April is National Counseling Month, a time to recognize the transformative work of professional counselors who help individuals gain insight, develop strategies, and find real-life solutions to life’s challenges. At the UO, two graduate students in the Couples and Family Therapy program are demonstrating how personal passion can uniquely shape professional practice. Lisa Thai and Libby Cox, both recipients of the division’s Professional Development Award, are taking bold steps to explore the intersections between mental health and their lifelong interests: finance and somatic healing. 

Published April 28, 2025

Where Financial Wellness Meets Emotional Health 

Growing up as the daughter of first-generation immigrants, Lisa Thai experienced firsthand the stress and emotional toll that financial instability can take on a family. She watched as financial hardship, and the scarcity mindset that often accompanies it, created tension, anxiety, and in some cases, addiction and depression within her own home. As she matured, Lisa noticed similar patterns playing out in her own relationships and was inspired to understand the deep cultural and emotional connections people have with money. 

Now, as a graduate student, Lisa is passionate about bridging the gap between financial education and mental health support. With help from the Professional Development Award, she attended the 2024 Financial Therapy Conference. The theme, “Financial Therapy for All: Across Cultures, Across Generations,” aligned perfectly with her goal of learning culturally responsive strategies to help individuals and families navigate financial stress. 

“Financial therapy is still a young field,” Lisa explained. “But the more we understand how money impacts relationships and mental well-being—especially across diverse communities—the better equipped we’ll be to offer holistic, relevant support.” 

Lisa hopes to become a therapist who helps clients transform money from a source of tension into a tool for connection and stability. 

“Money shouldn’t divide us," she said. "I want to help others find financial security while preserving their emotional bonds.” 

Embodying Healing Through Somatic Practice 

Libby Cox brings a different kind of wisdom to the counseling field, one rooted in movement, breath, and body awareness. For over two decades, she worked as a yoga instructor and trainer, using somatic practices to help students navigate physical and emotional stress. Her interest in yoga began during her undergraduate studies in dance and grew even deeper after a traumatic birth experience and a move to rural Oregon, where she now supports social and emotional learning in schools. 

“I’ve always been a mover and a learner,” said Libby. “But it was through slowing down, through trauma-informed somatic practices, that I began to truly understand how healing happens.” 

With support from the Professional Development Award, Libby enrolled in The Embody Lab’s Somatic Attachment Therapy program. The training bridges neuroscience, movement therapy, and attachment theory, offering a rich complement to her academic coursework. 

As she works toward becoming a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Libby plans to integrate somatic awareness into her future sessions, using tools like breathwork, mindful movement, and trauma-informed language. 

“I’m excited to help clients reconnect with their bodies as a way to build stronger, more authentic relationships,” she shared. 

Libby also holds a deep commitment to decolonizing wellness practices. 

“Yoga has a rich, 2,000-year history," Libby said. "As I make it accessible to more people, I want to honor the tradition it comes from while making space for it to be a tool for healing in modern therapy.” 

Passion-Fueled Professionals in the Making 

Lisa and Libby’s stories remind us that effective counseling is as diverse as the people it serves. Whether through financial wellness or somatic healing, both students are embodying the spirit of National Counseling Month and making a meaningful impact by fusing personal experiences with professional goals. As they continue their journeys, they are not only building careers; they are expanding what counseling can look like for the next generation. 

—Jody Choi, master's student in Couples and Family Therapy, is a graduate employee for the Division of Graduate Studies focused on professional development.