Ya-Shu Liang, PhD
Ya-Shu Liang, PhD, is an associate professor and the director of the Clinical PsyD Program at the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant International University, Fresno. She earned her PhD in counseling psychology at the University of Oklahoma. She is a licensed psychologist with experience working with identity, family, trauma, and weight, eating, and body image concerns. Her academic and public scholarship addresses mental health disparities, diversity and inclusion, Asian American psychology, discrimination, and innovative community-based outreach. Liang is passionate about and very active in training, mentoring, community building, and advocacy. Under her leadership, her program was awarded the APA's 2021 Suinn Minority Achievement Program Award for excellence in recruiting, retaining, and graduating ethnic minority students. Liang has also received several regional and federal grants, with which she created the San Joaquin Valley Asian and Pacific Islander Mental Health Project and the San Joaquin Valley Integrated Behavioral Health Project. All of her projects engage students and have been about addressing mental health disparities in local communities through research, community organizing, and advocacy. In addition, Liang is a past president of Central California Asian Pacific Women, a non-profit organization that has empowered generations of API women in Central California. Most recently, Liang was awarded a 3-year Graduate Psychology Education (GPE) grant by the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) to train clinical psychology students in integrated behavioral health in Central California's rural areas. Social justice and advocacy are dear to her heart, and intersectional feminism is her guiding principle. She believes that – through empowerment and connection – people can heal, survive, and thrive!
