Our Team

Dr. Candice Powell joined Mind HK as Chief Executive Officer in September 2022. She is trained as a clinical psychologist at The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Before joining Mind HK, she worked at New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, one of Hong Kong’s largest community mental health NGOs, for 13 years. She is an honorary lecturer at The University of Hong Kong and a fellow of The Hong Kong Psychological Society, vice-chair of the Division of Clinical Psychology of HKPS, and a training officer of the Association of Contextual and Behavioural Science (Hong Kong Chapter). She is an awardee of Hong Kong Professional Elite Ladies Selection 2022.

Candice is diversely trained in evidence-based psychological intervention. Apart from being a practitioner, she is also a rigorous researcher and widely published in academic journals and presented her study findings at local and international conferences. She has developed innovative intervention programmes for improving people’s mental health and well-being. She introduced Mindful Parenting, digitised Unified Protocol for emotional disorders, and established a stepped-care psychological service in Hong Kong. She hopes everyone with emotional distress can easily access quality psychological services.

Carol has been at Mind HK since 2017, where she has led the organisation’s communications strategy, campaigns, digital content, and external relations, prior to stepping into the role of Deputy CEO.
Carol previously supported public health development and communication programmes for the UN and a number of health-focused NGOs and digital health start-ups in Boston, New York, and Geneva. She holds an undergraduate degree in Sociology and Medical Humanities, a Masters of Public Health, and a Masters of Counselling. Outside of Mind HK, she is a mental health counsellor, working primarily with adolescents. Carol is a member of the Laureus Model City Hong Kong Steering Committee, a mentor for Resolve’s 2022-2023 Fellowship, and a member of the Global Shapers Hong Kong hub. She is passionate about everything public health, storytelling, and changing attitudes toward mental health.

Min joined Mind HK in January 2022. She holds a MBA degree, and over 14 years professional experience including extensive work within the operations field.

She started to work in the HK charity sector from 2020, and is proud to be able to apply her experience and knowledge on helping start up to build a solid foundation for further development.

Henry learned about Mind HK during the Mental Health Conference 2017, and joined the Mind HK team, 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 significant impact on a person’s experience and recovery.

Therefore, Henry joined Mind HK aiming to improve the current situation and contribute through education and awareness work. He is a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor and delivers mental health training and workshops.. He believes that reducing stigma and improving awareness are the first steps to improve support in Hong Kong, and he also wishes to collaborate and work with different like-minded parties to facilitate such change.

Michelle joined Mind HK in April 2022. She attained a degree in Media Arts and an advanced certificate in Psychology in Hong Kong, with a special interest in community arts, psychotherapy and mindfulness. Prior to joining Mind HK, Michelle worked for various corporates and NGOs, and she brings over 8 years of experience in delivering local and overseas project management, development and fundraising campaigns.
Michelle previously worked for a local NGO as a Programme Manager to design and deliver a wide range of social inclusion programmes with people with different disabilities. Outside of Hong Kong, she also provided volunteer services in Germany, Cambodia and Thailand. She is committed to giving back to society, and excited to support Mind HK for mental health development in Hong Kong.

Michelle joined Mind HK in April 2022. After graduating from the Chinese University of Hong Kong with a Bachelor degree in Psychology, she aspired to contribute to the mental health field in Hong Kong as a team member of the Youth Wellbeing Practitioner and Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner Programme.

During her previous work and internship experiences in local NGOs, she has coordinated mental health promotion programmes and peer support groups for local secondary students under the supervision of counselling and educational psychologists. Remarking the impact of mental health promotions and services on younger people, she is passionate to connect schools, professionals and students through the YWP programme and enhance mental health support resources as a member of Mind HK.

Melissa joined Mind HK in November 2020 leading the development, partnerships and fundraising strategy working closely with a variety of stakeholders, and now heads up Mind HK’s key campaigns and partnerships.
Born and raised in Scotland, Melissa brings over 11 years’ experience managing international creative projects in the public, private and NGO sector in Hong Kong. Having seen first hand the impact of mental health personally and professionally; Melissa is committed to destigmatising and raising awareness of mental health issues especially in the workplace as well as in the wider community.
Melissa is a great believer in the benefits of physical exercise for mental wellbeing. Outside of work, she enjoys being in nature, exploring Hong Kong’s trails and is also a keen salsa dancer.

Eva joined Mind HK in 2022 and serves as the Digital Project Manager. She was born and raised in Hong Kong. Prior to joining Mind HK, she worked in various corporations and quasi-government organisations across different industries. She has over 10 years of experience in digital project management specialising in websites, eShop and mobile app development. Eva firmly believes user experience is one of the important factors leading to the success of a digital application. She plans and designs the application enhancements from user perspective, aiming at creating intuitive user experience and seamless user flow. She is excited to apply her knowledge and experience in assisting NGOs to improve internal and external digital applications.

