative methods, with a strong emphasis on culturally sensitive assessment and intervention.

Dr. Tsai has been recognized with several awards, including:

• Outstanding Counseling Psychology Graduate Student Award
• University Teaching Excellence Award
• Diversity in Psychological Science Graduate Research Award

She is actively involved in mentoring future psychologists and has collaborated on national and international research projects. Currently, she is leading a qualitative study with colleagues from San Francisco University on non-native English-speaking faculty in the U.S., exploring their developmental trajectories and coping strategies. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes empowering students by helping them identify and utilize their personal strengths in clinical practice.

Dr. Tsai also maintains strong ties to her cultural roots, often integrating insights from Taiwanese traditions, particularly around food and care, into her personal and professional life.