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Psychotherapist and Group Counsellor. IFS level 1

Languages: English, German and Dutch. 

Contact Elise Phillipson HERE for a free online 20-minute introduction appointment.

• Are you feeling weighed down by the pain and anger of your past family dynamics, your parents' divorce, even though it happened years ago, for example?
• Do you feel like you have to be perfect all the time because of the constant criticism from your parents growing up? 
• Do you struggle with expressing your feelings and setting boundaries in your relationships? 
• Are unresolved issues from childhood causing tension and arguments in your adult relationships? 
• Is your life negatively impacted by an over-dependence on alcohol or drugs?
• As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, have you faced rejection and judgment from your family and society?

It's okay to feel this way. You are not alone. In fact, many people struggle with the after-effects of negative experiences, past and present, which can lead to depression, anxiety, and anger issues.

It's not uncommon to carry unresolved childhood trauma into adulthood, impacting every aspect of your life. But there is hope for healing. Through a psychodynamic and psychoanalytic approach, we can work through these emotions and find ways to cope and move forward.

Communication is key in any relationship, but it can be especially challenging when you've grown up in a social and family environment that didn't communicate effectively. If you struggle to express your own needs and boundaries, I can help you learn how to communicate more effectively and build stronger relationships.

Betrayals and broken promises can make it hard to trust others and be vulnerable. But it's important to remember that not everyone is the same. Together, we can work on building trust and learning how to open up in a safe and supportive environment.

As a psychotherapist working with a range of modalities, I can help you work through life's challenges which will enable you to find a path towards healthier relationships, at a professional and personal level. 

If you're worried about being judged or misunderstood, please know that I provide a safe and non-judgmental space for all my clients. 

I also have worked extensively with the LBBTQ+ community and can understand the unique challenges and experiences you may face. I can provide a space where you can feel comfortable sharing your thoughts and feelings so you can work through the trauma of rejection, judgment and misunderstandings and learn how to accept and love yourself for who you are.

I understand the challenges you're facing, and I want to help you break free from the unhealthy patterns of your past. Together, we can explore the root causes of these patterns, work through the unresolved trauma and conflicts that are holding you back and find ways to create new, healthier habits to help you live your best life, creating intergenerational change. 

Together, we'll help you overcome feelings of insecurity and unworthiness, and learn how to express your needs, boundaries, and emotions in healthy ways.

And please don't worry about dredging up painful memories from your past. We'll move at your pace and create a safe and supportive environment for you to express your feelings without fear of judgment or misunderstanding.

I understand that some people may be hesitant to seek therapy, but my approach is different. I use a psychodynamic and psychoanalytic approach, which means I'll help you uncover the root of your problems, and we’ll work through them together.

I understand that seeking therapy can be daunting, but it's important to prioritize your mental health and well-being. If you've had bad experiences with therapy in the past, I invite you to give it another try with me. My goal is to create a safe and non-judgmental space where you can feel heard and supported.

Don't let your past family dynamics hold you back any longer. Let's work together towards a happier and healthier future.

I know that time and money can be a concern, but investing in your mental health is an investment in yourself and your future.

If you're ready to break free from the weight of your past and create a brighter future, don't let your objections hold you back from getting the help you need. Let's work together towards a happier and more fulfilling future. 

I offer flexible scheduling options and affordable rates to make therapy accessible to everyone. 

About Elise

I am a psychotherapist who is committed to helping those going through transitions in their lives – voluntary or involuntary – and including LGBTQ+ communities. Using different counselling modalities, I help you learn how to accept and embrace change, look forward and build or discover new opportunities. I believe in working with you and in taking a collaborative approach to help you alleviate your troubles and to reach your goals (usually in around 12 sessions). If you want or need to go deeper, we can take our time and look at the root causes of your hurt and pain, using psychotherapeutic methods, including psychodynamics, psychoanalysis and existential therapy.

I work from the premise that there are external and internal influences that create how we live in and react to the world. That it is a mix of both as creative beliefs that we are not good enough, carrying the burdens and behaviours of the past, that we are somehow broken, not worthy, or at fault. These beliefs create behaviour and thinking patterns that are there to prove to ourselves that these beliefs are right.

As a psychotherapist, it is my role in your life to create a safe, supported space for you to help you, as the expert in your life, to unravel the origins of these beliefs and see if they still apply. 

The therapeutic process is built on trust, unconditional positive regard and compassionate, open-minded listening from the therapist. It is the therapeutic relationship that will be of most benefit to you and therefore therapy will be geared towards your wants, needs and preferences.

