A suggestion on taking the middle path in finding who we are

“Who am I?” is a common question we frequently ask ourselves throughout our lives.  I frequently come across adolescents, emerging adults, middle-aged adults and even elder people asking this same question without a clue how to answer it.  Are we the job that we work at?  Are we the appearance that others define me?  Are …

A broad perspective on identity development as Hongkongers

Since 1997, Hongkongers face changes in many aspects in this city.  Many people asked me about the concept of identity and the issue of identity development when they think about what their fellow Hongkongers are facing.  What is identity?  How can we conceptualise identity development of a human being across one’s life span? As we …

The two arrows of suffering

We all know that pain in our lives is inevitable, such as physical pain due to illnesses, or psychological pain in grief towards our losses.  No one will deny having the experience of suffering from either physical or psychological pain.  Why do some people seem so calm or accepting when experiencing the inevitable pain in …

Alexithymia and psychosomatic symptoms

In my clinical practice, I frequently come across clients suffering from pain without physical causes. Through thorough clinical interviews, I often find out that many of these clients suffer from Alexithymia, a difficulty in identifying and describing one’s emotions and in distinguishing different emotions from bodily sensations of emotional arousal. There are multiple factors contributing …

One of the antidotes of prejudice and discrimination

Prejudice and discrimination are everywhere in this world.  Almost everyone of us has experienced some kind of prejudice or discrimination based on our race, sex, political affiliation, social class, or religion, etc.  In psychological perspective, prejudice or discrimination can be explained by a person projecting one’s intolerable or unacceptable qualities onto the one being discriminated …