Meet Dr, Chevvy Cheung: Psychological Health and Relationship Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dr, Chevvy Cheung and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dr, Chevvy, we’d love to hear what makes you happy.
On a personal level, my sons (3 & 5) bring me the most experiences of joy. Being able to hear and see them laugh, watch them sleep peacefully, read books, ride bikes, play “tag” in addition to supporting their development of and observing the implementation of new skills, discover novel things (while off their screens) and for them to feel secure with their mother and I allows me to the opportunity to feel youthful, energized and at peace. Their curiosity encourages me to continue being curious about the world, my capacity as a father and what it truly means to feel fulfilled. Although being a parent to two little dudes isn’t always easy, they are a constant reminder for me to be present in the moment, truly value the small things (that are actually the big things) and recognize what love and happiness are-on a daily basis. I can’t think of anything more fun than to witness the happiness they give to their grandparents! Being outdoors with my wife and sons is a necessary distraction and break from on-line teaching/coaching and for my older boy-virtual schooling. We are fortunate to live within walking distance to the beach, a canal with plenty of ducks, geese and peacocks in addition to multiple parks. Since Covid hit, just being able to get outside and take the occasional short road trips have really given us respite. Aside from my time with my boys, finishing workouts are pure joy! Getting through a novel regimen and challenging myself daily with physical activity sets my mornings off with the energy and clarity to be at my best with work and family. The sense of accomplishment that I experience with the completion of workouts fuels the rest of my day and establishes a positive mindset. Reading has been invaluable- whether a work of fiction (which gets me into a different dimension) or learning new skills from educational texts enhances my skill set as a coach, father, educator and partner. Cooking (and of course eating good food) has always been fun especially new recipes-but I am really happy when my wife and kids express satisfaction with my efforts. One of my favorite responses is from my 3 year-old, “It’s good, Daddy”. Demonstrating generosity and altruism through volunteer work, donating to charity and cooking for my neighbors is very fulfilling-providing me with a sense of connection to others and feeling helpful! What is better than seeing people smile? On a professional level, I am fortunate enough to thoroughly enjoy my work. There are so many things about being a Life and Relationship coach that I truly love. One, (especially for the men) is for them to feel understood on an emotional level. It is clear when I “get it right” and attune to clients’ internal experiences. We, for our time together are connected and in-tune. For them, they feel validated for their emotional processes. I can see when their posture shifts and tension is released. For all of us, being understood and validated for how we feel by another person makes us feel less alone and ultimately promotes psychological and emotional well-being. Another, is when I support my clients in realizing the importance of recognizing and attuning to their own emotional needs. We as a society often lack the realization of how important emotional attunement is to ourselves and others, especially amongst men. Further, is the opportunity to coach my clients to express their emotional needs in healthy and constructive ways to their partners and family members. Helping men open lines of communication with their partners has proven to be so beneficial for their psychological/emotional health and vastly improving the quality of their relationships. One of the most rewarding aspects of being a Life and Relationship Coach is supporting clients in reaching their goals. Although not always an easy process, we work together to identify blind spots, negative self-messages and internal blocks that had idled them in the past. My work involves recognizing not just how our minds and hearts work, but also developing awareness and recognition of our physiological states-which can reveal where in the body negative emotions are felt, how past trauma continues to plague and how to use body state recognition to tap into our ability to manage stress, be confident, empathic and action-oriented. I can’t articulate how fun and exciting it is to help couples get along better! Using mindfulness and other evidenced based practices, it is so satisfying helping couples moderate their emotional states during conflict, observe their improved ability to “fight fairly” and changing the patterns of behaviors that had caused feelings of resentment and disconnection. It is so gratifying seeing couples implement the techniques discussed during sessions and then to see the actual shifts in how they speak to each other, look at one another and how much closer they sit next to each other during our subsequent sessions. Witnessing positive change (and being a part of it) is one of the most rewarding aspects of my work. I leave sessions with clients pumped-up and invigorated! Coaching is, for me much more than a way to make money-I can support my clients to experience happiness and develop the skills to increase their happiness potential! What makes me happy? In my daily reflections and in putting this short piece together I know it is the people I have the fortune of having in my life, being the best coach and educator I can be and the opportunities to nourish and strengthen my body, mind and soul. 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I am a Life and Relationship Coach in private practice. What sets me apart from others is that I am genuinely “me” in my interactions with clients. We all have training and certifications, but no one else is me! I truly love being a coach and I have been told by my clients that they know I truly “care for their well-being”. I am not in this field just for the money. I have a genuine dedication to the well-being of my clients. I am most proud of seeing my clients recognize their emotional needs, develop the capacity to communicate them and be attuned to their partners. I can’t express how exciting it is when my clients don’t need me any longer and when they tell me how much better they feel and how well they manage conflicts in their relationship. I had a few mentors provide me with feedback in building my practice-invaluable advice and suggestions. The way I overcame challenges is by having a positive mindset-with the focus on being better. What I do especially well is give my clients the support to be in-touch with themselves on an emotional and psychological level. I recognize the challenges of being a Man in today’s society-my work with men is to bring them to a place where they can value their own needs, and the contributions they offer to their partners and children. Men are challenged to support their children and partners at the expense of their own fulfillment-I know it doesn’t have to be that way. I help bring balance and experiences of connection to the lives of my clients.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Wow, I love moms and pops restaurants and chefs who can stay true to tradition as well as those who are innovators! My wife and I love visiting dive-bars but also enjoy the occasional upper scale locales. For any fans of Chinese food-hit up Alhambra joints like: Eurasia for dim-sum, Savoy for their curry and Phoenix for the basil fish. On the westside, we love Cabo Cantina in Venice and C&O Trattoria (check out the garlic rolls)! 26 Beach has a delectable brunch menu. For drinks, bar food and good company-Backstage in Culver City (nightly karaoke)! The crab cakes at Overland Cafe are ridiculous! For Brazilian, Cafe Brasil in Culver City. For BBQ-Morphias in Marina Del Rey. For Wine and Italian-Sara’s in Culver City. Of course, being on the westside-the beach! Especially during the winter months, sand dunes are constructed-so much fun sliding down for the kiddos and adults alike.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My children, my wife, my parents, my sister, my in-laws, my friends, my nieces, my nephews, my colleagues and of course, my clients! On a professional level, I would like to thank all of the researchers, practitioners and coaches who have come before me. Shout-out to the body-brain professionals and couples practitioners! I have learned so much about how the brain works, how our emotions affect us, how to better communicate and how to work with our body to be at our best.

Website: Mindmuscleheartlifecoaching.com
Instagram: @DrChevv
Facebook: Mind, Muscle & Heart @MindMuscleheartlifecoaching.com
Other: Thumbtack and Bark,com “Dr. Chevvy Cheung, MSW, PsyD.”