Comfort Zone
A look inside Director of Counseling & Psychological Services Dr. Szu-Hui Lee’s office
Fall 2026
For the past 13 years, Director of Counseling & Psychological Services Dr. Szu-Hui Lee has been helping Exonians navigate the demands of schoolwork, life away from home and the timeless, yet ever-evolving challenges of adolescence. While she spends much of her day listening, Lee’s office tells its own story of her upbringing, interests and approach to her work.
“We as counselors have a unique opportunity to engage with students,” Lee says. “In a very evaluative world, our role gets to just be a great listener, a partner, a guide and a mentor, in some ways. And I think that’s such a unique experience that we get to do that with them.”
Before arriving at Exeter, Lee counseled adults. “I would find myself meeting with my clients,” Lee says, “and think, Oh gosh, I wish we had met a little earlier, because some of the knots I was trying to help adults untangle actually started when they were much younger.”
She says there’s never a dull moment working with teenagers: “The students keep me on my toes and challenge me clinically, and at the same time they are so wonderful. It makes my work really rewarding.”
“I want the students to feel a sense of calm when they come to my office. I don’t have the overhead lights on, I’ll have the diffuser going. I’ll meet them outside the office and let them walk in first, that shows I’m taking their lead before we’ve even begun our session.”
“These are fidgets that the students like to play with when we meet. They’ll make all kinds of designs out of these magnetic beads. You can see someone has organized them by color. Some people get really offended when they come in and they’re in a different shape, like: ‘Who touched my artwork? Who’s been in your office?’ They all think that they’re my only client.”
“My husband took these photos during our travels. We’ve been to Taiwan multiple times where I have a big extended family. I tell my kids stories about my family in Taiwan all the time, so when they get there the transition is easy because they’ve heard about their aunties, they’ve seen their pictures, they’ve eaten some of the food. That immediate connection and bond is there.”
“I immigrated to California from Taiwan when I was 10 years old. I was a first-generation college student and when I left for graduate school in Ohio my father gifted me this scroll. The translation is ‘persevere for a moment and the winds will calm and the waves will settle; take one step back and the sea is wide, the sky is vast.’ I think my dad knew my journey ahead would not be easy, and he wanted me to know the value of slowing down, the need to keep perspective and that everything will be alright.”
