Frequently Asked Questions
Below are the questions people ask most often before they get in touch. If your question does not appear here, you are welcome to ask it on a discovery call.
Getting started
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Start with a free 15 minute discovery call. You can describe what has been happening, ask whatever you need to ask, and hear how I would approach it. If we decide to go ahead, I will send an intake and consent form to complete before the first session, and we will arrange a time that suits you.
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The first session is for understanding. I will ask about what brought you to counselling, how it affects daily life, what you have already tried, and what you would like to be different. I also ask about your circumstances, relationships and strengths, because these shape the work. By the end, we will have agreed a focus and a plan for how to proceed.
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Yes. I see children from age 3 to 12, teenagers from 13, and adults individually. I also work with families together, with couples, with school staff, and with workplace teams.
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For younger children, parents are closely involved, and I will usually meet you first to hear your account before I meet your child. Teenagers often prefer some private time in session, and I will explain at the start what I share with you and what stays between us. Parental or guardian consent is required for anyone under 18.
Sessions and practical arrangements
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In person at 2/F, 53 to 55 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong, or online by secure video. Some families use both, for example meeting in person to begin and online during school terms or travel.
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Counselling, family therapy and parenting coaching are available in English and Cantonese. Group mindfulness courses run in English, and individual mindfulness training is available in English and Cantonese.
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Adult and family sessions run for 60 or 75 minutes. Sessions for children run for 45 or 60 minutes, and we will choose the length that suits your child's age, attention and needs. Weekly sessions are usual at the beginning, because momentum matters early on, and many people move to fortnightly or monthly as things settle. We will agree the frequency together and review it as the work develops.
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That depends on what you bring and what you want to change. A focused parenting or single situation concern may take six to eight sessions. Longer standing patterns, family difficulties or work with children often take longer. I will give you my honest view after the first or second session, and we will review progress regularly rather than continuing by default.
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Monday to Friday, 10am to 7pm, and Saturday, 10am to 2pm.
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For brief, non urgent matters, you are welcome to email or send a WhatsApp message, and I usually reply within one to two working days. I do not offer a crisis service. In a mental health emergency, please call 999 or Samaritans Hong Kong on 2382 0000.
Fees and policies
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Sessions for children, including play therapy, are HKD 1,400 for 45 minutes and HKD 1,800 for 60 minutes. Individual sessions for adults are HKD 1,800 for 60 minutes and HKD 2,250 for 75 minutes. Couples and family sessions are HKD 2,000 for 60 minutes and HKD 2,500 for 75 minutes. Fees for mindfulness courses, school training and workplace programmes depend on the format and number of participants, so please ask and I will give you a clear quotation. Fees are reviewed periodically, and I will tell you in advance of any change.
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Play therapy is available for children from age 3 to 12. A 45 minute session usually includes therapeutic play with your child and a brief handover with you at the end, so you know what we worked on and what to try at home. A 60 minute session gives room for extended parent consultation, for parent and child work together, or simply for a child who needs more time. The length depends on what your child needs rather than age alone. We will agree to it when we plan the work, and I will tell you if I think a change would serve your child better.
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Please give at least 24 hours notice to cancel or reschedule. Sessions cancelled with less than 24 hours notice, or missed without notice, are charged in full, other than in a true emergency. If you arrive late, the session will still end at the scheduled time and the full fee applies.
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Payment is due at or before each session, and I will confirm the accepted payment methods when you complete your intake form. I do not bill insurers or employee assistance providers directly. I can issue a receipt for you to submit to your insurer or provider, and it is sensible to check your cover before we begin.
Confidentiality
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Yes. What you share in counselling stays confidential, and I will not disclose it without your written consent, with limited exceptions required by law and professional ethics: where there are reasonable grounds to believe you are at serious and imminent risk of harming yourself, where you pose a serious and imminent risk to another identifiable person, where a court of competent jurisdiction orders disclosure, and where I am required to report suspected child abuse, neglect or exploitation under the Protection of Children and Juveniles Ordinance (Cap. 213). Where it is safe and appropriate to do so, I will tell you before making a report.
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Like all responsible practitioners, I discuss my clinical work with a qualified supervisor, and occasionally consult another professional in complex cases. Identifying details are anonymised as far as possible. Session notes are stored securely and kept in line with professional guidelines and Hong Kong law, including the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486). You may request access to your records, subject to legal limits.
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I use a secure video platform, and I ask you to join from a private space where you will not be overheard. Please note that complete confidentiality cannot be assured when other people are physically present with you.
Approach and qualifications
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I hold a Master of Social Sciences in Counselling from the University of Hong Kong. I am an Oxford trained mindfulness teacher, and a certified trainer in mindful parenting and Gordon Training. I also have certified training in play, family and group therapy. Before counselling, I practised as a lawyer, which shapes how I think about evidence, confidentiality and careful reasoning.
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I work in a person centred way and draw on family systems thinking, solution focused and cognitive behavioural approaches, motivational interviewing, schema therapy, positive parenting tools and mindfulness. Which of these I draw on depends on you. Counselling is a collaborative process, and outcomes are not guaranteed, so I would rather agree a focus with you and review it honestly than promise a result.
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No. I do not carry out psychiatric or educational diagnostic assessment and I do not prescribe. If an assessment or medical opinion would help, I will say so and discuss a referral to an appropriate professional in Hong Kong.
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Yes. I deliver professional development for educators on mindfulness, wellbeing and child development and behaviour, parent workshop series for schools, and resilience and wellbeing programmes for workplaces, including support for working parents. Programmes can be arranged as a full eight week course, a shorter series, or a single talk or workshop.
Still have a question?
Tell me a little about your situation and what you are looking for, and I will reply with a clear view of whether I can help. If I am not the right person, I will say so and point you elsewhere where I can.