Our Team

Languages: English

Co-Founder | Performance Psychotherapist | High-Pressure Performance Coach

Liz McCaughey is the Co-Founder of AMindset Performance Unlimited (APU) and the founder of two successful businesses, AMindset in Hong Kong and Kumara in Australia, where she has empowered thousands of people through knowledge and self-discovery. She brings over 30 years of experience in psychotherapy, psychological support, and performance-focused coaching.

At APU, Liz specialises in the psychological demands of performing under pressure. Her work supports athletes, coaches, teams, and high-performing individuals in developing the mental skills needed to stay focused, manage pressure, and perform consistently in challenging environments.

Drawing on her background in psychotherapy, mindfulness and performance psychology, Liz takes a practical approach to helping individuals understand how their thoughts, emotions and behaviours can influence performance. She works with individuals to strengthen emotional regulation, resilience, confidence, and concentration, while developing strategies that can be applied directly to training, competition, and everyday performance situations.

Liz’s work at APU extends beyond individual performance. She delivers workshops, coaching and educational programmes designed to help teams and organisations develop stronger performance cultures, improve psychological resilience and create environments that support both wellbeing and achievement.

With experience working across sport, education, and professional environments, Liz brings a multidisciplinary perspective to performance development. Her work at APU combines psychological knowledge with practical performance strategies to help individuals and teams unlock their potential and perform at their best when it matters most.

Qualifications

• Masters of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College, London
• Clinical Supervisor, ACA College of Supervisors (2019)
• Master of Counselling, Monash University (2018-2019)
• Graduate Diploma Analytic Psychotherapy, Churchill Clinic, Australia (2009)
• Diploma Analytic Psychotherapy, Churchill Clinic, Australia (2005)

Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, Thai, and English.

Co-Founder | Cognitive & Performance Assessment Specialist

Dr. Nicolson Siu Yat Fan is a neuropsychologist and lecturer at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, with a PhD in Neuropsychology from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. He brings extensive experience in neuropsychology, cognitive development, assessment, and brain-based interventions to AMindset Performance Unlimited (APU).

At APU, Nicolson focuses on the cognitive and neurological factors that contribute to effective performance. His work explores how attention, executive function, decision-making, cognitive control, and emotional regulation influence an individual’s ability to perform consistently in sport, education, and other high-performance environments.

Nicolson has extensive experience working with children and adolescents, particularly in the area of cognitive and executive function development. His expertise in neurophysiological methods, including electroencephalography (EEG), allows him to examine brain activity and its relationship with behaviour and cognitive performance. At APU, this knowledge contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of the mental processes involved in concentration, reaction, decision-making, and performance under pressure.

His work at APU reflects the organisation’s multidisciplinary approach to performance, connecting psychological, cognitive and neurological insights to practical performance development. By understanding how the brain supports performance, Nicolson helps individuals develop greater awareness of the cognitive skills that underpin learning, training, and high-level performance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Social Science in Psychology, CUHK (2011)
• PhD in Neuropsychology, CUHK (2015)
• Graduate Member, The Hong Kong Psychological Society
• Vice President and Research Committee Co-Chair, Hong Kong Association of Therapeutic Horticulture (HKATH)
• Registered Horticultural Therapist (HKATH)
• Master of Education in Counselling, Monash University

Languages: Cantonese, English, and Mandarin

Sports Psychologist | Educational Psychologist | Performance Enhancement Specialist

Penthuson Chan is a Sports Psychologist and Registered Educational Psychologist with expertise in performance enhancement, educational psychology, clinical assessment, and psychological interventions. He holds a Bachelor of Social Science in Psychology with First Class Honours from The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and a Master of Social Science in Educational Psychology from The University of Hong Kong (HKU).

Pen is registered with the Hong Kong Psychological Society (HKPS) as an Educational Psychologist and is also a registered football referee with the Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA). He works with children, adolescents, adults, parents, coaches, athletes, and students, providing clinical assessments, consultations, psychotherapy, performance support, and workshops in Cantonese, English, and Mandarin.

