Our Trainers
Bhavna Bharvani
Bhavna Bharvani is a US-trained Clinical Counselor, registered with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. She has provided individual, couples, and group therapy in trauma-saturated environments, community mental health clinics, high schools, and residential substance use treatment centers. She helps people work through depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, addictions, identity issues, shame, and relationship issues. She integrates a humanistic, relational and client-centered approach with EMDR and ACT modalities, narrative therapy and mindfulness techniques, to suit the unique needs of each individual client.
In addition to her clinical experiences, Bhavna has worked in Mumbai, New York, London, San Francisco, and Hong Kong, in professions ranging from television journalism, to investment banking, to market research. Currently, Bhavna works at Central Minds providing therapy to the LGBTQIA+ community, teenagers, adults, and couples, to help them achieve a sense of well-being and fulfillment in relationships, work and play.
Henry Chan
Henry learned about Mind HK during the Mental Health Conference 2017, and joined the Mind HK team as Mental Health Education and Information Officer, as he wishes to improve the mental health condition in Hong Kong through education and awareness works.
Henry obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at the University of Bath and worked as an Honorary Assistant Psychologist at a local hospital in the United Kingdom before coming back to his hometown. His previous work focused on conducting assessments and light intensity rehabilitations for individuals with various backgrounds. During work, he realised that there are huge differences in mental health attitudes and knowledge between the HK and UK community. The stigma has a huge impact on a person’s experience and recovery.
Therefore, Henry joined Mind HK in 2018 aiming to improve the current situation and contribute through education and awareness work. He has become a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and has been delivering mental health training and workshops since then. He believes that stigma reduction and awareness work are the first steps to improve the current support in Hong Kong, and he also wishes to collaborate and work with different like-minded parties to facilitate such change.
Kimberly Ho
Prior to becoming a counselor, Kim worked in investment banking in New York and Hong Kong for twelve years. Originally from the US, Kim has a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Kim returned to the University of Hong Kong and completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Psychology and a Master of Counseling degree with Monash University (Australia). She is working toward a doctorate in clinical psychology at California Southern University.
With her experience spanning finance/commerce and mental health sectors, Kim’s multi-disciplinary training and experience informs an understanding of adults facing life transitions and issues of work and meaningful engagement. Kim has a particular interest in working with couples struggling with relationship and family challenges, teens and young adults learning to navigate life’s confusing and often stressful passageways, and individuals stuck in anxiety or depression.
She employs therapeutic methods derived from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and positive psychology. Kim helps clients identify unhelpful cognitive and behavioural patterns, build on their strengths, and equip them with tools and strategies to move towards improved mental and emotional wellbeing.
Kim works with clients by appointment at two counseling practices in Central.
Dr Hannah Reidy
Hannah has been with Mind HK since 2016, and was on the team that officially launched the charity at the Hong Kong Mental Health Conference in November 2017. She worked with local Minds in the UK for 8 years as a Social Inclusion Worker, Scheme Leader, and latterly as a Trustee.
She is a UK trained Clinical Psychologist with degrees from Oxford University and University College London, and practices clinically in Hong Kong when not working at Mind HK. Hannah has a special interest in Early Psychosis, and lectures as an Honorary Assistant Professor on the HKU Masters in Psychosis course. Hannah first visited Hong Kong for a summer in 2008 and fell in love with the city, and is delighted that she is able to live and work here for the charity and the cause that she is so passionate about.
Dr Hannah Sugarman
Dr Hannah Sugarman is a clinical psychologist from the UK. She completed her clinical training in London, working in a range of different settings with clients across the lifespan. Hannah specialised in working with adults with neurological conditions and other physical health problems. Since relocating to Hong Kong in 2017, Dr. Sugarman has worked with adults, offering psychological therapy for mental health difficulties using Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She also works as a clinical advisor for Mind Hong Kong, offering clinical support to training, events and programmes. Hannah is passionate about challenging stigma and improving access to mental health treatment, and she strives to address this through her work with clients, her work at Mind HK and through the delivery of training sessions to help people to improve their knowledge and understanding of mental health.
Odile Thiang
Odile completed her Bachelor of Nursing as well as her Pediatric Nurse Practitioner – Masters of Nursing degree at the University of Toronto.
Odile has over 10 years of experience in child and adolescent care. She has been a part of the Pediatric Emergency Medicine (ED) team, Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) team and the General Pediatric Medicine team at the Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto, Canada). In the ED she championed quality improvement initiatives in mental health care, where she developed and implemented a mental health clinical guideline and worked with community agencies to improve collaboration to provide seamless care for such a vulnerable population. As a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Odile supported survivors’ various medical and mental health needs. During her Masters training she completed an internship in Adolescent Medicine through the Transgender Program and the Young Families Program. Odile is currently a Child & Adolescent Teaching Fellow at the HK Polytechnic University School of Nursing. Odile has been involved with Mind Hong Kong for the past 3 years as a clinical advisor, trainer and now as the Anti-Stigma Projects Coordinator. Her extensive experience has allowed her to cultivated a strong focus in paediatric care, with a unique exposure to child and adolescent mental health.
Pinky Tso
Born and raised in Hong Kong, Pinky is a Health Educator as a second career. Her first career is a business person in the retail industry and she has held several senior positions in multi-national corporations in Hong Kong. Pinky is passionate about helping people, especially those who are struggling with mental health, to improve their quality of life; there are many opportunities for all of us to maintain a good health and enjoy life.
Pinky got a PhD (Department of Sport and Physical Education, HKBU), MPsyMed (Psychosis Studies) (Department of Psychiatry, HKU), MSc (Exercise Science) (Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, CUHK), MBA (Brunel University, UK) and BA (Political Science, University of South Florida, US). She is a part-time lecturer teaching health and sport-related subjects at HKBU and CUHK, and a volunteer for Mind HK.