Dr. Melissa Chan

Dr. Chan is a UK trained Clinical Psychologist, who has worked in the field of mental health taking up clinical and research roles in the community and academic settings for ten years. She is experienced in treating people with symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders, who specialises in working with people who are highly self-critical. She also works with people who are struggling with low self-esteem, stress, grief and bereavement, adjustment difficulties and those affected by developmental trauma.

Dr. Chan uses primarily compassionate based approaches such as Compassion Focused Therapy and Emotion Focused Therapy to support you in healing your emotional wounds. Depending on your struggles, she adopts a variety of cognitive behavioural approaches (Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy) and draws skills from the schema approach for more complex and longer term struggles.

Born and bred in Hong Kong, Dr. Chan understands the immense stress people experience studying and working in HK, having to meet all sorts of high standards and expectations from others and ourselves. Prior to returning to HK, she had the humble opportunity to live and work in the US and UK for ten years. She is a strong believer in the need for more self-care and self-compassion for each individual, and she hopes to promote a more compassionate culture in the society at large. In addition to her practice at Central Minds, Dr Chan has also worked in the University and specialised hospital settings, supporting the vulnerable in the community.

In therapy sessions, Dr Chan aims to provide a safe space for clients to reflect, process their feelings and thoughts, and to identify factors that keep your struggles ongoing. Dr Chan will support you with ways to break the vicious cycles and work through the barriers that may arise. She will also facilitate the connection with your inner feelings, which often serves as the guide to what your needs are. Dr Chan works in a collaborative manner with clients to set goals and decide what support the client may need together.

Dr. Chan is registered with the UK’s regulatory body, the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and HK’s accreditation register (HKICP) as a Clinical Psychologist. She is a graduate member of the Hong Kong Psychological Society, as well as a Registered Social Worker in Hong Kong.