Having practiced as a family physician for more than 2 decades, I sought to expand my horizons by taking a master’s degree in counselling. However, this decision was not without hesitation: I had a busy and demanding career, it’s been a long time since I was a college student, and I don’t regard myself as an academically minded person.

Looking back, I am glad to have taken this course. The 3 years in MAGC has been a wonderful learning experience: the course in theories and models broadened my understanding of various counseling approaches; the immense debates in social context and ethics deepened my insight in ethical issues relevant to the counseling profession. The most attractive part of the course was the 25 weeks’ supervised practicum, in which we can attend real cases inside the campus, with our instructors observing and providing feedback on our minute to minute performance.

Taking this course has opened up countless opportunities. The competence and confidence I gained in counselling has driven me to transition my career from a medical practitioner to become a counselor. I owe a great debt of thanks to the instructors of this course.

Yeung Sau Ying

兩年的學習時間很快便過去了。回想當年前路茫茫，由決定修讀這課程，到最後畢業，才漸漸地找到自己未來的方向。讓我想不到的是，修讀過程中更是充滿驚喜及反思。說真的，短短的兩年，當然不會讓我立即成為多才多能的輔導員。最重要的是，這個課程為我打好穩固的基礎，讓我認識基本的輔導理論及技巧。除此之外，我還學懂常作自我認識和反省，使自己成為一個終生的學習者。

Two years of study has gone by so fast. From feeling uncertain of my path at the beginning to gradually finding my way at graduation, the journey has been full of surprises and has led me to study and understand many different personal and interpersonal issues. One cannot become a great counsellor in only two years; rather, it is just the starting point of basic counselling theories and skills. Being proactive in your learning is particularly important because the class schedule is usually packed, and it is not only covers knowledge from textbooks but also involves a self-review and self-understanding process. Counselling is no doubt a form of life-long learning.

Lam Ki

I am a frontline clinician in family medicine, with the mission of promoting whole person wellness to all of my patients. While most patients understand the need to maintain good physical health, psychosocial and spiritual health are often neglected.

The counselling skills I acquired in this Master’s course have:

a) polished all aspects of my doctor-patient communication skills through modified counselling skills that can fit into a busy clinic operation; and

b) strengthened my special interest in counselling so that apart from prescribing medications, I can also provide counselling to my patients suffering from common mood disorders such as depression, anxiety and sleep problems.

This course not only focuses on micro-level counselling skills, but also covers macroscopic aspects such as ethics and social policy, which shed light on some social phenomenon and lead to students’ self-reflection. The course has enlightened me to promote humanities in the predominantly “scientific” medical field. For any helping professional who echoes the following aphorism, I highly recommend this well-structured Master’s course full of love and passion:

“To cure sometimes, to relieve often, to comfort always.” 

Dr Edward Trudeau, in the 1800s

Dana Lo

When enrolling in this Master’s programme, my goal was to acquire sound knowledge and counselling skills. Now, coupled with my life experience, I can offer timely and empathic help to people in need.

In addition to my job as a human resources professional, I am a passionate and frequent volunteer. I am truly convinced that this programme has equipped me with the knowledge and value to effectively work with people to discover their strengths, overcome their challenges in life, and move forward.

My education has also benefitted my life outside of school. A year ago, I enabled my colleague to cope with grief. She said the counselling I provided was so powerful that it helped her through bereavement.  Another experience was when I was able to help my maid remedy her relationship with her father.

I am pleased that I made the decision to study this programme. I value the content and enjoy the learning process, in particular the practicum, because it gives me the opportunity to put theory into practice.

Kimmy Lau

As a foreigner living in Hong Kong, I began my search for counselling programmes online because it was the most accessible to compare the different programmes in English. After looking into several programmes, I was drawn to the PolyU MAGC programme because of what it offered, its mission and my own intuition.

My experience in the MAGC programme is confirmation that I made the right decision to study at PolyU – the classes are interesting, applicable and, most importantly, the department staff have a genuine passion for the programme, the community and students’ success. 

If you are considering joining the programme, make sure you have a real passion for the subject. A Master’s programme requires a lot of time and commitment but it is worth it. Also, have an open mind towards cultural diversity and make the most of the experience of living abroad and learning different perspectives.

In general, this is a very good, international programme. I appreciate the application to the local community of Hong Kong and also the global outlook. The programme is challenging, which is good because it prepares us for our careers. I also like the timeline set up, with the exams in the last semester taking place before the seminars instead of at the end of the semester.

I am very happy to be a part of the programme and I thoroughly enjoy my cohort and professors. I appreciate the genuine care the staff members show for the students and their availability when we need help.

Brittany Rice

我曾任升學及就業輔導老師，理工大學諮商與輔導文學碩士(MAGC)課程讓我重新整合從前所學的輔導理論與技巧，透過不同學習單元，助我進一步結合宏觀與微觀的角度及最新的輔導理論及策略，反思社會政策、社會脈絡、倫理價值、家庭伙伴對個人的影響，從而讓我檢視個人的成長，發展自己的輔導取向。

修讀輔導如學習一門藝術或功夫，最終的學習成果視乎輔導員的心神情志與人生歷鍊，能否糅合內化的技術與多元經驗，把內功心法應用出來。經過在理大的輔導學修行，現在為受助者進行輔導時，我能夠利用自己的輔導取向，輔以宏觀的系統視野及其他輔導模式，更有效地與受助者一起了解問題的癥結、情緒反應背後的意思、應對的方法與未來的進路。

在理大進修期間，教我最難忘的是導師與同學互相討論輔導經驗及個案，過程中理論與實踐相結合，加上導師的啟發與指導，令我越發覺得輔導不單是修習各式專門的套路，而是要懂得情理兼備，與受助者同行，最終讓受助者走出困惑，繼續前行。

Tony Mak

The two years I spent in the MAGC programme were highly rewarding and unforgettable. I not only learnt about the latest counselling theories and techniques that equipped me for my work as a career and guidance teacher, but I also built a strong support network. My classmates were passionate learners who constantly inspired me through our project learning and discussions, and our teachers whole-heartedly shared their personal clinical experiences and knowledge with us. My MAGC journey enabled me to better perform in my teaching and counselling role, and to become a more compassionate person.

Josephine Wong

I am a healthcare worker by profession and often needed to advise patients on healthy lifestyles without motivational skills. To rectify that, I decided to further my studies in counselling through supervised practice. When I searched through related programmes offered by different tertiary institutions, I found that the MAGC at PolyU was one of the very few that offered on-site supervised training, and I had no difficulty in choosing it.

Without previous training in social work or psychology, I at first felt that the going was tough in some of the sociology, ethics and psychology modules. Yet after taking several modules and a practicum, I realised how these areas were interconnected and were preparing me to be a professional counsellor instead of a “worker” counsellor. I would not have come to this realisation but for guidance and mentoring from a most dedicated and enthusiastic team of lecturers and supervisors. Though I have not yet graduated, I feel proud to be educated through this programme at PolyU.

Christopher Lum

Learning through the MAGC programme has helped me a lot in my career as a SEN student counselor in a local secondary school. In particular, it has strengthened my skills in counseling. The students who I work with come from diverse backgrounds and present diverse issues. The programme has provided me with both the conceptual and practical knowledge to be a caring, empathic, and competent counselor across a range of needs. I have been given the opportunity to interact with different types of clientele who I may not have come across in another work setting. It is challenging yet inspiring! If you want the same experience, just come and see!

Aster Chung