Karen joined Mind HK as a Clinical Advisor in August 2021. She is a Clinical Psychologist who has received her psychology training in institutions across the Asia-Pacific region (NUS, HKU and ANU) so as to better serve people facing challenges in these unique contexts.

Karen has a special interest in supporting adults and youths who struggle with specific anxiety disorders. Her expertise also extends to conditions relating to chronic self-harm, complex PTSD, and BPD. In helping her clients overcome these challenges, Karen applies comprehensive evidence-based treatments including CBT, DBT, ACT, Compassion Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Schema Therapy.

Apart from her clinical work, Karen is serving Médecins Sans Frontières as a Mental Health Supervisor overseeing psychosocial projects. She is also a Visiting Lecturer in Psychology at the Singapore University of Social Sciences. Karen dedicates much of her time to humanitarian work. She has served in Kenya, Ghana, Madagascar, Mongolia, Mainland China and the Philippines. With UNICEF, she has also advocated for children’s welfare in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Karen is devoted to combining her love for humanitarian work and clinical skills to help others learn, heal and grow.

Alison joined Mind HK as a clinical advisor in 2022 to promote mental health literacy and training in the community. She is a psychology lecturer teaching psychology subjects, supervising counseling students, managing academic programs. She holds a bachelor in psychology, master in mental health cousneling, and a doctoral in clinical psychology. Prior to education, she worked as a counselor providing psychotherapy to children and adults with different mental health needs.

Having experienced first-hand how mental health problems have impacted both patients and carers, Nicole is driven to dedicate herself in the mental health field aiming to combat stigma and raise awareness of mental health in the local community. Nicole joined Mind HK in late 2020 and is currently leading youth mental health programmes. She is now pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Work (part-time) at HKU. She is also a certified Mental Health First Aid course instructor (standard and youth version). Prior to joining Mind HK, she has experience working with vulnerable families with children and youth having Special Educational Needs (SEN) and mental health challenges.

Natalie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and is passionate about mental health issues. Having seen the firsthand experience of mental illness and its impacts on her family and friends, she realised how little mental health is talked about in Hong Kong and is motivated to alleviate the stigma and misconceptions towards mental illness by raising public awareness in the community. With over 2 years of experience in supporting children and youth, she believes early education and prevention play a crucial role in youth mental health. She hopes to bring her experience to Mind HK and the Coolminds team to help advocate for better understanding and open conversations towards mental health issues and to spread the message that everyone should take care of their own mental wellbeing and those around them.

Emet holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Korean Studies from the University of Hong Kong. Prior to Mind HK, Emet worked in the commercial field specialising in marketing and PR, where she garnered over four years of experience in crafting brand messaging and organising events. Her passion for mental health awareness comes from personal experiences as she realises that the topic of mental health in Hong Kong is still something that isn’t talked about enough.
Emet joined the Mind HK team as a Communications Coordinator. Emet believes in the power of language, which can make a difference in shaping the way people talk about mental health and people’s perceptions of mental health. She is delighted to be a part of the team to empower more voices to be heard, to normalise the conversation around mental health, and promote positive mental health.

Ophelia has been passionate about psychology since a young age, knowing that the human mind and behaviour plays an important part in her personal growth and overcoming difficult moments in life. She graduated from the Chinese University of Hong Kong majoring in psychology. As she gained insight on mental health issues in Hong Kong through her studies and IAPT practicum during her undergraduate programme, she realised there is an existing gap between public awareness of mental health and help-seeking behaviour, and the importance of taking care of mental health is underestimated. There are still misunderstandings towards mental health and deeply rooted beliefs towards mental health that impede people from reaching out when needed. She believes raising public awareness of mental health is the ultimate first step to improving mental health in Hong Kong. She is excited to be a part of the Mind HK team and use digital content to create a safe and supportive environment in Hong Kong to normalise mental health conversations.

Odile has been involved with Mind HK since 2016, and was on the team that officially launched the charity at the 2017 Hong Kong Mental Health Conference. Odile is the lead clinical advisor for the Anti-Stigma Project, and a trainer. She was involved in the planning of the 2017 and 2020 Hong Kong Mental Health Conferences.
Odile is a Paediatric Nurse Practitioner with over 10 years of experience in child and adolescent care. Her commitment to serving marginalised communities lead her to work on the improvement of mental health care, and working with survivours of sexual assualt and domenstic violence as well as vulnerable LGBTQ+ youth. In Hong Kong she has focused her efforts on mental health and nursing education. Odile is currently also a Child & Adolescent Teaching Fellow at the HK Polytechnic University School of Nursing, as well as an Honorary Nurse Consultant at the Hong Kong’s Children’s Hospital. Her extensive experience has allowed her to cultivate a strong focus in paediatric care, with a unique exposure to child and adolescent mental health.

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Vicki graduated with a Masters in Social Work with a strong background and passion in mental health and psychology stemming from her Bachelors in Psychology.