At AMindset Performance Unlimited (APU), Pen focuses on helping individuals and teams develop the psychological skills needed to perform at their best. His work in performance enhancement includes supporting elite youth athletes, sports teams, Band 1 school students, and members of The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE). He helps clients overcome performance-related challenges, build confidence and resilience, manage setbacks, and work towards their goals in competitions, examinations, and ability tests.

Pen also brings more than eight years of experience working with children and adolescents, including students with special educational needs (SEN) in special schools, mainstream schools, and universities in Hong Kong and Oxford, United Kingdom. His educational psychology work includes clinical assessments, examination arrangements, and tailored individual and group interventions.

At APU, Pen provides sports psychology support through professional training for coaches and teachers, individual counselling for athletes and students, on-field support for sports and performance-related school teams, and parent workshops covering areas such as parenting, stress management, and parent-child communication.

His educational psychology services include assessments for giftedness, intellectual developmental disorder (IDD), specific learning disabilities such as dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and mental health concerns. He also provides assessments and consultations for special examination arrangements across Hong Kong and international curricula, as well as tailored interventions supporting learning, social communication, and emotional regulation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Social Science in Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), First Class Honours
• Master of Social Science in Educational Psychology, The University of Hong Kong (HKU)
• Registered Educational Psychologist, Hong Kong Psychological Society (HKPS)
• Registered Football Referee, Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA)

Languages: English and Putonghua

Corporate Wellbeing Specialist | Personal Development Specialist

Jenny Hsieh brings extensive international experience across the financial services sector, with a professional background in wealth management, investment banking, and fintech. Alongside her career in financial services, Jenny has been an active volunteer and advocate for mental health charities in both the UK and Hong Kong. 

At APU, Jenny focuses on the psychological and emotional challenges that can arise in professional and personal life. Her areas of interest include professional burnout, workplace stress, career transitions, cultural and generational challenges, and maintaining well-being amid demanding professional environments. Drawing on her understanding of corporate settings, Jenny is particularly interested in supporting individuals navigating workplace pressures, career changes, performance expectations, and the challenges of maintaining a healthy balance between professional and personal responsibilities.

Jenny is a strong advocate of the person-centred approach and believes that people have a natural capacity for growth and development when provided with an environment characterised by empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard. While person-centred principles form the foundation of her approach, Jenny also draws from other counselling modalities where appropriate, working collaboratively with each client to determine what approaches may best support their individual needs.

Her experience across corporate, financial, and mental health settings allows Jenny to bring a broad perspective to APU’s multidisciplinary approach to performance and wellbeing. She is particularly passionate about helping individuals develop greater resilience, navigate periods of change, and maintain their psychological well-being across different areas of life.

Qualifications

• Master of Counselling, Monash University
• Emotion Focused Therapy Foundations, Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy
• Fundamentals of Emotionally Focused Therapy, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy
• Certificate in Therapeutic Skills and Studies, Metanoia Institute
• MBA, INSEAD
• Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology, UCLA

Language: English

Psychologist | Business Coach

Byron McCaughey is a psychologist and experienced business coach who specialises in supporting entrepreneurs and founders in enhancing mental wellbeing and optimising performance. His work combines psychological knowledge with firsthand business experience to help founders navigate the personal and professional demands of building and leading a business.

As a former venture-capital-backed startup founder in London, Byron has firsthand experience of the challenges involved in building a business from the ground up. Alongside his entrepreneurial experience and training in psychology, he brings a distinctive perspective to the relationship between mental wellbeing, performance, and business success.

At APU, Byron focuses on supporting founders in managing the psychological and performance challenges that can arise throughout the entrepreneurial journey. His areas of interest include founder wellbeing, performance, resilience, mental health, and the pressures associated with building and growing a business.

