Healthy Relationships

with Emily Hsu, PhD and Danna Torres, LMFT

Healthy Relationships

Episode 7, Season 5 | November 20, 2024

Show Notes

We live every day in relationship with others. Sometimes those relationships are healthy and have a positive impact on our well-being, and sometimes they do not. In this new episode, we talk with CHC experts, Emily Hsu, PhD, and Danna Torres, LMFT, about the importance of open, honest communication and why feeling valued and heard matters so much. We’ll also explore signs of an unhealthy relationship—how to recognize when your needs aren’t being met, when boundaries aren’t respected, and when communication breaks down. Join us as we unpack the essentials of building connections rooted in respect, empathy, and mutual support, helping you spot the difference between a positive, nurturing relationship and one that may not be serving you well.

Guest Info

Dr. Hsu is a bilingual (Spanish) licensed psychologist who has experience working with individuals throughout the lifespan utilizing individual, group, and psychological testing. In pursuit of her desire to provide culturally competent and sensitive bilingual services to ethnic minority populations, she enrolled in the Diversity and Community Mental Health Proficiency Track at the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology at Palo Alto University. Dr. Hsu specializes in suicide prevention and intervention, anxiety and mood disorders, trauma recovery, and interpersonal relationships. Dr. Hsu’s research and clinical interests include decreasing mental health disparities, suicidology, and understanding how the complexities of human diversity influence emotional health and coping styles. Her therapeutic approach is integrative and strongly influenced by Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, and aspects of rapport building from the humanistic tradition. Previously, Dr. Hsu completed her APA accredited internship at Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services in Culver City, California and her APA accredited postdoctoral residency at Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City, California. At present, Dr. Hsu also conducts quality management at Center for Social Dynamics.


Danna is a bilingual licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Her work has primarily focused on supporting children, teens and parents through individual therapy, family therapy and parent education. Danna has experience providing therapy to those needing additional support or skills in the areas of executive functioning, behavior management, emotion regulation and learning coping strategies. Having worked in various school settings, Danna is familiar with school supports such as IEPs and 504s. She also works to foster collaborative relationships with schools and outside providers to better inform care for the client. Danna’s therapy style is geared toward improving interpersonal and family dynamics by addressing challenges with communication, conflict resolution, emotion regulation related to trauma, depression, anxiety and neurodevelopmental diagnoses.