Meet Judy Lui, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards Micro-Business Finalist

Your Story Counselling Services is a multicultural, inclusive, BIPOC clinic that offers online services as well as in-person sessions in Vaughan and Markham. Judy Lui and her team of clinicians and supervised therapist interns offer trauma-informed, clinical counselling in the form of art, play, and talk therapy. With an emphasis on social equity and justice, Your Story offers counselling at a range of fee levels. Judy continues to see her own clients, manage the business as Clinical Director, and mentor Master’s-level therapist interns.

Judy has been featured in the Toronto Star, where she discussed the impact of mental health struggles and the toll of COVID-19 on romantic relationships. She also co-authored a chapter in the first edition of An Intersectional Approach to Sex Therapy Centering the Lives of Indigenous, Racialized, and People of Color. She is a committee member with the Anti-Racism Advocacy Group at the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, where she helps organize community events and panels on racial trauma and advocacy. 

I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur when… I realized that unless I owned my own business, I would be having to work under someone else’s rules and expectations of me for the rest of my career. 

Entrepreneurship is made for me because… it allows me to work in a way that best suits my needs. I relish the flexibility to create my own structure as an entrepreneur. I take my responsibility of creating a safe and happy work environment for myself and my team very seriously. 

The impact I hope to make through my work is… to inspire others to carve out their own paths. I don’t come from the entrepreneurship world, but I knew that opening my own business would allow me the freedom to do things the way I want, and accomplish the dreams I had longed for!

One of the most important lessons I’ve learned on my entrepreneurial journey is…  to always follow your gut. At the end of the day, your business is an extension of who you are, and you will always know your needs better than anyone else. 

My proudest accomplishment is… opening the student internship program at Your Story Counselling. I’m proud that we can offer an affordable therapy service to our community while supporting and growing the next generation of psychotherapists to be trauma informed and culturally sensitive in their therapeutic approach. As a young BIPOC student, I did not see myself represented in my academic and professional career. I’m so proud that alongside my team, we get to do our part in filling in that gap! 

The biggest risk I took that paid off was… expanding my business at the “wrong time.” When others closed their doors and went virtual in 2020, we stayed open as an essential service, upgrading to a bigger office and hiring new team members! This risk allowed our clients the quality of care they needed, while allowing us to grow in the midst of a global pandemic and economic crisis. 

The best advice I’ve received as an entrepreneur was… to be unique. Comparison is the thief of joy. Trust yourself and stay on the path that feels right! Remember what makes you unique and be proud of it! 

I surprise people when I tell them… I own a business. As a woman of colour, I am often overlooked in spaces across industries and fields.

If I had an extra hour in the day, I would use it to… spend more time with my loved ones! Your business is often your baby — you are never too far away from it (even when taking time off!)

If you googled me, you still wouldn’t know… that travelling is my passion and I love learning new things about the world. I find it so fascinating that no matter how seemingly different people are in cultures, traditions, and customs, you can always find the common thread of what unites us as humans.

Connect with YourStory Counselling Services on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube.