Finder

Offers

• Face-to-face consultations
• Video and telephone consultations

About me

Though I have lived and worked in the UK for over a decade now, I was born and raised in Hong Kong, a vibrant and multicultural city that I am proud to call home. I read my bachelor's degree in Psychological and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Cambridge, my master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Sciences at University College London, and completed my doctoral training in clinical psychology at the University of Oxford.

Throughout my journey to qualifying as a clinical psychologist, I have worked across a range of clinical contexts, including:
Community services for students and professionals with mental health difficulties (e.g. anxiety, depression, phobia, panic, work/study stress, sleep)

Health psychology services for individuals across the lifespan who struggle with adjusting to various health-related difficulties (e.g. medically unexplained difficulties, medical trauma, adjustment to identity changes)
Learning disability and neurodiversity-related services for individuals with ADHD and/or Autism,

Inpatient forensic services for individuals who with severe and enduring mental health difficulties (e.g. bipolar, psychosis, complex trauma)

I consistently strive to be an authentic, curious and professional psychologist, to create a safe space where those I work with can feel like they can speak freely and honestly and be supported with meaningful steps forward in their lives.

What will it be like when I meet you?
The first session usually consists of us getting to know each other, for you to get a taster of how therapy might feel like with me and explore whether I am the right fit for your journey. If you don't have any specific goals formed yet, I aim to support you in gaining more clarity on what you may want to prioritise. And if possible, we would collaboratively create a rough plan around how I can support you on our journey together in therapy.

What would it be like to work with you?
I focus on a values-based approach, i.e. on prioritising meaningful changes in your life because it hits at something that matters to you on a deeper level. I believe that the main ingredients of what makes therapy �work� is a strong and honest relationship between us, a sense of shared responsibility and active engagement on both ends.

I aim to create a balance between creating a comfortable space for you to feel empowered to share what's been difficult, but also to be honest and nudge you to your growth edge when deemed appropriate. Growing up as a third-culture kid, I find it important to be culturally-sensitive, to gain a clear picture of your family and cultural background and how this may help or hinder your personal goals.

What therapies do you use and what kind of difficulties do you help people with?
I provide professional support for a range of psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, stress, anger, OCD, phobias, trauma, work and academic-related difficulties and sleep issues. I also am highly interested in working with adjustment to life events and transitions like health difficulties, bereavement, relationship changes and integrating into a new country or situation.

I draw from and integrate evidence-based approaches like cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), compassion-focused therapy (CFT), dialectal behavioural therapy (DBT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), systemic family approaches, as well as behavioural change approaches like the transtheoretical model of change and motivational interviewing. I always aim to combine approaches to tailor something that works specifically for you and your context.
What do you enjoy doing outside of psychology?
Outside of work, I love to dabble in creating and experiencing art, explore my spiritual side via reading existential philosophy, yoga, meditation and jogging.

Areas of interest

Anxiety; Depression; Stress; Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD); Bipolar Disorder; Panic Disorder; Social Anxiety; Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD); Phobias; Eating Disorders; Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD); Schizophrenia; Borderline Personality Disorder; Insomnia; Grief and Loss; Addiction; Low Self-Esteem; Anger Management Issues; Relationship Problems. This list is not exhaustive.

Medical secretaries

• Larisa Popa
• 07926 713198
• contact@theoaktreepractice.com