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70/30 Light the Spark

When we’re caught in an emotional low, it’s easy to doubt our own strength – to magnify our flaws and forget that to be human means being imperfect. For our young people in Hong Kong, this is the reality with more than 50% of secondary students showing signs of depression. But deep down, we all carry the courage and resilience to burn bright again.


The 70/30 principle comes from evidence-based psychological practice, where the ideal therapeutic balance is 70% listening, 30% speaking. In life, it becomes something more – the delicate balance between supporting and stepping aside. Sometimes, all we need is that final 30% – someone to lean on, a voice that says, “I’m here.” Others can help light the spark, but only you can fuel the fire.


This 30% can be enough to help our young people reignite their own spark and turn a flicker into fireworks.

This World Mental Health Day we have collected stories:

Jason Lee
如今，那一刻提醒我：理解不必建立在完全認同之上，接納也不必伴隨解釋或立場。
Ghostly
當年是謠傳的世界末日，想一睹末日的樣子，結果末日沒有來到，我卻等待到情緒漸漸平穩了。
Gary Chao
他點醒了我，原來我一直活在自我誤解中——不斷放大自己的缺點，卻嚴重低估了自身的力量。這次對話是那關鍵的「30%」。
Esther Grace
感恩，有他們的無條件的愛和支持，我才沒自殺，也因為腦修復而自然消失了抑鬱和自殺的衝動和慾望。
CT
ometimes it was something small, like a text message or suggesting we go for a walk when I was stuck in my own head, but those moments helped me steady myself and keep going.
Claire Burley
Slowly, I found safety — not in “fixing” myself, but in honouring who I really am. Safety in giving myself compassion. Safety in being authentic. Safety in learning to advocate for my needs instead of shrinking them. That’s where the spark began to return.

Just HKD$375  can fund one session of iACT talking therapy for a young person experiencing depression or anxiety.

 

Donate today to support Mind HK’s free talking therapy services and help light the spark of healing.

 

This World Mental Health Day, Mind HK aims to raise 375,000 HKD to continue offering free psychological support services for youth. Play your part in improving mental health care by donating and supporting this vital cause.

Donate and support a young person

Improving Access to Community Therapies

Since its launch in 2022, the Mind HK iACT youth service has supported 716 young people through individual and group services, delivering more than 5,000 therapy sessions to those facing depression and anxiety, and achieving a 53% recovery rate among youth

Find out more
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What is iACT Service?

Improving Access to Community Therapies (iACT®) is one of the services from Mind HK. Trained Wellbeing Practitioners will offer initial assessment and early intervention for people dealing with mild to moderate symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other emotional difficulties.

The service includes 6-8 sessions of low-intensity psychological support, the flexibility of the service allows individuals to receive free and timely support when needed.

If you’re aged between 18 – 65 and are facing some emotional challenges, we would like to invite you to take an online assessment for us to gain a better understanding of your current emotional struggles.

If you’re eligible, we’ll get you connected with a Wellbeing Practitioner within two weeks to sort out the next steps.

The service runs for about 3 months and includes 6-8 support sessions, tailored to your needs.

 

We encourage you to attend all sessions and actively practice the tips and exercises provided by your Wellbeing Practitioner.

We take your privacy seriously. Your chats with the Wellbeing Practitioner are confidential.

 

We won’t share any of your info unless you’ve provided consent or if there are risks detected.

This programme isn’t suitable for people facing emergencies, major setbacks, or those diagnosed with serious or complex mental health conditions.

 

If you’re having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, this programme might not meet your needs, so please seek help right away. You can check out Mind HK’s “Find Help Now” page for immediate information and services.

Most of our Wellbeing Practitioners have backgrounds in psychology or counselling and are passionate about mental health. They’ve gone through about 140 hours of intensive training and completed at least 120 hours of supervised clinical practice over 9 months to ensure the quality of service.

 

They’re trained by accredited local experts in the mental health field, including clinical psychologists, counselling psychologists, counsellors, and psychiatrists. Plus, we regularly check how effective our services are. All service outputs and performances are subject to consistent monitoring.

Who is suitable for participating in this programme?

This programme welcomes anyone between the ages of 18 and 65 who may be feeling lost or facing emotional difficulties. Please note that this programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions.