Byron recognises that mental wellbeing can have a significant impact on performance and overall success. He works with founders to develop greater awareness of the factors that influence their wellbeing and performance, while identifying practical strategies that can support sustainable growth and long-term success.

Byron offers personalised one-to-one sessions for founders, as well as half-day Founder Mental Health and Performance workshops for groups. He also supports those who work with founders, including incubators, accelerators, and investment firms, helping them better understand and support founder wellbeing and performance.

Byron holds dual master's degrees, an MBA from Imperial College London and a Master of Psychology from the University of Melbourne. He offers services in English.

Qualifications:

• Master of Psychology, University of Melbourne
• MBA, Imperial College London

Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin, and English.

Career Coach | Sports & Performance Specialist

Gary Chao is a certified career coach and counsellor with over 20 years of experience helping professionals, individuals, and teams navigate pressure, transitions, and personal growth. Holding a Master's degree in Guidance & Counselling and recognised as a certified professional coach, he combines extensive corporate experience with evidence-based psychological practice to help people perform at their best in both their personal and professional lives.

At APU, Gary's work focuses on developing the psychological foundations that support sustainable performance, resilience, confidence, emotional well-being, self-awareness, and purposeful decision-making. His approach helps athletes, students, and professionals build the mental skills needed to adapt to change, overcome self-doubt, and perform consistently under pressure.

Drawing on positive psychology, mindfulness, counselling, and coaching methodologies, Gary provides practical strategies that empower individuals to navigate career transitions, enhance mental wellbeing, strengthen leadership capabilities, and achieve greater alignment between their personal values and performance goals. His experience supporting recent graduates, working professionals, and organisations allows him to bridge psychological insight with real-world performance challenges.

Gary is also the author of The Human Survival Blueprint: Finding Your Irreplaceable Edge in the Age of AI, a practical framework that explores the uniquely human strengths that remain essential in an increasingly technology-driven world. His work reflects his belief that meaningful performance is built not only on skill and achievement, but also on resilience, adaptability, and continuous personal growth.

Known for creating a safe, supportive, and non-judgemental environment, Gary helps individuals discover their strengths, develop practical action plans, and build the confidence to thrive in sport, education, career, and life.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Guidance & Counselling
• Certified Professional Coach
• Training and experience in Counselling and Coaching
• Training in Positive Psychology and Mindfulness

Languages: Mandarin and English.

Counsellor | Education, Career & Workplace Wellbeing Specialist

Sarah Zhu holds a Master of Counselling from Monash University and is trained in a full spectrum of evidence-based therapeutic modalities. At APU, she supports students, adolescents, professionals, and families by helping them develop the psychological resilience, emotional well-being, and practical life skills needed to thrive in education, work, and everyday life.

Her work focuses on supporting individuals through academic pressures, career development, workplace challenges, and major life transitions. She provides evidence-based interventions for anxiety, depression, trauma, chronic stress, emotional regulation, self-esteem, and personal growth, helping clients build resilience, confidence, and healthy coping strategies that enhance both learning and performance.

Sarah provides individual therapy for adolescents and adults, helping them overcome behavioural, emotional, and mood-related difficulties while improving their overall wellbeing and daily functioning. She also works with couples to strengthen communication, rebuild trust, and navigate relationship challenges that can affect personal and professional well-being.

Alongside her counselling practice, Sarah offers career coaching informed by nearly two decades of experience as an international legal professional. Having practised law at leading global firms following her legal training in China and the United States, she has first-hand insight into the demands of high-performing academic and corporate environments. Her experience enables her to support students preparing for future careers and professionals managing workplace stress, burnout, high expectations, and work-life balance.

Sarah's integrated approach combines evidence-based counselling with real-world professional experience, empowering individuals to overcome challenges, maximise their potential, and achieve sustainable success across education, career, and personal life.

Qualifications

• Master of Counselling, Monash University, Hong Kong
• Over 10 years of professional experience in the legal sector
• Qualified Counsellor after completing her Master of Counselling degree at Monash University