Spotlight Profile – Vicky Lau, Mediator

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Spotlight Profile – Vicky Lau, Mediator

In this spotlight profile, we are speaking to Vicky Lau, Mediator.

Vicky Lau is an experienced social work practitioner in Hong Kong. She is driven to pursue dignity living for low-income groups which stems from her passion for assisting these individuals with their finances and housing related issues. Vicky has been working in the community development field for 13 years and maintains a keen interest in advocating long term policy changes.

Vicky is now responsible for several housing projects planning and co-ordination.

Vicky, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and training?

My work has centered around social work and family mediation.  I have worked as a social worker for the last 13 years.  One of the key areas which I focus on is community development, namely with housing projects in Hong Kong and the low-income group of individuals living in squatter areas such as subdivided flats, transitional housing and other public housing.

When we work on cases with this group of individuals, we engage with them and help them through any struggles they may have especially related to family issues such as divorce.  It is during these moments that I will use my family mediation experience and skills to help them with conflict management.

Let’s first dive into your work as an accredited family mediator.  What type of family mediation are you typically involved in?

Most of the cases I assist individuals with is divorce.  The major issues they have is that they are not privy to information and/or resources. Individuals, particular in the low-income group do not know where to start and they ask for help on how to engage in the divorce process.  I assist by providing them with resources and helping them apply for legal aid.

Part of the assistance I can also provide is helping these family members engage in mediation and to speak to them about their issues and see if we can do anything to resolve the issues at hand.

What are some of the central themes/issues that you are seeing in couples in Hong Kong?

Most of the clients I deal with argue about finances as they are from the low-income sector.  As living expenses continue to rise and especially individuals with children, their income is not sufficient to cover their daily living costs.  Arguments begin due to the stresses related to finances and maintaining a living.  The low-income group sector generally do not have the funds to hire domestic helpers and in most cases, the mother takes on the primary role of being a full-time housewife while the father is the sole breadwinner. Due to the imbalance of economic positions, these couples will argue over daily chores, finances and with such a small space, they do not have room to take breaks from one another.  The only option for breaks is to go outside or out to the street.  The stress upon these individuals is very high.

What practical exercises/advice do you give to couples going through marriage difficulties?

First off, I will assist these individuals to apply for resources.  For example, there are subsidies available from the government which are difficult to apply for but once approved, the money is good for these families.  I like to help these families apply for such grants because it provides the families with some relief from the financial situation. For those individuals going through a divorce, I can assist them with filing for divorce and providing resources to file for divorce including applying for legal aid.

When I am working with these families, I like to teach them micro-skills to help ease any conflict they may have especially in such small spaces. For example, simple methods of creating space and boundaries are important.  One of the main skills I like to provide advice on is communication skills.  For example, I like to talk to families about how to rephrase their thoughts so that they can get the same point across but with a different tone.

What about children…what practical exercise/advice do you give to children who are going through the same difficulties?

It depends on the age of the children, but I always like to offer my social work and mediation experience to children depending on whether they are willing to accept it.

One of the main issues I see with children is tackling the emotional aspect of divorce.  When parents get divorced in the Chinese traditional culture, the children will know that the parents have a bad relationship but they do not necessarily have any concept of divorce or the process of one parent moving out.  Many times, the traditional Chinese families do not talk about divorce to the children and sometimes will lie about what is actually happening.  I always like to tell parents that it is vitally important that they tell the children about the divorce and remain transparent about it because in reality, children already know that something is wrong. Even if they cannot express in words what they are seeing, they can feel it.  Children also see the conflict happening in the household so it is important for parents to talk about it with the children so they are not left in the dark about what is going to happen.  I always like to remind parents that it is important to speak with the children about the divorce (but not adult-related matters) and relieve what the child is worried about.  Many times, divorce will impact a child’s future long-term romantic relationships and if it is not dealt with properly as a child, they will have trust issues in their adult relationships or create the same relationship pattern as their parents in their adult relationships.  The ideal is for a child to have a future romantic relationship where it is peace and solution-based focused rather than a conflict approach basis.

