Dr. Philemon CHOI

Founder, Breakthrough Ltd.

President, Youth Global Network Ltd.

 

 

Psychology: Responding to the global cry

for deeper understanding of the soul

 

Dr. Philemon Choi Yuen-wan, SBS, JP, graduated from the University of Manitoba, Canada in 1971. After receiving his Medical Degree, Dr. Choi returned to Hong Kong and did his practice at Evangel Hospital. Dr. Choi co-founded the Breakthrough Magazine in 1973. Due to his deep concern for youth, Dr. Choi left his practice and furthered his studies at Trinity International University, USA and received his Master Degree in Counseling in 1977. In 2001, he had the award of the degree of Doctor of Social Sciences, honoris causa by Hong Kong Baptist University. He was also conferred as Honorary Professor by East China Normal University, Shanghai in 2006.

 

Dr. Choi is the founder of Breakthrough, and had served as the Director of Breakthrough, then General Secretary and eventually Honorary General Secretary until June 2015.  He is currently the President of The Youth Foundation and Youth Global Network.  Under his leadership, Breakthrough has developed from one magazine to a multi-media youth organization. He is also active in community affairs, and is appointed by the Government of the HKSAR as members of various committees related to youth policy and youth services.

 

Dr. Choi is a regular seminar speaker on matters related to youth among parents and teachers associations, schools services and international conferences. He is also an author of a few best sellers and a regular contributor of youth magazines.

 

 

Psychology is engaged in the study of the soul.  Harvard Professor Harry Lewis laments the crisis of “excellence without a soul.”  Sociologist Charles Murray studied how the USA is “Coming Apart” – we are confronted with a “soulfully disconnected” generation (Larry Crabb, 1997).  Nobel Prize winner Angus Deaton used the bifocal lenses of heath and wealth to analyze the global phenomena of inequality in distribution of wealth, and he highlighted the need to respond to psychosocial health deprivation.

 

Hong Kong professional psychologists are repositioning our research and professional services to respond to the cry for a deeper understanding of the soul from different sectors.  How to deepen our understanding of “soulful education”?  How to re-define “holistic health” and integrate the different disciplines to deliver comprehensive health care at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels?  The social phenomenon of intergenerational poverty reveals the need for soulful mentoring and career development for the younger generation.  Psychology as a discipline cannot stand alone, we are moving beyond the four walls of the university and consultation room into the community, forming partnership with different sectors in response to the cry of the people for soulful reconnection.