Dr Patrick Connolly, PhD

Counseling Psychologist

Verified

“I offer individual therapy to people who would like to grow and develop themselves, through deeper self-understanding. Our way of approaching life may bring us problems, and we know deep down that we need to change something to reach the happiness and well-being that we wish for. I believe my clients wish to make sense of what is happening in their lives, and experience real acceptance. My practice offers a psychoanalytically-oriented method that has the potential for personal change, focusing on developing the person who is experiencing a problem, rather than only changing specific behaviours.”

About Me

I have over a decade of experience of offering psychotherapy, both in private practice and a residential psychiatric mental health setting. I have also taught psychology and trained psychotherapists for over two decades in tertiary education institutions in Johannesburg, Wuhan, Singapore and Hong Hong. I hold a PhD degree focused on Freudian psychoanalytic theory, and have attended seminar training in Kleinian and Winnicottian theory, conducted a two-year infant observation supervised by a psychodynamic psychotherapist, and received therapy supervision and mentoring founded on a Freudian psychoanalytically-oriented approach. I currently teach psychoanalytic therapy and psychotherapy for Doctoral and Masters students as a part-time Assistant Professor at Hong Kong Shue Yan University. I have several peer-reviewed publications in the fields of psychoanalysis and systems theory.

Approach

I offer psychoanalytically-oriented (or psychodynamic) therapy, which is a method of self-exploration that draws on the theories described by key figures in the history of psychoanalysis, such as Sigmund Freud and Melanie Klein. My work is also influenced by humanist, person-centered principles of therapy, which emphasize empathy, acceptance and respect. I encourage clients to discover deeper awareness of their life experience, with the potential for meaningful change.

Contact Patrick

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Basic Information

Hong Kong, Hong Kong

In-person & Online

Services

Services Offered:

Individual Psychotherapy
In-depth one-on-one therapy that explores the deeper roots of a person's difficulties, often drawing on psychodynamic or psychoanalytic models.

Works With:

Adults

Area of Expertise

Scope of Practice:

Anxiety
Persistent worry, nervousness, or fear that is disproportionate to the situation and interferes with daily functioning.
Learn more about Anxiety
Self-Esteem
A person's overall sense of their own worth and value. When chronically low, it can drive self-doubt, avoidance, and difficulty in relationships.
Learn more about Self-Esteem
Identity & Self-Image
A person's sense of who they are, including their values, beliefs, roles, and self-perception, and the distress that arises when this sense is unclear, fragmented, or negative.
Mood Disorder
A category of mental health conditions, including depression and bipolar disorder, in which a person's emotional state is significantly and persistently disrupted.
Learn more about Mood Disorder
Relationship Issues
Difficulties in romantic relationships, including communication problems, trust breakdowns, conflict patterns, or uncertainty about the relationship's future.
Learn more about Relationship Issues
Trauma
The lasting psychological impact of deeply distressing events, such as violence, abuse, accidents, or disasters, that overwhelm a person's ability to cope.
Learn more about Trauma
Personal Development
The ongoing process of self-awareness, self-improvement, and reaching one's potential, pursued not because something is wrong but to live more fully.

Professional Title:

Counseling Psychologist
A psychologist who helps people with everyday life challenges (relationships, work stress, adjustment) as well as mental health conditions.