In my clinical work, I have assisted counselees in the following areas:
• Counseling for Chronic & Terminal Illnesses: For the seriously ill and dying, counseling from sickness discovery to the final stage; and grief counseling and closure for families.
• Counseling for Depression, Loneliness, and Remorse – “Other nationals” inmates from the PRC, Africa, India, and Pakistan who were devoid of support network during lengthy prison sentences.
• Counseling for Prescription Drug Addiction – Referrals from Hong Kong Sanatorium and other Medical Professional of patients addicted to sleeping pills and anti-depressants.
• Counseling for Low Self-Esteem / Weight Loss / Poor Body Image / Post-Partum Depression. Some weight-loss and counselees with bodily pain issues have progressed from clinical counseling to additional physical training in yoga and sports therapy, an area I am also certified in.
• Counseling for Overcoming Childhood Abuse (Emotional, Physical, and Sexual).
• Counseling for Couples on Pre-Marriage, Marriage, and Sexual Dysfunction.
• Counseling for Children & Parents on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD); Speech Delays; Mild ASD.
• Counseling for the Suicidal: Ideation and Loss of Meaning for Life.
• Counseling for Grief: from Separation, Divorce, Death, & Other Losses.
• Counseling for Survivors of Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Growing phenomenon of internet love scams through predators’ access via social media and other online platforms.
In the early years, my focus had been on pastoral and prison ministry (weekly visitation to Category A-C prisons; liaison with legal aid & prosecution; support to inmates’ families); as well as working with medical practitioners on prescriptive drug addiction through Hong Kong Sanatorium. From 2017 to the onset of Covid, I had been involved in counseling Stage 3 patients in remission to providing palliative care to late-stage cancer patients in several public hospitals, namely Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, as well as Caritas Medical Centre.
During this time, I also worked as a practicum supervisor for Kaplan Education-Monash University’s Master of Counseling (MOC)’s Professional Placement Programme. Per MOC’s professional guidelines, students secured internships with NGOs dealing with counseling situations not involving mental disturbances and/or serious dysfunctions requiring medical interventions. While the programme was terminated in Hong Kong due to drop in local intake from poor economic conditions, having had the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with a motley group with mixed background and ethnicities, yet unanimously sharing a single-minded intention of becoming empathetic team leaders, life coaches, and full-time counselors, had been as fulfilling for them as it had been for me.
Since the onset of Covid from the beginning of 2020, there has been a focus in counseling needs relating to social isolation, self-esteem, career change & redirection, as well as bodily pain management. The shift in caseloads, one which is mirroring and evolving with the times, has offered a horizon broadening and repertoire to which I am grateful.
As a counselor, I do not discriminate based on background, ethnicity, ideology, and religion. I believe in effective, short-term therapy where counselees are gauged for their willingness to work through the changes necessary for developmental growth, one of the unnegotiable elements that make or break their paths to recovery and self-actualization. My core value – one which is action-based and consistently relatable to students and counselees – is leading by example, taking the initiative and demonstrating to ourselves & those we seek to help, by being our own change agents and best cheerleaders, the salt and the light we hope to see in the world.
Consequently, my counseling approach is a personalized, holistic process focused on cognitive-behavioral therapy and solution-focused brief therapy. My aim is to provide a speedy process to assist counselees in regaining control and overcoming difficulties in their lives. Presenting symptoms are tackled head-on through the setting of assignments that jumpstarts a paradigm shift away from entrenched thinking and behavioural patterns. I believe in an eclectic, multi-disciplinary approach, as the highest achievable state of health cannot be attained without fully addressing and aligning body-mind connections. It is my goal to help counselees feel whole, alive, and fulfilled – at the briefest time possible.
Finally, I have been a registered yoga teacher since 2012 with training in sports and manual therapy. Physical therapy is an alternative tool to reach out to individuals in all age groups who may not respond well to conventional intervention strategies or hypnotherapy. By targeting musculoskeletal pain stemming from structural misalignments; left-right side/upper-lower body imbalances; age-related stiffness; degenerative ailments; involuntary tremours; other physical discomfort and issues head-on, while simultaneously giving therapeutic suggestions, profound behavioural changes invariably begin to transpire. Manipulative therapy involving tailored assisted stretching, strength-building, and manual adjustments (joint mobilization, kneading and manipulation of muscles) works well for children who do not have a history of preconditioning, but is equally efficacious to other age groups. Through my experience, the body-mind-spirit connection is speedily felt when the physical is used to bring about cognitive consciousness and dexterity, allowing favourable, behavioural changes to take root over time. Concomitant with my experience in investment banking/portfolio management/financial planning, all-round support in mental equanimity, emotional stability, physical fitness, and pecuniary advice together serves to bring about a greater sense of freedom and wellness.