HKU Family Institute

Wai-Yung Lee, Ph.D.

Lee Wai Yung Dr. Wai-Yung Lee, an AAMFT Approved Supervisor, is the Associate Professor and Founding Director of the HKU Family Institute, as well as Faculty Member of the Minuchin Center for the Family in New York, USA.

After working in the US for many years, Dr. Lee has, in the past decade, expanded her work on Asian Chinese families to areas such as Mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Much of her research concentration had been on dispersing the many myths about Asian Chinese families, while developing a framework for a culturally relevant approach in working with not just Chinese families, but also families of the world.

In addition to her numerous publications on working with Asian families, Dr. Lee has co-authored three books with Salvador Minuchin, including "Mastering family therapy - Journeys of growth and transformation," with the first edition translated into eight languages, and the most recent, "Assessing families and couples - From symptom to system," together with Michael Nichols.

Important Appointments

Advisory Editorial Board, Family Process
Committee Member, Hong Kong Family Council, HKSAR
Senior Faculty Member & Board Member, The Minuchin Center for the Family, New York, U. S. A.
Honorary Consultant, Institute of Mental Health, Beijing University, Peking, P.R. China
Chairperson, Research and Training Committee, Consortium of Institutes on Family in Asian Region
Accreditation Panel Member, Psychotherapy Trainer Accreditation Subcommittee, Hospital Authority Hong Kong

Publications

Journals

Lee, W.Y., Ng, M.L., Cheung, B.K.L., and Yung, J.W. (2010). Capturing children's response to parental conflict and making use of it. Family Process, 49(1), 43-58 :: Click here to download (.pdf)
Ng, M. L., Chen, R. Y. L., Lee, W. Y. and Lee, K. W. Y. (2007). Attitude, behavior and psychophysiological responses to gambling in Chinese Macau gambling workers. Proceedings of Inaugural Asian Pacific Problem Gambling Conference 2005—Advances in Problem Gambling Theory, Service and Research in the Asia- Pacific Region, 124-136
Lee, W. Y. (2004). Three “depressed families” in transitional Beijing. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 15 (4), 57-71 :: Click here to download (.pdf)
Lee, W. Y. (2002). One therapist, four cultures: Working with families in Greater China. Journal of Family Therapy, 24, 258-275
Lee, W. Y. (2002). The impact of live demonstration under the Beijing sky: The sharing of a teaching experience in China. Asian Journal of Counseling, 8(2), 1-27 :: Click here to download (.pdf)
Lee, W. Y. (2001). Untying family knots (2nd ed.). Hong Kong SAR: Social Welfare Department, Hong Kong SAR Government.
Lee, W. Y. (2000). A challenge to the concept of empowerment. Research in Applied Psychology, 6, 41-44
Lee, W. Y. (1999). Where east meets west. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 10(4), 77-80

Books

Lee, W. Y. (2010). To Cure a Family. 為家庭療傷. Tai Yuan: Hope Publishing House.
Lee, W. Y. (2008). 同樣的天空：智障服務及家庭工作的新藍圖. Hong Kong SAR: Hong Kong University Press.
Minuchin, S., Nichols, M. P. and Lee, W. Y. (2007). Assessing families and couples—From symptom to system. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.
Minuchin, S., Lee, W. Y. and Simon, G. M. (2006). Mastering family therapy – Journeys of growth and transformation. (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley & Sons.
(The first edition has been translated into German, Swedish, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Danish, and Japanese.)
Lee, W.Y. (2004). 家庭在哭泣. Crown Publishing (H.K.) Ltd. 皇冠叢書.
Lee, W. Y. (2004). Dancing with the family: Case studies (five volumes). 家庭舞蹈系列. Crown Publishing (H.K.) Ltd. 皇冠叢書.
Lee, W.Y. (2004). Dancing with the family: Case studies (four volumes). 家庭舞蹈系列. Taiwan: Living Psychology Publishers.
Lee, W. Y. (2004). Family stories (two volumes) 家庭:無形之塔; 婚姻:多人之舞. Beijing: Peking Publisher.
Minuchin, S., Lee, W.Y., and Simon, G.M. (1996). Mastering family therapy - Journeys of growth and transformation (1st ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Keynotes & Plenary Speeches

