Question 1

How long will the process take?

Accepted Answer

Length, frequency, and number of sessions are determined by you with input from me. Each session is usually 50 minutes long. Longer sessions which are 1.5 x, 2x or longer is possible You can discuss progress, review goals, or concerns about the process or about me at any time. You can terminate the process at any time.

Question 2

Do you do on-line sessions & do you use digital communications?

Accepted Answer

I use emails as the primary communication tool with you. For sessions, my default mode is face-to-face and in person, although resorting to virtual or on-line sessions may be possible through IT such as Zoom or Skype. All electronic communications and on-line sessions are not secured and subject to hacking and electronic eavesdropping.

Question 3

Do you offer free consultations?

Accepted Answer

No. However feel free to ask me basic questions about my competency and practice about which you are unclear after browsing this website. We can even have a quick on-line chat or meeting to answer these basic questions.

Question 4

How much is this going to cost me?

Accepted Answer

Sessions are charged per 50 minutes session. For my services, St. John's Cathedral Counselling Service will charge you between $1250 to $2000 per session depending on the configuration of people I meet and whether psychotherapy or mediation is required. For those who are financially challenged, enquiries can be made with St. John's Cathedral Counseling Service regarding a sliding fee scale and appointment of therapists-in-training or therapists who have the capacity to take on pro-bono or lower fee work.

Question 5

What are your qualifications?

Accepted Answer

I graduated in 2015 from a Master's program in family centered practice and family therapy at the HK Polytechnic University. My education and experience are set out in the home page of www.mathew.app. I keep current memberships with the Asian Academy of Family Therapy, Hong Kong Marriage and Family Therapy Association, International Family Therapy Association, National Council on Family Relations, Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice. I am a certified marriage and family therapist of the Hong Kong Marriage and Family Therapy Association and an accredited general and family mediator with the Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Ltd. In Hong Kong, there is no legally mandated registration or licensing of counselling, psychotherapy or mediation nor legally regulated psychotherapy or mediation professional bodies.

Question 6

What are your methods and techniques?

Accepted Answer

I use collaborative dialogic client-therapist interactions to influence you toward more effective self-help and finding your own solutions. My theoretical orientation is social constructionist. I use a systemic lens more focused on relational and social aspects of mental health than on individual psychology. I am client and outcome focused. I am eclectic and integrate various techniques and skills from various psychotherapy traditions that will move towards your goals.  We might search for meaning and motivation behind your behaviors so you can change them. We might identify how you interact with people, especially those who are important to you. We might improve interpersonal skills and behaviour. We might go into your past, or into your developmental history and environment. We might practice skills to better manage emotions, behaviors or thoughts. We might focus on negative emotional reactions and hope to replace them with positive ones.  We might explore the causes of distress, manage your symptoms, identify your coping strategies and change your response. We might work on improving interpersonal skills by looking at your relationships with others. I might give you third party information or refer you to other service providers.

Question 7

Will you maintain confidentiality?

Accepted Answer

The general principle is that your personal details, the session contents and session records are confidential and will not be disclosed by me or disclosed outside of the institution in which I work to provide my services without your consent. The exceptions to this general principle occurs: - (i) when I come to the view that there is reasonable likelihood of threat or injury to life or property; (ii) if you are under 18 years old; (iii) in my clinical supervision by my supervisor or in peer supervision groups; (iv) court order or subpoena; (v) in any legal or regulatory action against me relating to my practice; (v) disclosure under to multiple clients involved in the same matter with me.

Question 8

Does confidentiality apply for clients under 18 years old?

Accepted Answer

No. Your legal guardians (usually your parents) may request confidential information. Should this happen, I will ask them to ask you, or I will request that you disclose to them directly or jointly with me. And if both these solutions do not work, I will disclose to them at an appropriate time and under circumstances determined by me.

Question 9

How is confidentiality maintained where you are meeting more than one of us?

Accepted Answer

Other people within the client's family, work, social circle, or significant relationship may be invited, with client's consent, to join in therapy. They may be visitors only in which case they do not become clients.  Or with client's consent, they may be included as additional clients with me in the same matter. Confidentiality is maintained against all third parties who are not clients.
When other people become clients, I am under "No Duty Of Confidentiality" (more clearly defined below) between various clients in the same matter (except where I am engaged as a mediator under the HK Mediation Accreditation Association Ltd rules). Information revealed by one client is "private" between that client and I.  "Private" means that I will keep private individual information away from other clients in the same matter, except as may be permitted by you. I am not obliged to report to other clients or answer other client's questions regarding private matters disclosed by you. And I do not act as a messenger between various clients. 
"No Duty Of Confidentiality" means that, where appropriate and at my discretion, confidential information of one client may be used by me advertently  or inadvertently when interacting with other clients for the purpose of advancing the interest or goals of clients. Direct disclosure of private matters between the clients themselves will be encouraged by me should such disclosure be relevant and after discussion of the purpose of such disclosure with the revealing client. Disclosure to other clients in the same matter without discussion will occur if I am of the view that there is imminent threat or injury to life or property or other exceptions to the confidentiality principle occurs. I cannot rule out unconscious, unintentional, or lapse-of-memory "leaks" of any private information disclosed in an individual session to other clients when meeting in a joint configuration; such leakage could be direct facts, or interpretations of facts.

Question 10

Will there be harmful effects?

Accepted Answer

While the psychotherapy and mediation process can benefit people, it is not always helpful. It is important that you discuss with me any questions or discomfort during any session or afterwards. The following is a list of potential harmful effects:-  Evocation of strong feelings. Unanticipated results. Regression or worsening of undesirable symptoms. Deterioration in functioning. Periods of increased anxiety or confusion or self-doubt. Over reliance on me at the expense of self-autonomy. Adverse outcome in relationships such as friends, family or significant others.  Unintended influence on you through your perception of my personal or societal values and ways of being. 3rd party information or referrals from me having harmful or no effects. My service may not be cost effective or time-saving.
Warning flags for you are when you feel that there is a lack of boundaries and personal space; when you feel judged on how you said or did something; when the fee structure is changed quickly and without notice; when sessions end short or go on too long; when you feel insecure, dominated, intimidated or threatened in any way by me or the process. Warn me about these warning flags, please. And if you think that it is unsafe to talk to me, please raise your concern with the clinical director or administration section or suggestion box of the institution in which I provide these services to you.

Question 11

What are alternatives other than working with you?

Accepted Answer

Consultations with resulting medication prescriptions with psychiatrists. Sessions with clinical, counselling, education or other types of psychologists. Sessions with life coaches, holistic healers, religion based practitioners. Sessions with other counsellors and psychotherapists at the institution in which I work. Sessions with social workers. Group support services or therapy. Psychoeducation. Sessions with other counsellors or psychotherapists who practice various different types of modalities, methods or techniques of counselling / psychotherapy (such as, ACT, cognitive / behavioral, body based, coaching, DBT, EMDR, emotions focused, narrative, existential, gestalt, humanistic, play / art, psychodynamic or psychoanalytic, etc) or schools associated with well known individuals (such as Ackerman, Adler, Bowen, Ericson, Freud, Gottman, Jung, Satir, Yalom, etc) provide these services to you.

Frequently asked questions