About Vicky Lau, Mediator 

Vicky LauVicky was educated at the Hong Kong Baptist University with a Bachelor’s in Social Work and a Master’s degree of Arts in Communication (Concentration: Integrated Communication Management). Also, Vicky has been an accredited mediator since 2010 and attained accredited family mediator status in 2018.

Vicky is currently working at a local NGO and received the 2019 Best Practice Award in Social Welfare issued by The Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) for a public housing project.

If you would like to get in touch with Vicky, you can contact her at the following email address –
vickylau.mail@gmail.com

 

Spotlight Profile: Crypto Assets in the Matrimonial World – Featuring Barrister Madeleine Booth

In this Spotlight Profile, we are speaking with Barrister, Madeleine Booth of Bernacchi Chambers in Hong Kong about cryptocurrency and what it means in the matrimonial world.  Cryptocurrency is a relatively new type of asset that is increasingly appearing as a key focus in matrimonial cases.

Madeleine was part of a panel discussion with The Hong Kong Family Law Association on cryptocurrency in the matrimonial world.  Today we speak to her about this area and what individuals should know about cryptocurrency when they are going through a divorce.

Madeleine, it is a pleasure to have you back at Hong Kong Divorce and wonderful to discuss such an important and relevant topic such as Cryptocurrency.  First of all, we know that many individuals are now invested in the Cryptocurrency market and hold Cryptocurrency assets.  How do the Family Courts define Cryptocurrency? Is it considered property or currency?

Thank you for having me back.

Crypto-assets or cryptocurrency have all the indicia of property and sufficiently meet the definable qualities of property. This has been confirmed in a few cases: see for example the UK decision AA v Persons Unknown [2020] 4 W.L.R and also the Singapore International Commercial Court decision in B2C2 Ltd v Quoine PTC Ltd [2019] SGHC (I) 03.

Having said that, the approach of the Hong Kong Family Court to crypto-assets has yet to be established. As of July 2022, no Hong Kong Family Court judgments have been handed down touching on crypto-assets in notable detail. But there is a growing body of case law in other jurisdictions and outside of the family law sphere, which consistently indicate that crypto-assets are treated in the same way as traditional assets such as cash, shares or gold and therefore subject to similarly applicable orders, including freezing injunctions preventing dissipation.

There is a belief out there that Cryptocurrency is not even real and that there is no need to disclose Cryptocurrency because it is so volatile and not “paper” money.  What’s the danger about this view and how it’s played out in the divorce arena?

Crypto-assts are very much “real” and fall well within the realms of being disclosable. In Hong Kong, parties undergoing divorce have an ongoing duty of full and frank disclosure. They must be honest with each other and the court about their financial circumstances, including investments or the holding of crypto-assets. The disclosure process in Hong Kong includes the exchange of a financial statement known as a “Form E” whereby both parties are required to provide details on their assets held globally (e.g., cash in bank, properties, stocks, insurance policies), amongst other things. Crytpo-assets are disclosable under part 2.11 of Hong Kong’s current Form E. A party must verify the contents of a Form E with a sworn statement of truth. Parties who attempt to hide assets face very severe consequences from the court.

If the court finds that a party has deliberately sought to avoid disclosing assets, adverse inferences will likely be drawn against that party. The court may consider it appropriate to “addback” a certain sum to the matrimonial pool of assets for division.  The court will also likely consider such behaviour a form of litigation misconduct which will result in an unfavourable costs order being made against the non-disclosing party. The court’s approach in such situations is dependent on a host of variables which cannot fairly be set out summarily above: a topic for another article, perhaps!

Practically speaking, in Family Law disputes, will the Hong Kong Family Court consider Cryptocurrency as income when determining issues such as ancillary relief for the other spouse and child support?

Cryptocurrency is considered an asset akin to any other property, not income. There may be instances where a spouse trades cryptocurrency to generate income, and the Hong Kong court has no reason not to recognise this. Unfortunately, there has yet to be a Hong Kong case explicitly enunciating this point. It is possible, however, to look to the approach adopted in other common law jurisdictions. For example, in the relatively recent Canadian case Hauber v Sussman, 2020 ONSC 6695 (CanLII), the court acknowledged that a spouse may rely on cryptocurrency to generate income to fulfil maintenance obligations.

