Cheuk Yan LAU
Psychotherapist in training
The Healing Space: This is a space for you where the weight of the world fades and you are free to be. We are just human, and this is a space where you can arrive as you are, without judgment or the need to perform.
I specialise in:
About me
My name is Niki, a Gestalt psychotherapist in Fachausbildung unter Lehrsupervision based in Vienna. I was born in Hong Kong and moved to Vienna nine years ago. Being an expat myself, I understand the challenges and emotions that come with starting a life in a new culture. My work focuses a lot on body awareness, which means paying attention to the connection between your mind and your body. I also bring creativity into therapy through art, music, dance and movement.
Through more than ten years of psychotherapy education and personal experience, I have learned that healing is both powerful and vulnerable. Growing up as a special needs child with ADHD and reading disorder, I learned to find my own way of understanding and learning. It was not always easy, but it taught me that everyone has their own rhythm and strength. In therapy, we walk together to find your own way forward.
In my earlier psychosocial work, I supported people in homeless shelters with Caritas, refugee programs with the Red Cross, and music-based stroke rehabilitation projects. My bachelor’s and master’s theses explored 'Death & Dying' and 'The end-of-life care', a topic close to my heart after my own experiences with loss. I support people dealing with stress, anxiety, relationship and family challenges, grief, and the feeling of being between different cultures or identities. Therapy is about you, about your choices, and about how you want your life to be.
I speak:
Location:
Media Gallery
Approach
The healing space is where you can slow down, breathe, and reconnect with yourself. I see therapy as a meeting between you and me, where we explore what is happening in your thoughts, emotions, and body. It is a space where you can be seen and heard without judgment, and where every part of you is welcome.
My approach is based on Gestalt psychotherapy, which focuses on awareness, presence, and relationship. I believe that change happens through awareness and connection, when you begin to see and accept yourself as you are. Together we explore how you experience yourself and others, how you feel in your body, and what you might need in the present moment.
I often bring art, music, dance and movement into the sessions when words are not enough. These creative and body-oriented ways can help you express what has been difficult to say and discover new parts of yourself. Every person has their own rhythm and story. My role is to walk beside you, to listen, and to support you in finding your own way with more clarity, compassion, and strength.
Experience
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Maimonides Zentrum, Vienna – Psychosocial practicum with elderly clients
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Internationales Musiktherapiezentrum, Hong Kong – Music therapy advisor (stroke rehab)
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Red Cross, Vienna – Emotional support for refugee children and youth
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SFU Outpatient Clinic, Vienna – Clinical internship with adult clients
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Caritas Zweite Gruft, Vienna – Emotional support for homeless and displaced individuals
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Ebenezer School, Hong Kong – Music therapy with children with autism and visually impairments
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Tuen Mun Family Centre, Hong Kong – Dance/movement therapy assistant
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Rehabilitation Society, Hong Kong – Music therapy support for stroke patients
Education
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MA in Psychotherapy Science (ongoing)
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Sigmund Freud University (SFU), Vienna Specialization: Integrative Gestalt Therapy
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BA in Psychotherapy Science (2017–2024) Sigmund Freud University (SFU), Vienna
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Diploma in Vocal Theory and Composition (2019–2021) Richard Wagner Konservatorium, Vienna Specialized in opera singing and musical composition
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Genealogy Education (2023) Das Maimonides Zentrum – Wien Completed as part of the Böhmer-Lauder psychosocial practicum; focus on narrative memory and cognitive training with elderly individuals
Creative & Somatic Approaches in Therapy (since 2016):
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Dance/Movement Therapy & Autism Workshop (2016, Moving Circle Conference)
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Music Therapy in Palliative & Hospice Care (2019, Internationales Musiktherapiezentrum, Hong Kong)
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Music Therapy in End-of-Life Care (2019, Zentrum für Musiktherapie in der Pflege, Hong Kong)
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Buene Musik Method Certificate – Children’s Music (2022, Buene Musik Schweden)
Artistic & Movement Education:
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Dance Teacher Certification – Latin & Ballroom Dance (2018, World Dance Council)
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Voice: Grade 8 (2016, ABRSM – Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music)
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Piano: Grade 5 (2012, ABRSM)
Services
Individual Session
Couples Session
Online First Intro call & Individual session
Individual Session
Couples Session
Insurances