I use a wide range of therapeutic modalities to work with you, as I believe that as each person is unique, there is no one-size-fits-all therapy. When we work through your issues or trauma, I apply and adapt Psychodynamic Therapy, Psychoanalytic Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Dialectic Behaviour Therapy, and other focused psychological strategies.

I also facilitate group counselling, in which I work with women going through the [peri-]menopause who are looking for support as I go through this prolonged, impactful change. To join, or find out more about these groups, please schedule a free 20 minute initial assessment by emailing office@mindset.hk.

I am Dutch but born in Germany and raised in Hong Kong, so I had a multicultural, tri-lingual upbringing. My background is in the service industry and in teaching, applicable parts of which influence my psychotherapy methods.

Professional Registrations and Memberships:

I have the following professional memberships/registrations:

• Hong Kong – Registered with the Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association and associate member of the Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong.
• Australia – Certified Practicing Counsellor (Level 2) registered with the Australian Counselling Association.
• United Kingdom – Registered graduate member of the British Psychology Society.

Core Psychology and Psychotherapy Qualifications:

Batchelor of Science (Honours) Psychology with Counselling, First, Open University,  United Kingdom

Master of Counselling, Monash University, Australia

Specialist Training:

I have undertaken and am currently following specialist training from the following institutions: Beck Institute (USA), Internal Family Systems Institute (USA), Pink Therapy (UK), Mental Health Academy (Australia) and Tavistock and Portman, NHS Foundation Trust (UK). 

This gives me the knowledge and skill to work in a range of specialisations and issues:

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Distress resulting from
  • dysfunctional upbringing.
  • Trauma
• Self-esteem and self-belief issues.
• Anger (and Violence)
• Life events: bereavement, divorce, empty nest, menopause to name a few

Elise offers counselling sessions in English, German and Dutch.

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Purchase Online Session Purchase F2F Session

Purchase 4-Session Package — Individual Purchase 4-Session Package — Couples

Languages: English and Cantonese

Contact Damien Kwok HERE for a free online 20-minute introduction appointment.

Coming from a background that includes corporate as well as personal training, I am a counsellor with a depth of experience. Are you feeling trapped or helpless in your current circumstances and struggling to deal with the life adversities you are facing, and the emotional distress you are experiencing? Do you want to be heard, understood, and get the support you need, to act on improving your well-being and developing your ability to manage or overcome your struggles constructively?

Damien believes our perspectives on life are built on and shaped by family upbringing, environments, cultural and societal beliefs, as well as past and present experiences, that are often out of our control and unexpected. Some of the negative impacts and effects can cause long-lasting painful emotional difficulties, excessive anxiety, shame, fear and self-criticism.

Sometimes, not knowing how else to cope, we resort to problematic behaviours (such as emotional eating, gaming, self-harm) or substance use for short-term relief and escape but causing detrimental long-term consequences in our lives and trapping us in repeating cycles. Other times we are prevented from achieving our goals, realising our potentials, and building the relationships we want.

I am a psychotherapist helping people to understand their experiences, develop awareness of problematic thought and behaviour patterns, and engage in the process of learning deeply about themselves, healing from the past, and moving towards achieving desired results. I work with adult and adolescent clients who need support for difficulties in coping with anxieties, addiction (behavioural and substance), issues related to body image, emotional eating, shame and interpersonal relationships.

In a safe, empathic, and confidential space, I seek to listen to you without judgement nor criticism, to be on your side to support you in exploring your issues, identifying your strengths, clarifying your values and goals. As an alliance, I collaborate with you to develop self-compassion, self-awareness and the skills needed, and create realistic and workable action plans together. I provide the motivation, support, and accountability you need at each step, and share with you the successes and setbacks along the way.

I take an individualised approach that meets each person’s unique situation and needs. Sometimes, people just need to be heard and understood without judgement. Other times, they look to gain deeper understanding of their thoughts and feelings, more clarity to their difficulties, and find ways to move forward. I draw from a variety of counselling modalities, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy, to help clients manage presenting issues differently, to create some breathing space for growth and implementing long-term changes that move them towards living the way they choose to.

We all have the capacity to take positive actions towards healing and becoming more resilient emotionally. Maintaining our health and well-being is a set of skills we can all learn and practice throughout our lives.

