Alice Qianhui Gao 高千惠
My vision is to help everyone experience genuine laughter and heartfelt happiness✨
I hold a joint Ph.D. from the East China Normal University and NYU Shanghai Joint Program, where I conducted empirical research on psychological interventions under the guidance of Professor Pekka Santtila. My work focuses on developing online self-help tools grounded in evolutionary psychology, with the goal of seamlessly integrating them into daily life to support diverse populations and maximize their impact.
My foundation in this field was built during my Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Syracuse University, where I provided over 500 hours of face-to-face counseling to community members and honed my clinical skills through 170 hours of professional supervision. These hands-on experiences have equipped me with practical insights that deeply inform my current research.
Today, I am dedicated to enhancing the accessibility and effectiveness of mental health services through innovative approaches and technology. My ultimate goal is to empower individuals to achieve inner peace and lasting happiness, making mental health care more inclusive and transformative for all.
Research Interest: Evolutionary Psychology, Human Sexuality
Email: alicegao1994@gmail.com
Resume: Click to Download
Back Ground
East China Normal University-NYU Shanghai – Shanghai, China
PhD, Applied Psychology (Sep 2020 - Mar 2025)
Thesis: Decreasing Negative Effects of Evolved Psychological Mechanisms: Evolutionary Perception Adjustment Interventions (EPAI)
Syracuse University – Syracuse, NY
Master of Arts, Marriage and Family Therapy (Aug 2017 - Aug 2019)
Provided 500+ hours of psychotherapy for locals; received 176 hours supervision
Syracuse University – Syracuse, NY
Certificate Advanced Study, Child Therapy (Jan 2018 - Aug 2019)
Completed additional courses and trainings related to Child therapy, such child-centered game therapy
Dalian Medical University – Dalian, China
Bachelor of Science, Applied Psychology (Sep 2013 - July 2017)
Publications
[1] Gao, Q., Antfolk, J., & Santtila, P. (2023). An experimental study using a sexual strategies explanation to reduce homophobia toward gay men among lay people and healthcare professionals in China. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1143584 Download
[2] Gao, Q., Antfolk, J., & Santtila, P. (2023). An Experiment Using a Sexual Strategies Explanation to Alleviate Internalized Homophobia Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in China. Evol Psychol, 21(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/14747049231179151 Download
[3] Gangamma, R., Tor, S., Whitt, V., Hollie, B., Gao, Q., Stephens, A., Hutchings, R., & Stone Fish, L. (2020). Perceived Discrimination as a Mediator of ACEs and Psychological Distress. The American Journal of Family Therapy, 49(3), 282-298. https://doi.org/10.1080/01926187.2020.1813656 Download
[4] Zheng, Y., Li, Q., Zhang, Y., Li, Q., Shen, H., Gao, Q., & Zhou, S. (2017). Reward processing in gain versus loss context: An ERP study. Psychophysiology, 54(7), 1040–1053. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12855 Download
[5] 袁翠, 高千惠, 刘雪林, 周世昱, 靳媛. 抑郁症的嗅觉功能缺陷：发现与观点 (Olfactory Impairments in Major Depressive Disorderfindings and perspectives). 医学与哲学. 第37卷8B期, 60-63页 (8月, 2016)10.12014/j.issn.1002-0772.2016.08b.21 Download
Professional Experience
Shenzhen University 一 Shenzhen, China
Mental Health Counselor (Part-Time), Student Counseling Center (Oct 2019 一 Dec 2019)
• Provided psychotherapy for students in Shenzhen University.
• Conduct effective intervention (completing safety plan, making referral to psychiatrists, collaborating with the instructor and parents, etc) for students who are in crisis (suicidal/self-harming ideation and behaviors)
• Complete the mental assessment for the freshmen in order to prevent potential crisis
• Providing psychoeducation for students
St Joseph’s Hospital Northeast Medical Center & Child and Adolescence Outpatient — Syracuse, NY
Intern Therapist, Behavioral Health (June 2018 一 June 2019)
• Conducted intake, individual, group, family therapy under supervision to diversity population.
• Collaborated with the clients to create safety plans and treatment plans
• Cooperated with psychiatrists and physicians to provide integrate care
• Communicated with outside settings, including CPS and schools to discuss the clients’ wellbeing
Syracuse University Couple and Family Therapy Center 一 Syracuse, NY
Student Therapist (January 2018 一 January 2019)
• Provided psychoeducation to Syracuse University students through Couple Enrichment program
• Conducted intake, individual, couple and family therapy under supervision to diversity population and completed the case notes; completed safety plans for high risk clients and treatment plan for all the clients; communicated with outside settings, including CPS and schools to discuss the clients’ wellbeing
• Hosted Trans-Support Day as a part of the trans team
Dalian No.7 People’s Hospital (Psychiatric Hospital) 一 Dalian, China
Intern Therapist, Inpatient and Outpatient (April 2017 一 May 2017)
• Organized EEG, ECG, music relaxation and group therapy, and created and implemented safety plans for patients
• Assisted in deciding the dosage and kind of psychiatric medicine for each patient
• Made collaborative diagnoses, devised multi-disciplinary treatment and safety plans, and assessed outcomes
• Collected reports from more than 10 different departments, explained the reports to the patients and obtained their signatures.
• Facilitated cross hospital co-diagnosis and co-treatment
Dalian Sanatorium for Aircraftmen 一 Dalian, China
Intern Therapist, Psychology Department (March 2017 一 April 2017)
• Conducted the routine mental check, including doing questionnaires, EEGs, relaxation training, and analyze the report
• Provided mental recovery services, including doing sand-tray, rational emotive therapy, relaxation therapy and group therapy
Volunteer Experience 一 Dalian, China
Volunteer Tutor For Children with Autism (April 2014)
• Provided mentorship and tutoring services (Mathematics and Chinese)
• Played basic games with the children to help build their social skills