Meet the team - our practitioners

Jackie Greenwood

Jackie is the Lead Practitioner with Phoenix Practice, Hong Kong. She is a qualified and experienced child and adolescent family social worker from the UK. She obtained her MA in Social Work from the University of Hull, England in 1996. She also holds a Master in Counselling (High Distinction) and is an Associate Fellow of the Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association and a Member of the American School Counsellors Association.

Jackie has, for the past 16 years, worked professionally with children, young people and their families, predominantly in mental health. She is a qualified and experienced Practice Teacher and Supervisor for social work and counselling students, and holds a Diploma in Supervisory Studies. Jackie is an approved Practice Supervisor for counselling students from Monash University, Australia. Jackie is a member of the UK Solution Focused Practitioners Association.

Over the years, Jackie has received extensive postgraduate training in cognitive behavioral therapy, solution focused therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, trauma and crisis, and narrative therapy. Jackie uses an integrative approach to counselling; adopting an approach that is evidence based and values the individual needs of the client. Jackie is actively engaged in developing an integration of CBT with ACT, and predominantly works within this framework. Since 2003 Jackie has developed and provided a comprehensive school counselling service across five International Schools in Hong Kong.

Jackie can provide individual counselling, group work for young people, family support and parent education. Her specialist areas of interest are depression, anxiety including school phobia, cyber addiction and bullying, self - harm and teen risk taking behavior, and peer mentoring. Over the years, Jackie has facilated training for parents, teachers and allied professionals in child and adolescent issues, child protection, mental health and counselling and intervention skills. Jackie also has many years of experience in the UK, Brunei and in Hong Kong of undertaking family assessments for child care proceedings, including reporting to court as a child care expert, adoption and fertility counselling.

Jan Beasley

Jan is a Person Centered Counsellor trained in the United Kingdom. After completing her counselling qualifications she worked in a hospice as a bereavement counsellor, had a small private practice, participated in a post-natal depression support group and tutored an entry level counselling course at a UK adult education college.

Now based in Hong Kong she works with Adults in private practice, in senior school with adolescents, and is currently half way through her training as an Imago relationship therapist. With an interest in differences and change, it was a natural progression to develop an interest in cross culture communication. To feed this interest she spent part of last summer at the Summer Institute of Cultural Communication in Portland Oregon USA, completing a foundation in Intercultural Communication and a critical briefing of China.

Jan delivers cross culture training for Intercultural training companies helping young people adapt to new surroundings, deal with transitions and become cross culturally competent.

Larissa Kirpichnikov

Larissa Kirpichnikov is a Registered Australian Psychologist. She has a B.Sc (Hons.) in Psychology from the University of Sydney, and a Masters of Counselling from Monash University and a Postgraduate Certificate in Therapeutic Play skills from University of Canterbury/Christchurch. She is also an associate member of the Australian Psychological Society a member of Play Therapy International and the Academy of Play and Child Psychotherapy.

Larissa works with children, adolescents, couples and families. She has experience in a wide range of issues and works in collaboration with other allied healthcare practitioners to enable her clients to move forward. Her areas of specialist interest are anxiety, depression, behavioural issues, social skills, relationships, self-harm, adjustment, effective communication and self-esteem. She has a passion for children, adolescents and family wellbeing.

Larissa has experience in a number of techniques which include: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Play Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Analytical Therapy, Imago Therapy, Solution Focused, Motivational Interviewing and Psycho-Educational Techniques . She is also a Placement Supervisor for the Masters of Counselling Program at Monash University and works with intern students to develop them into competent therapists.

Joyce Chan

Joyce Chan was born and raised in Hong Kong. She has a BA (Hons.) in Sociology from Hong Kong Baptist University, and a Masters of Counselling from City University of Hong Kong. She is the member of Hong Kong Professional Counselling Association.

Joyce works with young people at schools and also has experience of working with adults in areas including women’s issues, work related stress, marital work and parenting. She uses an integrative approach adopting Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy and Acceptance Commitment Therapy to counselling as an intervention to deal with clients’ concerns. Joyce has received the Advanced training in Acceptance Commitment Therapy and has been trained in using the Child Centered Play Therapy skills to work with young children. She has also facilitated Peer Support Training (PALS) in a primary school setting.

Joyce can offer counselling in fluent English, Cantonese and Putonghua.

Cindy Bonacorso LaTour

Cindy Bonacorso LaTour is a qualified Marriage family therapist (MFT), working with adolescents, individuals and couples. She is also a certified IMAGO therapist, which helps discover ones lost self and what attracted you to your partner. Couples connect by applying an effective dialogue to gain control of unique behaviors. She has 10 years experience working with teens and is a member of International Family Therapy Association and Psychotherapy Society of Hong Kong.

Cindy works with adolescents, individuals and couples using Systemics, Person Centered, Solution focused therapy, and Cognitive therapy to empower clients to find solutions that can be applied in ones personal and professional life. Cindy sees her role as providing hope and restoring connections that are lost or unfelt by increasing communications skills.

Her work experience: Self coping/self talk, mood disorders, stress management, Conflict resolution, Communication skills, Marital issues including affairs, sexual/ intimacy issues, past rape and abuse recovery, pre- and Post marriage counseling, life transitions (moving, marriage, pregnancy/motherhood), Domestic helpers dealing with stress and strain of being away from their family.

Deborah Creighton

After gaining her BA Honours degree from Leeds Metropolitan University and a Post Graduate Certificate in Education from Leeds University, Debbie started her 30 year career as a teacher and Department Head in the UK, Australia and Hong Kong. Her experience in the pastoral side of teaching, complimented by her Masters Degree in Counselling, gives Debbie a natural interest and understanding of the issues that can confront students and their families.

Her experience growing up in Hong Kong and the UK in a two culture family give her an affinity with those who face cross cultural challenges. Her role as mother of four children gives her an insight into the needs and hopes of parents.

Debbie has been married for 25 years. She is a client-centered counsellor and uses CBT and ACT when appropriate.