At what point in a divorce is Cryptocurrency valued? For example, is it valued at the time of separation or at the time of division of assets?

It is settled law that parties’ assets are valued at the date of trial: see Cowan v Cowan [2001] 2 FLR 192, cited and applied in Hong Kong. This is the general approach, even with respect to volatile assets, such as businesses, property and, by extension, crypto-assets.

Given that the purpose of valuations is to assist the court in fairly determining the outcome of a case, it is foreseeable that some parties, owing to a sharp increase/decrease in the value of the crypto-assets, may wish to argue for the court to use another valuation date (e.g., the date of separation, the date of petition). It remains to be seen whether the Hong Kong courts (or the UK courts) will entertain a departure from the date of trial. If another valuation date is sought, it may be worthwhile to explore entering into an agreement with the other party, mutually agreeing on another valuation date. There are a few cases outside of Hong Kong where a different date of valuation has been adopted, but these are rare anomalies where the court concerned opted to do so for exceptional reasons.

What are some potential issues that individuals could come across when dealing with Cryptocurrency in a divorce? 

Three readily identifiable issues come to mind:

Disclosure: (1) As mentioned, a duty of full and frank disclosure applies. In Hong Kong, there are rules in place dictating the extent of disclosure in divorce proceedings. One party may need to seek additional disclosure to properly assess the other party’s financial situation. If the other party does not agree to provide the information sought, an application for specific discovery may need to be made.

(2) Crypto-assets are inherently volatile and known to potentially fluctuate enormously within short periods of time. While the party who does not hold the assets may be concerned with keeping updated on such developments as frequently as possible, the other party’s ongoing duty of disclosure must be balanced against imposing what may be considered an onerous or unfair burden to provide disproportionate levels of disclosure.

New territory: Crypto-assets are relatively new, can be complex, and are not necessarily universally understood as yet. How they are dealt with in the family law sphere is very much an evolving area. As such the court may likely require the assistance of an expert to provide information on the issue to fairly determine the case. Similarly, a party involved in a complex case may benefit from the advice and assistance of a forensic accountant (although costs may be an issue). This could be particularly key in instances where one party is attempting to hide assets as a forensic accountant familiar with crypto-assets could identify gaps in disclosure and potentially quantify sums of money not properly accounted for.

Arguments on risk/volatility:  It is not uncommon for one party to argue that the other party’s unwise and/or speculative investment justifies an “add-back” to the matrimonial pot of the sum that has been spent. The court does have the discretion and power to order the adding back of certain sums, but this is contingent on it being established that a party’s dissipation of assets was wanton and/or reckless spending of a very flagrant and exceptional standard. For example, gambling and drug and alcohol misuse have been held to constitute “reckless and wanton spending” justifying an add-back order. Unwise, risky and/or speculative business decisions, however, have not: see, M v M (Third party subpoena: financial conduct [2006] EWHC 2250 (Fam)).

There seems to be a sense of belief that Cryptocurrency can be hidden in a divorce. First of all, how difficult/easy is it to trace Cryptocurrency?  Is it possible for individuals to “hide” these assets and if they do, what could be potential consequences in a divorce?

As has been expressed above, any belief that one can hide assets of any nature in a divorce, including crytpo-assets, is misguided and not to be encouraged. It will not be entertained by the court. Deliberate non-disclosure of an asset is unlikely to be successful and will attract serious consequences, which have been set out above already.

Cryptographic or cryptography means encrypted in code. Inherent in the use of cryptocurrency is the concealment of identity; both the public and private end utilize encoded data. Cryptocurrencies are not an entirely anonymous system, however.  While it’s not possible to identify someone from a cryptocurrency address alone, depositories or third party cryptofinanciers (Bitfinex, Coinbase, etc) are often involved. This is important as those companies are required to maintain KYC (“know your client”) documents about their account holders (passport/identification information, etc). This is therefore a useful route to information about the owner of the wallet, as an example.

