Zen Institute Thriving in Tucson

Dec. 19, 2012 - PRLog -- Zen Institute announced today that is seeing amazing results in Tucson. "To serve the world, I created Zen Institute with the intention that more people can receive mental health treatment that is innovative, high quality, and cost effective," said founder Wen Chi Chien.

Chien created Zen Institute to enable her fulfill her vision of serving the world. "I have been providing this exact Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) in my private practice since 2007 with incredible results and a very high success rate. The demand was great and people would fly in from out of state to participate in this unique IOP treatment," said Chien. Most of the time Chien had to maintain a waiting list and she received calls from across the country asking if her program was available in other states. "Due to the overwhelming demand for this program I decided to expand my private practice into a treatment center so I can serve more people!"

Chien added that Zen Institute serves a very diverse population. "The clients who have gone through my IOP include psychiatrists, nurse practitioners, attorneys, registered nurses, school principals, mental health counselors, bankers, business owners, college students, and so many more."

While Zen Institute is a new treatment facility, Chien points out that her program has a proven track record. "Even though Zen Institute is a brand new treatment facility, we just opened in November of this year, this unique IOP treatment is heading into its 7th year next year. Our November IOP was completely full, and the feedback we received from our clients was 100% positive," noted Chien. "The Zen Institute program is designed to end one’s suffering in as few as 12 sessions in 30 days."

Zen Institute is currently enrolling clients for its January 15th Intensive Outpatient Program. Treatment is three times a week for a total of 4 weeks. While most IOP programs offer only group treatment, Zen Institute offers 50% group sessions and 50% individual sessions. "Our clients can learn the tools in the group sessions, and process their specific core issues in the individual sessions," said Chien. "In addition to treatment for PTSD, we offer a groundbreaking treatment for anxiety, depression and addiction that is very similar to an inpatient program, but at a fraction of the cost."

"You are powerful beyond measure! Our role is to provide you the tools to access the amazing power within you," explained Chien.

Chien’s drive to help people stems from her own life experience and recovery. "Exactly 22 years ago, I reached a point when I was ready to end my life. I desperately needed someone to give me the tools I needed so I could move on and start to live the happy life that I wanted. I had to learn how to live."

In 1990 Wen Chi moved to Michigan to pursue her master’s degree in counseling. "Within one year, my father died of heart attack, my husband abandoned me for another woman. Three years prior, my mother died of a stroke. I had no children of my own, no contact with my three older brothers, and lost my parents and my husband. Added to that was years of suffering from severe anxiety, depression, and dealing with culture shock as well as multiple financial issues. I was ready to end my life. I tried to take my life by taking anti-depressant pills, but of course they didn’t kill me. The worst part was that NOW I had to learn how to live. I was so angry with myself, I felt completely worthless, because the only thing I thought that was totally under my control and I screwed up again!"

It was reaching that low that ultimately drove Wen Chi to discover her signature Inner Twin therapy. "The funny thing was that even at the lowest part of my life, I always could hear my inner voice, that little voice kept telling me, ‘Wen Chi, don’t give up, let me help you!’ Later I recognized that it was my authentic self, and also known as my conscience. I started to dialogue with myself by writing it down in my journal, and I named that powerful part of me my "inner twin". What I discovered and experienced was incredibly powerful: ‘Everything I need in order to create a loving peaceful life is right inside of me!’ Every time when I finished the dialogue with myself, I felt stronger and more solid inside. This is how I developed my signature therapy "Inner Twin" work."

"In January 2006, a vision came to me about creating a treatment center, I was terrified, but at the same time I felt excited and peaceful about the possibility of helping more people heal and ultimately to serving the world!"

While working as a therapist at Sierra Tucson, Chien realized that there were many people in need of quality mental health treatment that were not able to afford the $45,000 or more that it costs for a 30 day inpatient program. In 2007 she developed her own Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) offering a unique combination of eastern and western treatment philosophies. She was met with great success, attracting clients from across the country. Soon it became more work than she could handle alone and Zen Institute was born.