This programme is not suitable for individuals diagnosed with severe or complex mental health conditions, but suitable for those who experience mild to severe moderate anxiety, mild to moderate depression, or other emotional challenges. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

After signing up, our Wellbeing Practitioner will contact you within two weeks to schedule a convenient time for a 45-minute conversation, either via video or phone call, according to your preference. During the conversation, the Wellbeing Practitioner will understand your current situation and help you gain a better understanding of your emotional state based on the questionnaire you filled out during application. Additionally, they will provide recommendations for appropriate community resources based on your needs, helping you take an important first step in taking care of your mental health.

Although the intervention procedure is mostly standardised, Wellbeing Practitioners will work flexibly with clients to address individual presenting problems and unique characteristics.

Our Wellbeing Practitioners are trained to support people who experience mild to moderate mental health difficulties primarily. This programme is not suitable for the situations mentioned above. If you are currently experiencing a major setback or even having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, please visit the “Find Help Now” page on our Mind HK’s website for immediate information and services.

Your conversations with the Wellbeing Practitioner are absolutely confidential. Any information about you will not be shared with anyone without your consent unless you or others are at immediate risk or the Wellbeing Practitioner has reason to believe that you may be in imminent danger.
Supervisors will monitor trainees’ development throughout the placement to ensure that they are meeting the required level of competency to pass the training course at the end of the placement.

Yes, it is necessary to book an appointment in advance by filling out the form. Additionally, you can select one of the five stores yourself. We will allocate clients to different Wellbeing Practitioners based on their chosen location.

Before having the conversation, we will ask you to fill out a basic questionnaire for preliminary screening assessment. This screening process aims to ensure that the training received by the Wellbeing Practitioners is sufficient to meet the needs of the individuals receiving the service. If it is determined after the screening assessment that the service is not suitable for you, Mind HK will provide alternative recommendations to ensure your safety and support.

For adults who are suitable for this service, all Wellbeing Practitioners have received training on how to identify and respond to safety and risk issues. If you have any concerns about the support process, the Wellbeing Practitioners have appropriate measures in place and will develop response plans based on the urgency of the situation. They can also access support from clinical practitioners from Mind HK or participating organisations.

What private training does Mind HK provide?

Mind HK provides 4 themes of mental health training, including: Supporting Self, Supporting Others, Family Wellbeing and DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion).

 

Check out the brochure here for more information.

Mind HK provides a wide range of standardised mental health training, which can be tailored to different circumstances. Chat with our team to explore more! 

Our trainers come from a diverse, accredited pool of clinically experienced professionals. Check out our trainers’ biographies here.

Yes, the Mental Health First Aid class of Mind HK is internationally accredited by the MHFA International. The content and certification is delivered by trainers certified from the Mental Health Association of Hong Kong. You can find out our trainers accreditation here.

We are here to support your mental health education journey! Reach out to us and chat with our team.

70/30 Light the Spark




When we’re caught in an emotional low, it’s easy to doubt our own strength - to magnify our flaws and forget that to be human means being imperfect. For our young people in Hong Kong, this is the reality with more than 50% of secondary students showing signs of depression. But deep down, we all carry the courage and resilience to burn bright again.

The 70/30 principle comes from evidence-based psychological practice, where the ideal therapeutic balance is 70% listening, 30% speaking. In life, it becomes something more - the delicate balance between supporting and stepping aside. Sometimes, all we need is that final 30% - someone to lean on, a voice that says, “I’m here.” Others can help light the spark, but only you can fuel the fire.

This 30% can be enough to help our young people reignite their own spark and turn a flicker into fireworks.

This World Mental Health Day we have collected stories:

Just HKD$375  can fund one session of iACT talking therapy for a young person experiencing depression or anxiety.

 

Donate today to support Mind HK's free talking therapy services and help light the spark of healing.

 

This World Mental Health Day, Mind HK aims to raise 375,000 HKD to continue offering free psychological support services for youth. Play your part in improving mental health care by donating and supporting this vital cause.


Donate and support a young person


Improving Access to Community Therapies

Since its launch in 2022, the Mind HK iACT youth service has supported 716 young people through individual and group services, delivering more than 5,000 therapy sessions to those facing depression and anxiety, and achieving a 53% recovery rate among youth


Find out more