Counsellors and Therapists
Maple Tree Counselling Hong Kong is a diverse, multicultural team with rich life experience and international qualifications and accreditation. We are a practice with men, women and non-binary counsellors and counselling psychologists who are expats and native Hong Kongers. We deliver therapy in English, Cantonese and Mandarin. Some of our areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, parenting, relationship difficulties & divorce, adoption, fertility/IVF, adoption, pregnancy loss, menopause, postpartum adjustments, sexual and gender identity and childhood trauma.
Our professional memberships include the Hong Kong Society of Counselling and Psychology (HKSCP), the Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association (HKPCA), the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), the American Counselling Association (ACA), the Asian Professional Counselling & Psychology Association and the British Psychological Society.
Simon Westcott
Counsellor — ACT, Psychoanalysis, Narrative Therapy & 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, addiction and challenges arising from relationship, sexuality and family issues.
Available Online Only.
Casey McGrath
Counsellor — CBT, ACT, Narrative Therapy & Person-Centered Therapy
Casey works with adults seeking greater self-understanding and emotional balance through periods of transition, turbulence and stagnation. Her clients are men and women across the adult lifespan and across different cultures, often from high-pressure and high-achieving backgrounds. Casey supports clients in examining patterns, exploring the self and shifting perspectives for meaningful change using a range of evidence based approaches.
Jacquelyn Tryde
Counsellor — CBT, EMDR, Psychodynamic, Mindfulness & Trauma-informed Psychotherapy
Jacquelyn works with adult clients, specializing in relationships and attachment, co-dependency, self-esteem, anxiety and depression. She believes that much of what keeps individuals disconnected from others and themselves is driven by unconscious patterns developed as coping mechanisms in response to trauma and emotional suppression.
Nicola Shannon
Counsellor – CBT, IFS, ACT, Psychodynamic, Compassion-Focused Therapy & Mindfulness
Nicola works with adults and couples who may be at a crossroads, struggling to bring purpose, meaning, and authenticity to their lives and relationships. Her work often centres on feelings of disconnection, which can manifest as anxiety, burnout, procrastination, or compulsive and addictive behaviours around substances, spending, or technology.
Kari Entwisle
Counsellor – ACT, CBT, Grief-Informed Psychotherapy, Schema & Gottman Method Therapy
Kari works with adults navigating anxiety, relationships, grief, and major life transitions. She has a particular interest in perfectionism, self-worth, narcissism, insomnia, and workplace stress, especially among high-performing professionals. Her clients often seek support during times of emotional overwhelm, identity shifts, or when coping strategies begin to interfere with wellbeing and connection.
Jojo Tong
Counsellor – CBT, Attachment Based Family Therapy, Narrative & Person-Centered Therapy
Jojo works with adults, adolescents, and families navigating challenges such as depression, anxiety, trauma, family conflict, and major life transitions. Jojo brings a deep understanding of the complexities within family systems, including intergenerational communication and the pressures of fast-paced lifestyles.
John Mok-Lamme
Counsellor – Psychodynamic, CBT, Motivational Interviewing & Emotion-Focused Therapy
John Mok-Lamme works with adolescents, adults and couples to address a variety of challenges including depression, anxiety, life transitions, trauma, and marital and relational challenges. John’s work relies heavily on the alliance between the therapist and client and is deeply respectful of client’s preferences and choices.
Available Online Only.
Marilyn Tryde
Counsellor – ACT, CBT, Mindfulness, Positive Psychology & Person-centred Therapy
Marilyn works with adolescents (15+ years) and adults struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, low-self-esteem, anger, cultural identity, and relationship dynamics. Most clients come into therapy struggling with identifiable symptoms that impact their quality of life, such as insomnia, addiction or stress. Such presenting symptoms usually indicate the presence of deeper maladaptive psychological patterns and coping mechanisms at play.
Bea Smith
Counsellor – Positive Psychology, Emotion-Focused, Person-Centered & Schema Therapy
Bea offers strengths-based and trauma-informed counselling to adult and adolescent clients. She provides a compassionate space to explore the roots of thoughts, feelings and behaviours and empowers her clients to take steps towards meaningful change. Using a holistic approach, she tailors her methods to clients’ unique needs and preferences, combining cognitive behavioural and emotionally focused techniques to navigate a range of mental health and life challenges.
Julia Laubscher
Counsellor – CBT, ACT, Emotion-Focused, Gestalt, & Gottman Method Therapy
Julia specializes in helping individuals navigate challenges such as depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, and inner child wounds. Julia focuses on exploring core issues, building resilience, and empowering clients to overcome obstacles, develop healthier coping strategies, and strengthen their sense of self. Her approach fosters self-awareness, emotional healing, and personal growth in a safe, empathetic and supportive environment.
On maternity leave from March – July 2026.
Varuna Vaswani
Counsellor – CBT, REBT, Emotion-Focused, Somatic, Schema & Gestalt Therapy
Varuna works with adolescents and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, challenging relationship & family dynamics, parenting challenges and grief, with specialization in attachment trauma. Varuna focuses on supporting clients in understanding themselves deeply and reconnecting with their authentic self. She uses a trauma-informed approach to facilitate clients in uncovering the roots of such beliefs, address any unresolved emotional needs and create healthier beliefs and patterns to achieve lasting change.
Paul Vallis
Dr. Amanda Friday
Psychologist – Narrative Therapy, Unified Protocol, DBT & Trauma-informed Psychotherapy
Dr. Friday works with adults who are trying to find their way through times of change, pressure, or uncertainty. They support individuals who feel stuck, disconnected, or uncertain about how to move forward, helping them reconnect with purpose and clarity. Amanda’s approach is collaborative and down-to-earth. They see therapy as a space to slow down and make sense of the stories that have shaped who you are.
Maple Tree Counselling Hong Kong operates under the key professional values of absolute confidentiality, ongoing professional development and expert individual and group supervision.