"Application of family therapy on Hong Kong families". WONCA Asia Pacific Conference 2009 "Building Bridges". Hong Kong (2009)
"The theory and practice of the family perspective". The Family Perspective: Policy and Service Implications. Hong Kong (2009)
"Putting the different pieces of family mosaic together". Conference on ‘Strengthening Hong Kong’s Families: Embracing a Holistic Family Approach in Formulating Social Policy and Providing Social Services. Hong Kong (2008)
"The application of the four-step map in the assessment of couples and families". The 5th World Congress of Psychotherapy. Beijing, P.R. China (2008)
"Study on Children's Response to Parental Conflict - Implications for Policy Formulation and Implementation". Forum on Dialogue between Clinical Practitioners and Policy Makers. Hong Kong SAR (2008)
"Children’s Response to Parental Conflicts". Families in Asia: Challenges and Opportunities; Inauguration cum Inaugural Symposium; Consortium of Institutes on Family in the Asian Region (CIFA). Hong Kong SAR (2008)
"All Families are Different, All Families are Alike — The family in the context of Asian continent". The World Family Conference. Prague, Czech Republic (2007)
"Marriage and Sex". Conference on Strengthening Hong Kong Families—Awareness, Commitment and Action. Hong Kong SAR (2006)
"Chinese Couples in Conflict". International Conference on Couples. Hong Kong (2005)
"Clinical Consultations" in the Annual Meeting of the American Family Therapy Academy, Building Bridges: The Challenges of Connecting. San Francisco, U.S.A. (2004)
"Keeping the Pulse on Families". Regional Family Policy Forum, Families in Region: Issues, Policies, Initiatives. Singapore (2004)
"Seeing Children & Adolescent in the Context of the Family". First Asia-Pacific Regional Adolescent Health Congress. Hong Kong SAR (2004)
"Family Studies on the Mental Handicapped". Symposium on "New Initiatives – Services for Persons with Mental Handicap in Chinese Communities". Hong Kong SAR (2003)
"Working with Trans-generational Families – Turning High Stress into New Strength". Taiwan Mental Health and Psychotherapy Conference. Taiwan (2003)
"Patient Care in the Context of Asian Families". 16th World Congress of Family Doctors (WONCA Congress). Durban, Africa (2001)
"Three Depressed Families in Transitional Beijing". Innovative Counseling for Families; The Hong Kong Professional Counseling Association Biannual International Conference. Hong Kong SAR (2001)
"It is More Complex than that". Co-presenters: Salvador Minuchin, M.D. & George Simon, M.S. The Marvel of Human Complexity. New Horizons in Systems Practice Family Therapy. New Worker's Symposium, Washington, U.S.A. (1997)

International Training Projects

“Summer Intensive Course.” The Minuchin Center for the Family, New York, U.S.A. (2000 to present)
"Structural family therapy in the new era: Creating pathways across culture". Marlborough Family Service, London, U.K. (June 2009)
“3-year Training for Psychiatrists and Physicians on Family Therapy”. Sponsored by the Institute of Mental Health, Beijing University, Beijing, P.R. China and The Minuchin Foundation on Family Therapy, Hong Kong. (2001-2004)
"3-year Training on Family Therapy". Sponsored by the Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai, P. R. China. (2005-2008)
"3-year Training for Family Therapists in Taiwan". Sponsored by the Shiuh-Li Liuh Memorial Foundation, Taiwan (2000-2003).
"3-year Teleconferencing Training on Family Therapy". Sponsored by the Taiwan Institute of Psychotherapy. (2005-2008)

Newspaper Columns

信報專欄 <<故事從家開始>>

張老師月刊

Expertise at the HKUFI