On the ability to trace, as with many things, this is a question of degree dependent upon the particular facts of the case and the assets involved. There are multiple cases concerning crypto-assets in Hong Kong and other jurisdictions where injunctions have been obtained together with discovery orders enabling the successful tracing of assets.

Cryptocurrencies present an exciting opportunity for new developments in law to address a changing financial landscape; it will be interesting to observe how the Hong Kong Family Court responds.

About Barrister Madeleine Booth: 

Recognised as a “Rising Star” in the area of Family and Private Law by the Legal 500 (2022) and as a leading junior barrister in “Family & Divorce Law” by Doyle’s Guide (2022) Madeleine’s practice is primarily civil litigation based, with a particular specialisation in family/matrimonial law.

“An exceptional barrister. Intelligent, articulate and incisive. She reads the court well and is nimble on her feet.” – The Legal 500, Asia Pacific Hong Kong Bar (2022).

Madeleine has broad experience in the Family Court and High Court regarding all manner of contested financial and child related matters, including financial dispute resolution hearings, children dispute resolution hearings, maintenance pending suit and litigation funding applications, ancillary relief trials and preliminary issue trials (trusts, properties, companies etc.), custody, care and control disputes, relocation applications, and applications under the Guardianship of Minors Ordinance). Madeleine also has experience in urgent ex parte applications (s 17 MPPO, DVO) obtaining various reliefs, and probate and inheritance (including applications under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Ordinance) cases.

In addition to family law, Madeleine has experience in civil litigation matters, including actions in tort and trust related cases. Madeleine’s experience extends beyond advocacy to include providing written opinions, legal advice, and participating in mediation.

Spotlight Profile – Dr. Wing Kit Choi, Psychiatrist

In this spotlight profile, we are speaking to Dr. Wing Kit Choi, a forensic psychiatrist based in Hong Kong at Alpha Clinic. Dr. Choi is a former deputy chief of service in forensic psychiatry at Castle Peak Hospital and is currently working as a private psychiatrist at Alpha Clinic and is also an honorary clinical associate professor at The University of Hong Kong.

Dr. Choi, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and training?

I am a specialist in psychiatry. I graduated from Hong Kong University (“HKU”), and also have a Master’s Degree in Criminology. Thereafter, I obtained my membership at The Royal College of Psychiatrists and became a fellow of The Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists and specialist in psychiatry in 2006. Throughout my career, I have received intensive local and overseas training in forensic psychiatry.

Apart from practicing as a private psychiatrist at the Alpha Clinic in Hong Kong, I also teach medical students at HKU and The Chinese University of Hong Kong (“CUHK”) as an Honorary Clinical Associate Professor. I am also the Subspecialty Spokesperson in Forensic Psychiatry at the Hong Kong College of Psychiatrists and was the Consultant Psychiatrist and Deputy Chief of Service at the Department of Forensic Psychiatry at Castle Peak Hospital.

I am approved by the Hong Kong Hospital Authority for the purpose of Section 2(2) of the Mental Health Ordinance (Cap. 136) (“MHO”) as having special experience in the diagnosis or treatment of mental disorders or having special experience in the assessment or determination of mental handicaps. My clinical practice involves psychiatric risk assessment, management of mentally-disordered offenders, conducting psychiatric assessment and writing psychiatric reports for medicolegal purposes. I have been repeatedly appointed as a psychiatric expert witness in the High Court and have prepared psychiatric reports to different levels of Courts and law enforcement agencies. Other than criminal cases, I also provide medical assessments and reports for civil matters and have experience of acting as an expert witness in matrimonial proceedings.

That is an impressive resume and it is such an honour to speak with you given your extensive experience.

We are in a very sensitive era and globally it is estimated that 1 in 7 adolescents are experiencing a mental disorder with many teens citing depression and anxiety as a key issue of struggle.  What have you been experiencing in your private practice with respect to adolescents in Hong Kong and the issues they are struggling with?

