About us

Maple Tree Counselling grew from the shared vision of colleagues and friends brought together by passion and professionalism. Responding to an exploding demand for mental health services during turbulent times, we seek to create a genuinely diverse practice providing counselling and psychotherapy with empathy, expertise and excellence.

Maple trees grow all over the world. They hold many meanings in different cultures: strength, resilience, protection, fertility, tolerance, honour and love. They have strong roots and grow famously colourful leaves. These are the values and aspirations we hold for ourselves and for every one of our clients.

Expert Counsellors & Therapists in Hong Kong, Maple Tree Counselling

Our vision

Engaging, listening, supporting – Maple Tree Counselling’s vision is to help individuals flourish by providing a safe and caring space in which to explore life’s challenges and opportunities to grow and heal.

Some clients call these challenges depression, anxiety, addiction, stress, trauma, ADHD, grief or codependency – the list may be endless, but many clients may just feel blocked and want change. 

Whether clients are looking for ongoing psychotherapy, mental health support or the practical tools of recovery, relationships, reflection and realising potential, we aim to help them thrive.

Maple Tree Counselling operates under the key professional values of absolute confidentiality, ongoing professional development and expert individual and group supervision.

 

 

Our team

Maple Tree Counselling is a practice of partners and associate therapists that reflects true multicultural and multilingual vibrancy, and is committed to helping foster resilience and mental wellbeing across all the communities it serves.

Founded in Hong Kong, the original team comprises native Hong Kongers, long-term permanent residents and ex-patriates, delivering therapy in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.  

Launching in Melbourne and Central Victoria in February 2023, led by founding Partner and returning Australian Simon Westcott, Maple Tree will continue to support diverse communities and ethnicities as it builds its Australian team.

 

  • Anjali Nihalchand, Expert Counsellors & Therapists in Hong Kong, Maple Tree Counselling

    Anjali Nihalchand

    Co-Founder & Director — Brand, Marketing and Operations

    Anjali is a Brand and Project Consultant (Pollination Projects) and a Co-founder of Maple Tree Counselling. She has worked across a wide set of industries including hospitality & travel, arts & culture, start-ups and NGOs.

  • Simon Westcott, Expert Counsellors & Therapists in Hong Kong, Maple Tree Counselling

    Simon Westcott

    Counsellor — ACT, CBT and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

    Simon believes in the benefits of both short-term, goal-oriented counselling and longer-term, ‘in-depth’ psychoanalytic psychotherapy. He treats clients from many different cultures with a wide variety of mental health issues.

  • Casey McGrath, expert Counsellors & Therapists in Hong Kong, Maple Tree Counselling

    Casey McGrath

    Counsellor — CBT, ACT, Narrative and Person-centered Therapy

    Casey works with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and relationship issues. She specializes in helping clients navigate major life transitions as well as complicated career and family dynamics.

  • Jacquelyn Tryde

    Counsellor — EFT, CBT and Mindfulness-based Psychotherapy

    Jacquelyn offers therapy for adults, adolescents and preteens. She supports younger clients who experience dysfunctional family dynamics, parental separation and divorce, difficulties in acculturation, depression, anxiety, OCD, and peer pressure.

  • Dickie Mok, Expert Counsellors & Therapists in Hong Kong, Maple Tree Counselling

    Dickie Mok

    Counsellor — ACT, CBT, Motivational Interviewing and Therapeutic Game Master

    Dickie believes in supporting clients through developing mindfulness and awareness, flexibility, resilience and self-compassion in pursuit of positive change.

  • Nicola Shannon

    Nicola Shannon

    Counsellor - CBT, IFS and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

    Nicola works with adults and adolescents struggling with a sense of disconnection, uncertainty and lack of purpose. She aims to help clients identify and overcome the obstacles preventing them from thriving.

  • Lianne Lim

    Lianne Lim

    Counsellor - CBT, SFBT, Motivational Interviewing, Person-Centered Therapy

    Lianne believes that people want the best for themselves and they have the resources within themselves to make changes. Using a person-entered approach, Lianne supports adults who are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, and relationship issues.

