I am writing this letter in strong support of [Client Name]'s application for asylum. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of California (License #96859). I have been in clinical practice since 2012 and have held my California license since October 31, 2016. I have extensive experience working with trauma survivors and immigrants, including individuals navigating the asylum process, and I am familiar with the psychological impact of persecution, displacement, and forced migration.

Treatment History

I have been providing individual psychotherapy to Ms. [Client Name] since October 2025. To date, we have completed approximately [18] sessions, meeting [weekly] for 50-minute sessions. Ms. [Client Name] initially sought treatment due to persistent anxiety, recurrent nightmares, emotional dysregulation, and significant distress related to her experiences in China. She reported difficulty functioning in daily life and expressed a pervasive sense of fear and hopelessness.

Clinical Observations and Diagnosis

Through my direct clinical observation and assessment of Ms. [Client Name] over the course of our therapeutic relationship, I have diagnosed her with the following conditions in accordance with the DSM-5:

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) — DSM-5 309.81
• Major Depressive Disorder, Moderate — DSM-5 296.22
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder — DSM-5 300.02

Ms. [Client Name] presents with the following clinically observed symptoms:

• Recurrent, involuntary, and distressing intrusive memories and nightmares directly related to her unlawful detention by Shenzhen public security authorities in 2021, during which she was held for 11 days without formal charges and subjected to coercive interrogation
• Marked hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, and chronic difficulty sleeping
• Intense and prolonged psychological distress when exposed to cues associated with Chinese government authority, uniformed figures, or news coverage related to China
• Persistent negative alterations in cognition and mood, including feelings of shame, guilt, and hopelessness; pervasive belief that she will never be safe regardless of where she is
• Active avoidance of thoughts, conversations, and external reminders associated with her detention and the events that preceded it, including refusal to view any China-related media
• Significant impairment in social, occupational, and daily functioning

It is my clinical assessment that these symptoms are directly and causally connected to the persecution and traumatic experiences Ms. [Client Name] endured in China. In the course of our sessions, Ms. [Client Name] has provided detailed, consistent, and clinically coherent accounts of her targeting by local authorities in Shenzhen following her participation in community rights advocacy activities in 2020 and 2021, her subsequent unlawful detention, and the ongoing harassment of her family members by government officials after her departure from China. Her symptom presentation is clinically consistent with the trauma history she has described.

Prognosis and Risk Assessment

Ms. [Client Name] is currently engaged in an integrative, trauma-focused approach incorporating somatic and psychodynamic modalities, and is making slow but consistent progress under clinical care. In my professional opinion, forced return to China would constitute a severe psychological risk and would in all clinical likelihood cause acute deterioration of her mental health conditions. Ms. [Client Name] has clearly and consistently expressed a credible fear that returning would expose her to renewed persecution by Shenzhen Public Security Bureau officials and affiliated authorities, which would severely exacerbate her PTSD and depressive symptoms and could place her at risk of psychiatric crisis. Continued access to mental health treatment and a safe environment in the United States is not merely beneficial — it is essential to her psychological stability, recovery, and long-term well-being.

Conclusion

Based on my ongoing clinical assessment and therapeutic relationship with Ms. [Client Name], it is my professional opinion that she suffers from serious mental health conditions that are directly consistent with the trauma and persecution she has described. She presents with a well-founded, clinically supported fear of persecution, and her return to China would pose a significant and foreseeable risk to her mental health and physical safety. I strongly and without reservation support her application for asylum.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you require any additional clinical information or have questions regarding this letter.

Sincerely,

Phu Luu, LMFT #96859
Astraea Therapy, a Marriage and Family Therapy Corporation
Rowland Heights, CA
phu@astraeatherapy.com  |  (909) 713-3377