Counsellors &

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For outside school hours and any urgent support.
Mental health support in Hong Kong

Meet the KGV Counselling team!

At KGV, we believe that every student’s mental and emotional wellbeing is just as important as their academic success. Life can sometimes feel overwhelming, and it’s okay to ask for help. Our team of dedicated counsellors is here to support you through challenges big and small. Whether you’re feeling stressed, anxious, or lonely, struggling with relationships, or just need someone to talk to, we’re here to listen without judgment. You can reach out to us for help with managing emotions, building resilience, coping with academic pressure, or navigating personal difficulties. Remember, seeking support is a sign of strength, and you don’t have to face anything alone. Let’s work together to help you thrive.

Confidentiality: Counselling sessions are confidential, and details will not be shared with parents or teachers without your permission, except in 3 situations: you are hurting yourself, you are hurting someone else, or someone is hurting you. Students can speak to their tutors or HOYs about whether seeing a counsellor is the right move for them. Sometimes students will be advised by their tutor or Head of Year to see a counsellor. Any student can self-refer to the counsellors by visiting the wetalk hub in person or by emailing student.support@kgv.edu.hk.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Will my parents know I am coming to counselling?

Counsellors are trained to work with strong ethics. The content we discuss in sessions will be confidential between the two of us. Without your permission, we will not share any information with your parents, teachers or friends. However, there are 3 exceptional circumstances: when you are hurting yourself; when you are hurting someone; when someone is hurting you. Even if we decide to break confidentiality, we would discuss it with you first.

2. If I come to seek help from counsellors, will it affect my application to a leadership position in school e.g. head prefect and house captain?

No, the counselling sessions are protected by the ethics of confidentiality; therefore, it will not affect any application inside or outside of KGV. Also, looking after your mental health, including attending counselling, is a positive thing and something you could be proud of. (Although we do understand that for some people, there is still a stigma.)

3. Will I get into trouble if I come to counselling during a lesson?

No, you will not get into trouble if you come to counselling during a lesson. We will “pre-authorise” you on Lionel, which will not affect your attendance and will remain private..

4. Are the counselling sessions documented in the school system?

The content of sessions will not be documented in the school system. In fact, they are not even on the internet. As counsellors, we usually keep notes for ourselves so we can keep a record of progress.

5. Will KGV share any of the counselling information with future/higher education institute?

During school transitions, sometimes schools will ask if a student has any Child Protection Issues (as above, this is when you are hurting yourself, when you are hurting someone, when someone is hurting you). It is our obligation to report any known Child Protection cases to ensure your health and safety in the new education institute. All other information is kept confidential. Any information shared will not affect your applications. It will only be used to ensure your safety.

Tanya Tayal - Student Counsellor, Lead Counselling Team

Hello everyone! I’m Tanya Tayal, the Lead Counsellor at KGV, and I’m thrilled to be here with all of you. I am a trained counselling psychologist with ten years of experience in both clinical and non-clinical practice.

I firmly believe in the power of therapy as a tool to help you navigate life’s challenges, discover more about yourself, and build a stronger, healthier relationship with who you are. Life can feel overwhelming at times (for any of us), and I’m here to listen, support, and chat with you about your thoughts, experiences, and philosophies on those tougher days.

I use an existential-humanistic approach to counselling, blending narrative therapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to create a space that’s tailored to your unique needs.
If you’d like to connect, feel free to reach out to me directly at tayalt2@kgv.hk or drop by the WeTalkHub to see me in person.
The Counselling Team can also be reached at student.support@kgv.edu.hk.

Ms. Rashmi Srinivas - Counsellor

Hello everyone! I’m Rashmi Srinivas, passionate about working with children, adolescents and young people and believe that “Knowledge is Power”. My goal is to make you feel heard without judgement and work together in a safe space with you. I hope to support you along the way to build resilience to face your life’s emotional and social hurdles and hopefully share some skills that could benefit you lifelong as well.

I have a Masters of Counselling degree from Monash University, Australia. I’m a certified Acceptance and Commitment Therapist (ACT) for Adolescents, Trauma Treatment Professional, a Person-Centred Coach, an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant (ELSA) and a Mental Health First Aider. In addition to those, I feel really fortunate to be living in many different roles in my life that have greatly helped me shape my approaches and presence now as a counsellor. I am a daughter (I was a teenager once too!), have a growing teenage child now, have taught young people with special needs extensively, and have been an Emotional Literacy Support Assistant with young people before I moved into full time counselling. My past experience of 10 years of working closely with students in ESF International schools providing academic, special needs and emotional support continues to richly inform my counselling practice. I work in multicultural settings in various NGOs in Hong Kong, India and Singapore delivering face to face and telemental health counselling. I worked as a clinical researcher and medical writer for over 12 years before I fully immersed myself into working with young people.

Aiming to keep my counselling approaches integrative, multicultural and humanistic, I believe that counselling is a two-way process. My approaches include a variety of collaborative, evidence and research-based approaches that include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness-based approaches, Solution-Focussed Brief Therapy, Interpersonal therapy, Narrative Therapy and Trauma-informed practices like Somatic approaches and Internal Family Systems Therapy to help young people overcome barriers to personal growth and build better relationships with themselves and with people around them.

If you are looking for a safe space to navigate through your vulnerabilities and challenges, please do not hesitate to contact me for assistance. It is indeed humbling to hold your stories in my heart and try to support you in the best ways possible. My best wishes to you for a great school year! Please feel free to contact me at rashmi.srinivas@kgv.edu.hk or meet me in person in the WeTalkHub, formerly Wellbeing Centre.

San Hung – School Counsellor (BML)

Hello everyone! I am San Hung, the bilingual/multilingual counsellor at KGV. I’m very excited to be here and to work with you!

I am a counselling psychologist. I have always been interested in meeting people of different backgrounds, hearing their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, and working with them to tackle challenges in life.

I believe that everyone has their own strengths that support them to survive, grow, and thrive. But sometimes we may lost in the maze of difficulties and struggle to find a way out. In counselling, I will accompany you to find the way out together. I use the person-centered strength-based approach integrated with techniques from other therapies such as solution focused brief therapy, cognitive behavior therapy, empathic focusing therapy etc. In sessions, we can talk in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English, whichever you feel comfortable to express yourself.

Contact me directly at hungs12@kgv.hk or come to the WeTalk Hub in person to find me. For general enquiries email student.support@kgv.edu.hk

Ms. Vicky Chong - School Social Worker (Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri at KGV)

Hi everyone, I am Vicky. I am the Social Worker from the H.K.S.K.H. Kowloon City Children & Youth Integrated Service Centre. Secondary school is one of the most important times of our lives, I hope to accompany you all on this journey of growing up and help you through those challenging moments.

You are welcome to get in touch with me via email at vicky.chong@kgv.edu.hk or go to the reception to find me in person.

Mr. Kevin Chu - School Social Worker (Mon, Tue, Wed and Fri at KGV)

Hello students, I am Kevin Chu, the social worker from the H.K.S.K.H. Kowloon City Children & Youth Integrated Service Centre.

The teenage years are an incredible journey, one full of growth, discovery, and sometimes, a few bumps along the way. I deeply believe that every student has unique strengths, resilience, and the potential to thrive. My approach to counselling is deeply rooted in positive values. I aim to empower you to discover your own strengths and solutions, providing a safe space of complete understanding and respect where you feel truly heard without judgment. My door is always open to you. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by anything in your life, I am always here to be your companion in your school life. Looking forward to see you all on campus!

Please feel free to contact me through email at kevin.chu@kgv.edu.hk or come to the reception to talk with me

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