Professional Qualifications and Membership

• Master of Counselling, Monash University, Australia
• Master of Business Systems, Monash University, Australia
• Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Bachelor of Commerce, Monash University, Australia
• Member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
• Member of the Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association (HKPCA)
• Member of the Hong Kong Society of Counseling and Psychology (HKSCP)

I have also undertaken specialist training from the following institutions: Beck Institute (USA), ACT Mindfully (Australia), The Gottman Institute (USA), Mental Health Academy (Australia), Monash University (Australia).

Before my psychotherapy training, I worked in the Information Technology, Finance, and Fitness Industries for over 20 years, from tech start-ups to multinational corporations. I am also a competitive athlete and strength coach.

Damien offers psychotherapy and counselling in English and Cantonese.

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Purchase Online Session Purchase 4-Session Package — Individual

Registered & Accredited Counsellor specialising in depth therapy for trauma

Languages: English.

Availability: Online sessions.

Contact Chris Dudgeon HERE for a free online 20-minute introduction appointment.

Do you want to break free from the shadow of trauma?

I am a qualified, registered counsellor offering depth counselling for trauma, addiction and the search for meaning.

Overcoming the effects of trauma is about making our body and our life a safe place to be again. The effects of trauma which I work most often with are:

• Substance dependency
• Problematic ways of coping, such as pornography use, gambling or gaming
• Severe anxieties such as attacks of panic, intrusive thoughts and social anxiety
• Compulsive intimacy, emotional distance and other relational difficulties
• Persistent low mood and feelings of depression
• Low self-esteem, body image and distressed eating
• Other ways of thinking or behaving that have taken hold

Much of this began, at some point, as a way to get through something, so I am less interested in judging it than in understanding it.

People often ask what I am like to sit with. I am warm, and I am direct. I will not rush you, and I will not fill a silence for the sake of it. Much of the time we go slowly, at a pace your body can bear, because trauma does not respond well to being hurried. People often say the hardest thing out loud, then look up to check my face, and it is still just me, still listening. You will not have to make yourself smaller, or edit yourself, to be met here.

How I work
However you arrive, we begin there, and move at your pace. I do not work from a fixed script. I draw on several approaches and adapt them to you.

Finding some ground. When everything feels like too much, the first work is often simply to find some ground. For this I draw on well-researched approaches, including cognitive, mindfulness-based and body-focused (somatic) work, which can help you settle anxiety, steady a craving, or find some footing when distress feels overwhelming.

Making sense of your story. As things settle, we make sense of how they came to be. This is where narrative therapy comes in, beginning from the idea that you are the expert on your own life, not me. Often the problem you are wrestling with is not you; it is something that has taken up residence, and it can be faced.

Working gently with trauma. Trauma sits underneath a great deal of what brings people to me, so it shapes how I work throughout. When you are ready, we can turn towards the harder memories, and the feelings tangled up with them, at a pace your body can bear, paying as much attention to what happens in the body as in the mind.

Going deeper, when you are ready. For some people the work goes further than easing the symptom, into questions of meaning, identity and how you want to live. This is deeper, more reflective work, never rushed and not for everyone, but for those who want it, it is where the deepest change tends to happen.

Difference is welcome here
Trauma and distress can enter anyone's life. Some of us, though, carry more of it and find less support waiting, often because of who we are or how the world has treated us. In my room, you will not have to explain or defend your identity, your background or your relationships.

Whoever you are, you will be met with respect and without judgement. I stay aware of my own position and of the ways difference can play out in therapy, so that the work stays about you.

Lived experience
Born and raised in Scotland, I am a gay man in my fifties, living and working in London. If it matters to you to work with someone who understands difference from the inside, that is part of what I bring.

Before I trained as a counsellor, I spent twenty years in professional services across the UK, Australia and Asia, which gives my practice both depth and a wide sense of the lives people lead.

Professional registrations

• Hong Kong: Greater Bay Psychology & Counselling Association and Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association
• Australia: Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia
• United Kingdom: National Counselling & Psychotherapy Society and Addiction Professionals Registration Body & Network

Qualifications and training

• Master of Counselling, Monash University
• Master of Narrative Therapy, University of Melbourne
• One-year Trauma Recovery training, the Dulwich Centre
• Currently in advanced training in transpersonal and Jungian depth-oriented psychotherapy

Languages and sessions
I offer online counselling in English to individual adults across Asia-Pacific. New clients are welcome to a complimentary 20-minute introductory consultation, a chance to tell me a little about what is going on and to get a feel for whether we might work well together.

Purchase Online Session Purchase 4-Session Package — Individual