Adolescents in Hong Kong are facing a wide range of mental health issues, as Hong Kong is a fast-paced society, schools in Hong Kong are demanding, not only in terms of academics but also on all-rounded development for students.

Children and youths in Hong Kong tend to grow up with a busy lifestyle, with lots of extra-curricular activities on top of academic requirements. Many children and youths do not cope well and it becomes very stressful for them in terms of chaotic time management which results in anxiety, worrying about not meeting deadlines due to heavy workloads and not doing their best in terms of academic performance. Children and youths also experience stress which can come from parents and also competition with peers /siblings on academic results or other areas of achievements. This can result in depression. Some youths may find themselves not doing their best which makes them question his/her own ability.

Coinciding with the pandemic in recent years, and lots of disturbances to the school learning mode and curriculum, youth anxiety and depression have become more prominent. The number of changes and uncertainties make it difficult for children and youth to adapt. For example, the suspension of face-to-face teaching has narrowed youths’ social circle and it results in the feeling of loneliness and it affects his/her social development.

What are the consequences of failing to address adolescent mental health conditions?

There are many consequences. Children and youths may not know how to detect one’s own anxiety or depressive symptoms. Some individuals tend to cover up their problems. Parents, teachers, or peers may not easily notice his/her issues which then intensifies a child/youth’s mood problems. This also can then result in a deterioration of the relationship between parent and child. The worst case is that a child/youth becomes suicidal or exhibits self-harm behaviour.

What impact have you seen with adolescents in terms of divorce and the breakdown of the family unit?

Through my experience, I have seen many adolescents struggle due to divorce. Some of the impact which rises up to the surface include:

  • Anxiety and distress
  • Emotional turmoil which results in a deterioration of family relationships
  • Depression
  • Deterioration of academic performance
  • Behavior issues including impulsive behaviour, delinquency and conduct disorders
  • Rebellion including risky behaviour such as early sexual activity and substance abuse
  • Problems that could extend into adulthood and result in substance abuse problems, mental health issues, negative impacts on romantic relationships, family and work.

What can parents do to help their children through divorce?

It is important for parents to keep a strong positive relationship with their children to assist them to cope with a divorce. It’s important not to argue in front of your children and try to avoid custody or visitation disputes altogether. It is also important to remind your children that they did not cause the divorce.

Parents can be open to children’s feelings, keep up on daily routines, and generally keep a close eye on any behavioral changes throughout the divorce process and beyond.

I also recommend parents to try to let their children know that those feelings are completely normal. For the most part, children simply need to understand that parents acknowledge their emotions about the situation.

If your children are angry, allow them to express that and validate those feelings. If they’re confused and full of questions, answer them in a neutral manner without letting any hostility about the divorce seep through. They may not want to verbalize their emotions.

It’s common for daily routines to become more irregular over the course of a divorce or separation. Regular pick-up and drop-off times for school, bedtimes, mealtimes, and other relevant routines will keep children in a range of familiarity, which helps to compensate for the level of change brought by the family divorce.

It’s also crucial to identify any signs of detachment or behavioral change in children. It lets parents know that intervention is necessary. Occasionally, parents can ask their children about their thoughts on the divorce, and reassuring them that they’re still loved and cared for all the same. If children stray from their usual behavior and don’t return to normal after six to eight weeks, it could be time to seek professional help through a child therapist.

In certain litigious divorces, children are asked to provide their input/testimony in divorce. Is this a good idea in your opinion? What negative or positive impact could this have on an adolescent and its potential impact on the relationship(s) between the parents?

It depends on the situation of each case. It may be beneficial that the children’s views or feelings can be taken into account. This is more effective if the child is of sufficient age and capacity. The child must also be able to form an intelligent opinion on the issue of custody.

Sometimes, children giving testimony in divorce might not be effective as a child might advocate for the more permissive parent, as opposed to the one who sets rules and limits.

Testimony in court may bring stress that a child might well avoid. They have to publicly and officially take sides in a divorce case which adds additional stress to a child already having to overcome.

