Children and Adolescents

• Academic difficulties
• ADHD and attentional disorders
• Adjustment difficulties
• Aggression
• Anger and oppositionality
• Behavior problems
• Cutting and self-harm
• Depression and anxiety
• Drug use
• Eating disorders
• Identity issues
• IQ Testing and Educational Assessment
• Language and communication
• Learning disabilities
• Peer group problems
• School problems
• Withdrawal
• Eating disorders

Therapy can help children with a variety of emotional and behavioral issues. Some children need support when it comes to issues such as stress management, anxiety, and problem-solving. Others need guidance with communicating their feelings, going through transitions, illnesses or family issues. If there is anything that is affecting your child’s day-to-day life, we’re happy to help.

Therapy should be a positive experience and our therapists will ensure your child is comfortable and at ease during his or her session. It’s important to be honest with your child about why they are attending a session to prevent them from feeling isolated or concerned. You may wish to explain that the person you will be seeing helps children and families to solve problems and to feel better. Reassure your child that the experience will be positive.

Adolescents and teens may feel reassured to know that information is confidential and that the therapist will not share anything that is spoken about in session without consent.

To ensure children are supported outside of therapy, we encourage parents to become involved in understanding our therapeutic approach. We offer individual sessions for parents on how to appropriately work towards their child’s development. We do ask parents to understand their child’s need for privacy and confidentiality to ensure they feel comfortable sharing in the therapeutic environment, however parents will always be made aware of anything important or of concern.

Being open, honest and noticing problems early on can help your child and your family grow and develop in the right direction. Listen, offer non-judgmental support, and be patient. Make time for your child and family to talk about issues that have been discussed in therapy. Make sure your child knows that they are your priority and that you love them no matter what. If you have questions or are unsure, do not hesitate to speak with your child’s therapist about how best to support your child.

We offer counselling, therapy and behavioral health services for adults with a variety of emotional and situational problems. In a warm and welcoming environment, our therapists provide individual, couples and family therapy for:

• Low Mood, Depression and Mood Swings
• Stress, anxiety, panic attacks
• Anger management
• Obsessions, compulsions, unhelpful habits
• Self-esteem
• Trichotillomania (hair pulling) and Skin Picking
• Adjustment to medical conditions, chronic pain
• Grief and loss
• Conflict with spouse or family
• Crisis management
• Adapting to culture shock, relocation, and other cultural issues
• Work stress
• Identity issues
• Lack of motivation and direction, personal growth
• Life decisions
• Thriving during retirement

If during the initial assessment we identify difficulties that require services that we don’t provide at our Center, such as medication, we will assist you in finding a professional in Hong Kong who can help.

Our therapists use a variety of approaches and techniques to assist clients. Some of these may include, but are not limited to: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Narrative Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Mindfulness, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Art Therapy, Person-Centered and Psychodynamic Therapy. You will be matched to a therapist who best suits your needs and individual situation.

While treatment and interventions are very helpful, the most important factor for achieving mental wellness is the relationship between client and therapist. We encourage you to take an active role in your therapy, and let your therapist know if you feel they are not the right fit for you, or if you would like to change the approach.

A way of feeling: like reducing negative emotions such as excessive sadness, anxiety or anger, and increasing positive emotions such as happiness and joy;

A way of thinking: like learning to problem solve, decrease self-defeating thoughts and develop or regain a positive outlook on life;
A way of behaving: like identifying ways of acting that interfere with your personal, relationship, family, social or occupational goals and increasing behaviors that bring you nearer to them;

A way of improving health or coping with health issues: like overcoming insomnia, learning to dissolve pain or reducing the distress caused by physical problems such as tinnitus.

CBT can help you to:

• Change your thoughts, beliefs, ideas, attitudes, assumptions, mental imagery, and the things on which you focus — the cognitive, or thinking part of CBT
• Face the challenges in your life calmly and take actions that are likely to have good results —
  the behavioral, or action part of CBT

CBT differs from other kinds of therapy because it:

Emphasizes results: It helps you define your goals, plan ways to accomplish the goals, and encourages you to check your progress

Is short-term: Depending on your problem and how hard you work to change your thoughts and behaviors, you often can achieve or make significant progress toward your goals in 10 to 20 sessions.

Focuses on self-help: It helps you learn ways to manage your life better

Sometimes we have a problem that does not fit a particular diagnosis. Rather, we have a life problem and would benefit from speaking with someone who is objective, concerned, and trained in how to help us to understand, manage and get through life’s challenges. Alternatively, we may have a goal we just can’t seem to achieve, and need help in exploring how to approach reaching it in a more productive way.

These types of issue often benefit from life coaching , counseling, and positive psychology. The BFDC therapists can assist you with working through important and challenging life matters, helping you find the best way forward. Our therapists also possess the knowledge, tools and experience necessary to identify problems that may require — in addition to life coaching — psychotherapy in order to be resolved.

We pride ourselves in being LGBTQIA+ friendly and a safe space for those in the LGBTQIA+ community. We welcome individuals from the community to seek services with our therapists, or to contact us with specific concerns.

We offer therapy and counselling to couples who may be facing the following issues:

• Affairs and infidelity
• Negative communication
• Unmet emotional needs
• Lack of intimacy
• Different parenting styles
• Conflicts with in-laws, partner is not “on your side”
• Conflict over money, spending
• Life stage change, such as having a baby, empty nest, career change
• Adapting to culture shock, relocation, and other cultural issues
• Staying together for the children
• Growing apart

The Gottman Method Therapy includes a comprehensive assessment of the couple relationship and adopts a selection of research-based interventions based on the Sound Relationship House Theory developed by the renowned Drs Julie and John Gottman who dedicated decades of effort on researching how relationships work and not work.

Pre-marriage counselling helps couples prepare for being married by improving their current relationship. Ensuring that both members of a couple enter marriage with good communication skills, conflict resolution skills, realistic expectations, and an understanding of the natural ups and downs of married life are helpful in supporting the long-term success of a marriage.

Another key aspect of pre-marriage counselling is discussing matters that may arise in the future. Topics may include finances, core values, religious beliefs, domestic roles and duties, affection and sex, having children, parenting choices, extended family issues, and decision-making. Couples may believe that marriage will automatically align individuals in many matters, but this is often not the case without discussion and agreement.

Couples from different religions and cultures may especially benefit from examining pre-marriage counselling, as many beliefs around marriage, family, and child-rearing may be informed by deeply held cultural beliefs.

We pride ourselves in being LGBTQI+-friendly and a safe space for those in the LGBTQI community. We welcome LGBTQI+ individuals and couples to seek services with our therapists, or to contact us with specific concerns.