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Jenny Pan

Jenny Pan

Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, CA | AMFT #155590

"Getting a diagnosis isn't the end of something — it's the breath of fresh air your lungs forgot how to take."

My Story: Caught Between Cultures

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I am a first-generation Chinese American, born in Taiwan and raised in New York.

 

I'm fluent in Mandarin and deeply connected to my cultural roots. But growing up, I often felt like I had to shapeshift to belong — blend in, stay quiet, strive for perfection.

 

I carried the weight of being 'too much' in some spaces and 'not enough' in others. Over time, I've come to embrace what makes me different.

 

I wear my heritage with pride, speak my truth with courage, and hold my healing journey as a testament to resilience.

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Early Struggles, Undiagnosed

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I immigrated to the U.S. at age 9 and endured years of bullying due to emotional, physical, and learning differences.
 

Like many kids in the '80s, I went undiagnosed for ADHD — though I carried many of its traits. No one had a name for what made things so hard. That silence cost me years.

A Neurodivergent Marriage — Unrecognized

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Later in life, I married someone who was eventually diagnosed with autism — after our divorce.

 

For 15 years, we struggled to connect, not realizing that we were a neurodivergent couple trying to operate in a neurotypical model of marriage.

 

I now understand that what I experienced was Cassandra Syndrome: the chronic loneliness, the emotional disconnection, the constant questioning of my own reality. At the time, I didn't have a name for any of it.

 

Today, I can look back and name it — and I want others to know they are not alone.

Parenting in a Neurodiverse World

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Today I'm the mother of two children, including a daughter with ADHD.

 

Our family navigates the neurodiverse world every day — messy, beautiful, and real. We've chased accurate diagnoses, weighed options, and rebuilt our routines as needs evolved.

 

I don't approach neurodiversity as theory. I live it.

The Impact of Therapy on My Life

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Therapy didn't just help me — it changed everything.

I often say my therapist was like a breath of fresh air to lungs that had forgotten how to breathe. Therapy gave me space to rediscover my voice, to grieve and heal, and to show up for my children in a way that felt grounded and whole.


Becoming a therapist was a leap of faith. I wanted to give others the same compassion and clarity I received when I was lost.

Why Assessment Matters So Much to Me

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For so many adults, the assessment process is the first time someone has looked at their full story with fresh eyes and said: 'This makes sense.' The ADHD and autism traits you've been carrying for decades deserve to be understood with accuracy and care.

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I bring particular sensitivity to clients who have been overlooked, dismissed, or told they were 'too much' or 'not enough.'

 

I know what it feels like to carry those words. And I know how powerful it is when someone finally takes the time to see you clearly.

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I also offer assessments in Mandarin (and Chinglish) — creating a space that feels more natural and deeply connecting for clients from similar cultural backgrounds.

What Makes My Assessments Different
 

I bring a trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and emotionally attuned lens to every evaluation.

 

Assessment with me isn't a clinical transaction. It's a collaborative process — one that honors your history, your background, and the layers of identity that shape how you've moved through the world.
 

Many of my clients carry both neurodivergent traits and the weight of cultural expectations — the pressure to 'save face,' the stigma around mental health in immigrant families, the sense that asking for help is a sign of weakness.

I hold all of that with understanding. Your culture and your neurotype are both welcome here.

Support During and After Your Assessment

 

Receiving a diagnosis can bring enormous relief — and it can also stir up grief, anger, or questions about what could have been different. At AAA, therapeutic support is built into the assessment process, not added as an afterthought.
 

I am also trained in EMDR, a trauma-focused approach that helps the brain reprocess painful experiences so they no longer feel as overwhelming.

For clients whose late diagnosis surfaces old wounds — childhood shame, relational trauma, the accumulated cost of masking — EMDR can be a powerful bridge between getting answers and truly healing.
 

You won't be handed a report and left to figure it out alone. I'll stay with you through the whole process, and beyond.

Assessment Specialties

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  • Adult ADHD Evaluation

  • Autism Spectrum Assessment for late-identified adults

  • AuDHD (Autism + ADHD co-occurring) Assessment

  • Culturally-sensitive assessment for multicultural and immigrant backgrounds

  • Cassandra Syndrome and the partner experience

  • Masking, burnout, and late identification in women

  • Bilingual assessment in Mandarin / Chinglish

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Modalities

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  • Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

  • Brainspotting (Phase 1)

  • Gottman Method (Level 1)

  • Trauma-Informed Therapy

  • Traditional CBT & TEAM-CBT

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Education & Training

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  • M.A., Marriage and Family Therapy — Western Seminary

  • B.S., Finance & Accounting — New York University

  • Co-author, Asian American Chronicles: Tales of Mental Health & Hope

  • Graduate-level training in psychological and neurodiverse assessment

  • Supervised by Dr. Harry Motro, LMFT #53452

  • Employed by New Path Family of Therapy Centers

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A Final Word

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Whether you've suspected autism or ADHD for years or are just beginning to ask the questions, you deserve to be fully seen — not just clinically, but as a whole person, with a history, a culture, and a story that matters.
 

I'm honored to be part of the moment when things finally begin to make sense.

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