Dr. Wing Kit Choi, PsychiatristAbout Dr. Wing Kit Choi, Forensic Psychiatrist:

Dr. Choi is a forensic psychiatrist at Alpha Clinic in Hong Kong. He is also an honorary associate professor at The University of Hong Kong. Forensic Psychiatry is a subspecialty of psychiatry in which scientific and clinical expertise is applied to legal issues in legal contexts.

Spotlight Profile – Caroline Langston, Global Executive Coach

In this spotlight profile, we are speaking with Caroline Langston, a global executive coach for high performers specializing in the banking, fintech, financial services, family office and law practices.

Caroline has been an executive coach for high performers for more than 12 years and assist individuals change and transition in their careers and lives for performance excellence and purpose.

In her role as a global executive coach, Caroline’s mission is to help high performers improve leadership, communication, focus, clarity and reduce stress.

Thank you for speaking with us today, Caroline.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and training and how you became an executive coach?

I was an Executive Search Consultant, relocating very senior people into new jobs globally. When there are high stakes, such as relocating a global executive and their family into a new role, company, and country this requires staying close to them, executive coaching them and often their family into their new role and a new way of life. These moves can be very stressful for the spouses and children of the executives. I was coaching more and more often. I loved helping these individuals and their families, eventually taking on the role as an Executive Coach full time. I finally started my own business in 2019.

I did my neuro linguistic programming master practitioner and coaching qualifications 12 years ago, and over the last 3 years completed my International Coaching Federation (ICF) qualifications. I have a Certificate in Coaching Mastery, am accredited by the ICF as a Professional Certified Coach and am also a certified Team Coach.

As a global executive coach, can you explain to readers what your job entails and your role in these individual’s lives?

People come to me to make changes in their lives and careers. This might be career acceleration or change via performance coaching. It may be creating a more harmonious work/ life balance, by managing these elements more effectively. It may be to reach a personal development goal they have not managed to achieve themselves. We may work on emotional management as well throughout this. I am their unbiased partner to help them make this change and keep them on track to hit their goal.

This is carried out by a range of conversations, exercises and work which my clients will do in between sessions, such as exploration of possibilities as well as practicing and implementing new strategies to move towards their desired goal/s. They come back to me with the work they have been done, we assess this together and they decide what works, what does not and how to move forward towards their goal effectively.

One aspect of your role as a global executive coach is “divorce prevention.” Can you explain this further and how you assist clients in preventing divorce?

Globally there is higher and higher pressure to perform. Especially in Hong Kong where we have many senior executives working very long hours, there is pressure on the spouse as well as the other family members. I help people who are trying to resolve relationship disparity and imbalances. Coaching them through time and emotional management, helping them with communication and often looking at where they can borrow time to spend with their families. This has been life-changing for many of my clients.

Just to clarify, as an executive coach you are not teaching clients but rather talking to them as an unbiased partner?

This is correct. I am here to ask them those difficult questions they may not want to ask themselves. As I do not have that emotional connection like friends and colleagues, I am not afraid to dive into areas which others may not want to because of those personal relationships. I am completely unbiased and this helps.

You mention “reflective inquiry” – What do you mean by that?

Reflective enquiry is repeating back what they have said. I reflect verbally their words and ask them if this is what they really mean? For example, they may say “I just never seem to get a break to be with my family”. I may reflect back “I hear you are saying you NEVER get a break to be with your family. Is that really true?”. This may help them think about when they DO get a break albeit very short, what is happening during that time and how we can either create more time like that or maximise the time they have. It also helps them hear how hard they are working and how they really need to make that change and take that break.

What’s the difference between executive coach work and therapy?

A therapist may offer solutions to problems and actions to take. I will brainstorm with my client, but they are the ones who choose the solution or action they want to take. A therapist may also decide to talk about the problem in more depth, I move towards goals and outcomes. I help my clients clearly see the action they may need to take to move forward to their desired outcome.

Based on your experience it would then seem to appear that there can be much said about divorce prevention and working hard to make necessary adjustments. Is that correct?

Absolutely. The key is addressing any issue as soon as it arises. Ensuring there is great communication and finding out what the best possible outcome is for the whole family. Sometimes it just takes a conversation with your spouse or a slight change in time management. Sometimes it is setting that clear intention to make the change and then acting on it. This can be key to saving a relationship or a marriage.