With over five years of experience in mental health initiatives and supporting people with their mental health in both Vancouver and Edinburgh, Vicki hopes to bring her experience to Mind HK and help destigmatize mental health in Hong Kong. She hopes to normalize the conversation around mental health and the need for mental health support in the bustling city of Hong Kong where the conversation surrounding mental health can be a taboo topic. Prior to joining Mind HK, Vicki worked to support UNHCR and refugees as they are another one of Hong Kong’s most stigmatized population groups.

Vicki is an outdoor enthusiast and an advocate for spending quality time in nature. In her personal time, she is a keen marathoner, occasionally ultramarathoner, hiker and an avid climber.

Grace joined Mind HK in October 2022. She came from a background in Media Arts and now pursuing a master’s degree in psychology.

Grace’s passion for mental health comes from personal experience. Growing up in Hong Kong, she sees how our society, culture, and recent events have increasing effects on people around her. All these observations, interactions, and knowledge reveal an ongoing experiment and mission. She aspires to be a part of this movement to create positive influence amidst these challenging conditions.

Grace likes to express her ideas and insights through writing and art. She believes that art and stories speak a different perspective on mental health and human experience.

Pinky joined Mind HK in 2019 as a volunteer and is now a Content Advisor at Mind HK. As someone born and raised in Hong Kong, Pinky understands why so many people in Hong Kong always have a high level of stress. She believes that everyone shall have an enjoyable life if they know how to cope with stressors. She is passionate about helping people to improve their life quality and happiness with her experience as a business executive and a health educator, especially those who are draining with mental health challenges.

Pinky is grateful to have the opportunity to be part of the Mind HK team. She is a qualified mental health first aid instructor and has provided online and in person training on various issues relating to mental health to the public, schools and corporations. She is also a part-time lecturer teaching master’s degree courses relating to sport and health at Hong Kong Baptist University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Pinky got a PhD (Department of Sports, Physical Education and Health, Hong Kong Baptist University), MPsyMed (Psychosis Studies) (Department of Psychiatry, The University of Hong Kong), MSc (Exercise Science) (Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong), MBA (Brunel University, UK) and BA (Political Science) (University of South Florida, US).

Chloe joined Mind HK in April 2021 in the capacity of HR and Admin Officer. She was born and raised in Hong Kong and previously worked in a moving logistics company and over 10 years’ experience in HR administration and office administration.

Dr Esther Wong is a Clinical Psychologist who works in private clinical practice, providing psychotherapy to teenagers and adults who are experiencing mental health problems. She has a special interest in working with individuals who struggle with maintaining healthy relationships with others, and helping them build healthier attachments and relationships to themselves and to others. Prior to private clinical practice, Esther worked as a School Psychologist where she gained much experience in breaking stigma towards Mental health and normalizing seeking help.

Esther started at Mind HK In June 2021 where she is working on the YWP project as a clinical advisor. Esther strongly believes that mental health support, just like physical health support, should be accessible to everyone. She is also passionate about promoting mental health support as a preventive strategy, rather than solely from an intervention or a crisis approach.

Esther is very proud to be part of such a wonderful charity that shares the same vision and goals as her own!

Florence joined Mind HK in Dec 2021 as the Finance Manager. She worked as an Accountant in a multi-national moving company over 20 years before joining Mind HK. She hopes to use her knowledge and experience to let Mind HK’s accounting policy become more perfect and systematic.

Issac graduated from the Chinese university of Hong Kong majoring in psychology, and joined mind HK in July 2022 as a communication assistant. Due to past experience, he deeply realised the impact of mental health to others and self. Therefore, he decided to devote himself to advocating and destigmatising mental health. As an enthusiastic writer, Issac contributed psychoeducation articles for local mental health platforms, and also has experience in creations of poems, drama scripts, and book publication. He wishes to raise public awareness of the importance of mental health, and support individuals who encounter mental health problems seeking help through his words and actions at Mind HK.

Matthew has been with Mind HK since September 2021. Growing up in Australia, his passion and interest has always been within the realms of mental health and disability. From attaining a Bachelor’s degree in Psychological Science as well as Masters in Autism Studies to working in various NGOs, he has always dedicated his time and effort to supporting individuals with varying capabilities.

Matthew has officially moved back to Hong Kong over three years ago and has since completed an International and Public NGO Management course. Noticing the difference in mental health attitudes and available support of both places, Matthew is now committed to raising awareness of mental health issues in Hong Kong as well as advocating for equal opportunities.

Rachel joined Mind HK in March 2021 and serves as the Youth Wellbeing Practitioner Programme Service Coordinator, where she assists with stakeholder engagement, budgeting and overall project management. Rachel brings over four years of experience managing international and local projects in both the private and public sector in Hong Kong, with her previous job as an Assistant Program Manager at a local NGO. Having seen the impact that untreated mental health issues can have on friends and family, Rachel is committed to raising awareness of mental health issues and creating more conversation to help destigmatize mental health issues.