Dr. Karen Wai Liem

Specializing in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Object Relations, Trauma & Mood Disorders

PsyD Clinical Psychology from California School of Professional Psychology

MSSc Counselling Psychology from Hong Kong Shue Yan University

Pg.D Psychology from the Chinese University of Hong Kong

Clinical Psychologist of the UK Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC
PYL35931)

Registered Clinical Psychologist of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation
Agency (AHPRA PSY0002192819)

Chartered Clinical Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological
Society

Registered Counselling Psychologist of the Hong Kong Psychological Society

Registered Clinical Psychologist of the EuroPsy European Federation of Psychologists & Associations

Accredited Aviation Psychologist of the European Association of Aviation Psychology
and is listed in the BPS & Directory of Aviation and Aerospace Psychologists

Gottman Method Couples Therapy – Level 2 Certified

Dr. Liem is a Clinical Psychologist, Counselling Psychologist, and Aviation Psychologist practicing in Hong Kong. She offers psychotherapy for adolescents, adults, and couples with psychological or relationship problems. She believes that “everyone has their own unique and complex story and experiences, struggles, fears, and painful feelings. Your background, life experiences, and various interpersonal traumas shape these emotional experiences. These need to be listened to and understood. Psychotherapy is a safe, powerful space and a collaborative process between you and me. It can help you better understand your own needs, build a more flexible psychological strength to accept yourself, and discover your inner strength to bring about lasting change for yourself.”

Dr. Liem received advanced training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy during her doctoral studies and continues her specialization in Object Relations in her postdoctoral training. She received intensive supervision of clinical cases and underwent thorough training analysis (Training analysis is essential to enrich a therapist’s personal and professional development for providing effective psychoanalytic treatment for patients). Her specialty areas include working with mental health problems such as chronic depression or anxiety, eating disorders, psychosomatic problems, complex or interpersonal trauma, characterological difficulties, life adjustment issues (e.g., grief, divorce, career), insomnia, self-esteem, or identity issues.

In addition to psychodynamic psychotherapy, she adopts other treatment techniques such as Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and Gottman Method Couples Therapy when clinically indicated.

Dr. Liem has provided clinical services in Hong Kong and overseas for over 15 years to several non-government organizations for persons with mental health disorders, community counselling centres, psychiatric hospitals, clinics, rehabilitation centres, the aviation medical department of a global airline, and private practice. She also offers teletherapy for Asian migrants in Australia, the UK, and New Zealand.

Dr. Liem has years of solid experience and knowledge about the complicated work stress faced by flight crew when she served as the in-house clinical psychologist for a global airline, where her primary role was to offer clinical psychological interventions and mental fitness evaluation for the flight crew. She obtained specialty training in Europe in aviation psychology & clinical skills in working with aircrews with mental health issues. Dr. Liem completed the professional training program for designated aviation medical examiners in Australia. She is a listed HIMS Clinical Psychologist by FAA.

Dr. Liem understands that psychotherapy is an emotional process and that “reaching out for help can feel scary or vulnerable. One may be hesitant or unsure if this will work and worried about how long the process may take. To find out, you need to experience it yourself. I look forward to meeting you where you are.

Dr. Liem provides therapy sessions in English and Cantonese.