About Caroline Langston, Global Executive Coach:

Caroline is a certified and accredited Global Executive Coach and has over 12 years’ experience of working with high performing individuals. Caroline specializes in the financial services, banking, fintech, family office and law practices.

Caroline’s mission as a global executive coach is to improve leadership, communication, focus, clarity and reduce stress and ultimately assist individuals to find purpose in their career/life.

Caroline uses a combination of traditional coaching, mindfulness-based coaching and neurolinguistic programming practices.

Caroline is based in Hong Kong but originally hails from the United Kingdom.

Spotlight Profile – Dr. Ida Ng, Licensed Psychologist

In this spotlight profile, we are speaking to Dr. Ida Ng, licensed psychologist based in Hong Kong and trained in United States of America and who received further accreditation in London and Australia. Dr. Ng has a successful clinical practice in Hong Kong and specializes in providing clients with holistic treatment focusing on mind-body-spirit and thereby mixing clinical psychological therapy along with mindfulness and spirituality for whole-self healing. The aim of Dr. Ng’s practice is to reduce psychological distress and anxiety while at the same time enhancing an individual’s quality of life.

Dr. Ng, thank you for taking the time to speak with us today.

Can you tell us a little bit about your background and training and how it has evolved into your current practice today?

I have had different experiences throughout my career in the psychology field and have trained in various countries. I received my psychology degree from Ohio University in the United States of America and have received certifications from various professional bodies recognized in the USA, Australia and the United Kingdom. My interest is now in China and the well-established systems there.

Your practice focuses on holistic healing thus bringing together psychological therapy together with mindfulness and spirituality. Can you explain this further and how this type of therapy can bring about healing of the whole self?

In my first 5 years of practice, most of the focus of my practice was on the problem and corresponding treatment. This type of treatment helps clients understand cognitive behavior and treatment for that behavior which results in learned behavior. Changing behavior however, only results in robot-like learned patterns because you practice the learned behavior and it thereafter becomes habit. However, what’s missing in this is what’s from the heart. Learned behavior is not what naturally flows from the heart where emotions reside and by not addressing the emotions, the issues are not able to resolve.

With that information on hand, I have focused my therapy on heart healing by allowing clients to look at things from a different perspective. Accompanying therapy, I also include meditation, spirituality, modality and reiki. By understanding these different modalities, I am able to attempt to understand my clients and where they are coming from. For example, when I spent my time training in the United Kingdom, I spent approximately 5 to 7 years focusing on chakra healing so now when I meet with clients, I speak to them about their chakras and activation of the chakras to assist in the healing process.

By looking at a client’s aura and chakra, I can see if there is anything blocking their healing and whether they are aligned or not. By doing this, we can see where the problems arise from. I notice this so I can help the client with their problems and identify the root issue. Most of the time, clients are willing to talk about the problem when they are in realization of what that is. This process focuses on helping individuals connect inside and that in itself takes time and patience.

In your practice, divorce and family issues can be at the forefront of psychological distress and anxiety. Tell us more about the issues you are seeing with those individuals going through relationship issues and/or divorce.

The issue that I see in many relationships is that there is a lot of expectation, not only from within but from society. The problem with expectations is that it shadows how an individual may feel about themselves. But the problem here is that it clouds a person’s ability to understand what they truly want in life and with each other in the relationship.

In my therapy sessions, I always like to clarify with individuals what they truly desire. I try to help them understand what they want and their purpose and I ask if they can learn something from this relationship. I like to get to the core of what an individual wants from the relationship, whether the focus is truly on what they want from their partner or if they only want a picture-perfect version of their relationship that is acceptable to those looking from the outside.

It’s important to focus on the root of the issue because curiosity is important in order to understand how to heal. This requires work in communication not only with yourself but with one another as well.

Has the recent Covid-19 pandemic played a part in the psychological distress you are seeing in clients and if so what kind of issues are consistently coming up?

