Hmong woman opens multicultural counseling center in Appleton

By Maureen Wallenfang
Post-Crescent staff writer

When Hmong people need family, marriage or mental health counseling services, they typically go to their clan leaders. Seeking wisdom and therapy from elders within each family is a custom rooted in the culture.

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One Hmong woman, however, believes that modern problems like anxiety and depression over recession-related job losses require a more modern approach to counseling.

Maiyoua Thao opened her Harmony Counseling Center in September and hopes to persuade those who need counseling to knock on her door. It will all be worth it, she says, if she can help both the Hmong community and the community at large.

"I have a passion working with people," Thao said. "It's about being a service to the community. I saw there was a need in the Hmong community and through the whole community. The income will come later. I'm glad I got into it."

She sees anxiety and depression counseling as well as post-traumatic stress disorder being particular needs in the Hmong community.

"There is a lot with kids, with adults and with senior people moving to this country," she said. "Moving to this new country, it's a whole new life for them to adapt to. It gives them stress. A lot of the elderly grew up in wartime, the Vietnam war. Everybody's facing economic problems, being laid off, and families are stressed about that."

Some services are available to Hmong through county services using interpreters or for seniors at the Thompson Center. But Thao felt that offering counseling in the Hmong language, for clients of all ages, would be important.

At this early stage, she acknowledges she's on the uphill side of the learning curve.

"Counseling is new to the Hmong community. I'm teaching them what counseling is so they feel safe to come," she said. "It's hard for them to understand what counseling is. Many times, I have to tell them how I help. I explain confidentiality and laws that I go by. I will have to do a lot of teaching and explaining what it is."

Her clinical supervisor, however, says she has a strong start by already having a roster of six clients.

"That's unusual," said Jim Wiedenhoeft, director of mental health services at Chaps Academy, a nonprofit based in Shiocton. Thao is an affiliate in the academy's mental health counseling program.

"She's coming in pretty strong with a good number of people. That would indicate that her practice will grow pretty quickly," Wiedenhoeft said.

He was not only impressed with Thao's ease with language skills, but also her business acumen.

"It's also with her sense of what the community needs. She's exceptional in that area," he said.

Thao's path started in Laos. She moved to the U.S. in 1987, and has a bachelor's degree in human services from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

Together with her husband Chungyia Thao, she ran Universal Translation & Staffing, Tong Xeng Personal Homecare and Wisconsin Hmong Directory.

Maiyoua Thao stepped away from those three businesses — still run by her husband — to returned to school to complete her master of science education degree in professional counseling. She interned with ThedaCare Behavioral Health.

Thao is currently practicing with a training license and is called an advanced practice counselor. After 3,000 hours of work experience, she will be able to reach her goal of becoming a licensed professional counselor.

She redesigned the lower floor of the building she and her husband own on Memorial Drive with new paint, carpeting and comfortable furniture for her Harmony Counseling Center. She intends to also host workshops here.

"I just got training with the sexual crisis center to become a (support group) facilitator so I'm hoping to host some workshops for the Hmong community and the whole Fox Cities communities," she said.

Maureen Wallenfang: 920-993-1000, ext. 287, or mwallenfang@postcrescent.com