  • Brenton Surgenor

    Brenton Surgenor

    Counsellor - ACT, CBT, Gottman Method and Mindfulness

    Brenton works with individuals and couples to find balance and wellbeing in their lives. His practice focuses on life transitions, couples counselling, anxiety, stress management and mindfulness. He creates a supportive, non-judgmental environment and is attuned to the unique needs of LGBTQ+ clients.

Anjali Nihalchand, Expert Counsellors & Therapists in Hong Kong, Maple Tree Counselling

Anjali Nihalchand

Co-Founder & Director — Brand, Marketing and Operations

Anjali is a Brand and Project Consultant (Pollination Projects) and a Co-founder of Maple Tree Counselling. She has worked across a wide set of industries including hospitality & travel, arts & culture, start-ups and NGOs. She has worked for pioneers such as Aman (over 10 years), entrepreneurs such as Song Saa and naked Hub, and NGOs such as The Zubin Foundation. Alongside running, Maple Tree Counselling, Anjali is partners in an Acceleration Platform (100X Project) generating fast and massive visibility on Google Search for small and large businesses. Anjali was born and raised in Hong Kong and educated in the US & France. She is proud of her Indian heritage and works to raise awareness of the minority experience in Hong Kong advocating for diversity, equality and inclusion. She is trained in transformational coaching and coaches young South Asian women to cultivate empowerment.

  • Bachelor of Arts (USD & AUP, France)
  • Digital Marketing (General Assembly)
  • Transformational Coach (Transcend)
  • Pollination Projects (Founder)
  • 100X Project (Partner)
  • Advisor to The Zubin Foundation
Simon Westcott, Expert Counsellors & Therapists in Hong Kong, Maple Tree Counselling

Simon Westcott

Counsellor — ACT, CBT and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Simon believes in the benefits of both short-term, goal-oriented counselling and longer-term, ‘in-depth’ psychoanalytic psychotherapy. He treats clients from many different cultures with a wide variety of mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, and challenges rising from relationship, sexuality and family issues. Simon enjoyed a 25-year corporate, entrepreneurial and NGO career before entering the mental health field.  He understands the challenges of high-performance environments, both academically and professionally, but also the importance of creativity and play.  Simon serves diverse communities, including the LGBTQ+ community, and has a specialism in men’s mental health.

  • Master of Counselling (Monash) 
  • Australian Centre for Psychoanalysis (4 Year Study Program, ongoing)
  • Australian Counselling Association
  • Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology
  • Masters of Arts (Oxford & Indiana)
Casey McGrath, expert Counsellors & Therapists in Hong Kong, Maple Tree Counselling

Casey McGrath

Counsellor — CBT, ACT, Narrative and Person-centered Therapy

Casey works with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, low self-esteem and relationship issues. She specializes in helping clients navigate major life transitions as well as complicated career and family dynamics. She is passionate about healing past traumas and discovering possibilities for change while working collaboratively with clients using a range of evidence-based techniques. Casey is a mother of three and has lived in Hong Kong since 2012. She previously worked at The Women’s Foundation in Hong Kong and, prior to that, as an attorney in New York.

  • Master of Counselling (Monash)
  • Professional Coaching Training (Transcend)
  • American Counseling Association
  • Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology
  • Bachelor of Arts (Michigan) & Juris Doctor (Georgetown)

Jacquelyn Tryde

Counsellor — EFT, CBT and Mindfulness-based Psychotherapy

Jacquelyn offers therapy for adults, adolescents and preteens. She has supported younger clients who have experienced dysfunctional family dynamics, parental separation and divorce, difficulties in acculturation, depression, anxiety, OCD, and peer pressure. She has been heavily involved in substance abuse prevention work and mental health education with youths and their parents from ethnic minority communities and international schools. Jacquelyn also works with adult clients, specializing in women’s issues, attachment trauma, and overcoming limiting beliefs and low self-esteem. Jacquelyn values multi-cultural sensitivity, and has working proficiency in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Prior to her career change, Jacquelyn was an executive trainer with Forbes Travel Guide.