I think even without this Covid-19 pandemic people lives are busy and they don’t want to deal with problems. When they have free time, individuals prefer to travel and go on holidays rather than talk about their problems.

When the Covid-19 pandemic happened, people were forced to work from home and time kind of stopped. A lot of business trips were cancelled and many people could not attend to their overseas lovers and maintain those relationships. We can see during this Covid-19 pandemic that people have had to really sit down and face problem and this requires facing your partner every morning and night and it’s not something you can hide from.

Can you give us an example of the type of healing work you would recommend to those individuals going through an exceptionally difficult divorce and are dealing with the vast array of emotions that may come up in a divorce such as relief, anger, grief and even loneliness?

In my practice, I work with couples through couples therapy workbooks that helps couples revisit the relationship. It’s not about remembering the first date, but talking about spending time to ask questions and show empathy and demonstrating to each other that you want to communicate with one another.

In relationships, there’s a lot of anger, assumption, fear and frustration. This places a large barrier in the relationship. My job is to help couples understand that their relationship can and will change over the years and how each person views the world may be different. Now with the passage of time, it’s okay to revisit the change in each individual and help couples communicate the changes they are seeing and how they can heal the pain of the past. It can even come down to a simple question of: do you still like your partner?

Have you worked with children who are going through a particularly difficult time when it comes to divorce? What kind of healing work would you recommend for children who are going through the breakup of their parents and the family?

There was a case where I worked with a couple who were struggling on deciding whether to stay in Hong Kong or move back to the United Kingdom. The couple struggled with infidelity and they had children to attend to as well. Both parents struggled as they wanted to keep the family together for the sake of the children. Children are like glue in a family. It’s important to remember that even if parents don’t share too much about their problems with the children, children are very smart and they can sense/feel that something is not right. Parents on the other hand always assume children are just too young to understand, but this is not the case.

Children are very intuitive so when I work with them, I try to help them understand their energy and the energy flow within the family. When speaking with parents dealing with struggling children, I always also try and remind them that it is not a child’s job to glue the family together and the focus should be more on helping the children learn about their emotions in dealing with these struggles rather than carrying the burden of keeping the family together.

There seems to be a real push on focusing on mental health and working towards inner healing. Why do you think it’s especially important for individuals to focus on mental health?

When an individuals’ mental health is not strong, they are easily shifted by circumstances. If you understand what you want and are well connected to your feelings, you are better positioned to both your heart’s desires and rationality to make better decisions in life during times of adversity.

That is why I always ask my clients: what is your mind thinking and what is your heart telling you? This then helps individuals to know how to connect the two so that it results in better decisions. You are essentially sewing together rationality with the soul.

What do you think business/companies can do to support their employees in this push for mental health awareness and healing?

From my perspective, more companies are starting to focus on awareness of mental health in the workplace. I have consulted with many companies on what procedures and exercises can be in place to help employees during tough times. Companies should be focusing a lot of energy on bringing together colleagues so they can be a support system to each other and during Covid-19 times, that may include online gatherings to de-stress and enjoy each other’s company and to keep each other accountable.

It’s important for employers to understand that individuals struggling with mental health issues can be easily overwhelmed by stress and it’s difficult for them to function under stress. When stress is too much, it no longer motivates an individual and they cannot be a participating member when they are de-motivated. And it is this sadness that affects the whole team and company. That is why it’s important for colleagues to support one another.

About Dr. Ida Ng, Licensed Psychologist:

Ida is based in Hong Kong and has over 20 years of clinical experiences in psychological and life enhancement cases and has worked with clients come from all over the world. Ida has practiced in the USA, UK, Singapore, Japan, Macao and Hong Kong. The scopes of services covered by her range from psychological assessment, therapeutic treatment and mindfulness and into life purpose understanding, connection to higher self and spirituality counselling.

Ida has well integrated science and art into her works, teaching and clinical practice.

Ida obtained her psychology degree from Ohio University in the USA and has received further accreditation in psychological counselling from professional bodies in Australia and the United Kingdom.

Ida’s psychology practice is located in Central and Causeway Bay in Hong Kong.

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