  • Master of Counselling (Monash) 
  • Certificate of Clinical Hypnotherapy Level 4 (IMDHA) 
  • Australian Counselling Association
  • Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology
  • Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong 
  • Bachelor of Social Sciences (Hong Kong) 
Dickie Mok, Expert Counsellors & Therapists in Hong Kong, Maple Tree Counselling

Dickie Mok

Counsellor — ACT, CBT, Motivational Interviewing and Therapeutic Game Master

Dickie believes in supporting clients through developing mindfulness and awareness, flexibility, resilience and self-compassion in pursuit of positive change. He works with clients through life and career transitions and hard decisions, and supports issues relating to anxiety, depression, self-worth and belonging. Dickie also has experience supporting adolescents and young adults in individual and group therapy, and acts as a Game Master for Role Playing Game groups in therapeutic settings. Dickie was born in Canada and raised in Hong Kong, and has also lived in the United States and Japan. Prior to counselling, Dickie had a 15-year career in legal practice, university teaching and business.

  • Master of Counselling (Monash)
  • Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology
  • Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association
  • Master of Laws (New York) & Master of Arts (King’s College)
Nicola Shannon

Nicola Shannon

Counsellor - CBT, IFS and Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Nicola works with adults and adolescents struggling with a sense of disconnection, uncertainty and lack of purpose. These clients may be experiencing anxiety, depression, relationship and family difficulties or compulsive and addictive behaviours. Utilising an integrative framework to address both current challenges and past traumas, Nicola aims to help clients identify and overcome the obstacles preventing them from thriving. Previously an early-years educator, Nicola began working with individual clients to help them understand how their unique roles create successes and challenges within the family structure.

  • Master of Counselling (Monash)
  • Recovery Facilitator (SMART Recovery)
  • Australian Counselling Association
  • British Psychological Society
  • Bachelor of Science (Honours), Psychology (University of Derby)
Lianne Lim

Lianne Lim

Counsellor - CBT, SFBT, Motivational Interviewing, Person-Centered Therapy

Lianne believes that people want the best for themselves and they have the resources within themselves to make changes. Using a person-centered approach, Lianne supports adults who are struggling with anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, and relationship issues. She also works with couples to manage conflicts arising from parenting, separation, and life transitions. Through Lianne’s own journey with child loss and fertility treatments, she also understands her clients’ struggles while trying to grow their families. Originally from Taiwan, Lianne lived, studied, and worked in various countries; she embraces the uniqueness of multi-national and multi-cultural individuals and families. Lianne worked in investment banking for 15 years in New York, Sydney, and Hong Kong before whole-heartedly pursuing her passion for psychology. Lianne counsels in English and Mandarin.

  • Master of Counselling (Monash)
  • Asian Professional Counselling & Psychology Association
  • The Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association
  • Master of Commerce in Finance (UNSW)
  • Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Psychology (Tufts)
Brenton Surgenor

Brenton Surgenor

Counsellor - ACT, CBT, Gottman Method and Mindfulness

Brenton works with individuals and couples to find balance and wellbeing in their lives. His practice focuses on life transitions, couples counselling, anxiety, stress management and mindfulness. Brenton employs a person-centered approach to help clients develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their relationships, develop resilience, and create positive change. He creates a supportive, non-judgmental environment and is attuned to the unique needs of LGBTQ+ clients. Specializing in couples therapy and couples coaching, Brenton draws on the Gottman Method to help couples resolve conflict and build meaningful connection. Originally from New Zealand, Brenton has over two decades of experience in education and academia and has studied and worked all over the world.

  • Master of Counselling (Monash)
  • Gottman Institute Level 1 and Level 2
  • Australia Counselling Association
  • Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong
  • Master of Science in Dance Science (Wolverhampton University)
  • Master of Arts in Dance Studies (City University)

We are open to collaborations. 

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