Peterborough psychologist takes up global challenge

With a lifetime’s experience in psychology, Professor Law, founder of Empsy® Ltd believes investing in ourselves, raising our expectations through Empowerment Psychology, is the key to building a better self, a better place and a better world.

Empsy® is a social enterprise company specialising in empowerment psychology services in psychology, coaching, consulting and training to individuals, groups and businesses.

Before lockdown, Professor Ho Law, 65, an internationally renowned consultant in coaching psychology, research and development, was usually seen rushing through the Peterborough Rail Station car park to catch the train to Cambridge or London. But as Covid-19 took hold, he stopped all his national and international business travels, moved all the consulting work online and set about making his psychological services accessible locally and globally.

He faced one of the biggest challenges of his life, as he geared up to empower people, places and planet while the world faced a global pandemic and climate change crisis.

As a result, his social enterprise was able to make a small profit during the pandemic years, while other businesses and health services faced huge difficulties in making their services accessible and sustainable.

"My family and I've been living in Peterborough more than 35 years," says Ho. "I got very frustrated hearing people ask me ‘why Peterborough?; Peterborough city is so below average in most of the performance indicators in terms of education achievement and life expectancy in comparison with other cities such as Cambridge.’”

But Professor Ho Law truly believes in the place he has made his home. “When I said, ‘Peterborough can be as good as Cambridge to achieve world class standards, as exemplified by Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS trust Cambridge Psychosis Centre. Peterborough should be seen as an equal partner to Cambridge, not a side show.’ People thought I must be mad!”

The challenging work has been worthwhile for Ho as his company was presented by the Global Health & Pharma (GHP) News with the Social Care Award 2022 as: the Best Mental Health Coaching Consultancy – East of England. The merit-led selection process narrows down nominees to single out and celebrate companies that stand out from the crowd as a leading social care business.

“This truly represents all our arduous work and dedication paying off,” said Professor Ho Law.

Join the movement for empowerment

Now, he wants to take the company, and his aspirations, to the next level.

Ho aspires to raise 500 members for The Empsy® Network and offer supplementary health insurance to all the members. It is offering support in coaching, mentoring and personal/career development plus the new benefit of wellness and health insurance which provides full cover for mental health in terms of access to qualified psychologists and psychotherapists 24/7. And at £35 a month, it is less than many smartphone contracts.

Ho explained: “To live well means feeling well, sleeping well, eating well and doing well in terms of one’s educational achievement, career, meaning, socio-environmental relationship in life. I regard wellness and health (especially mental health) as the bottom line for living well; and hence we offer that insurance cover as a standard part of membership benefits for all members which covers a full range of psychological services 24/7 if they were in mental crisis (in addition to calling NHS 111 Option 2 or via their private health insurance).”

“You do not need to have a mental breakdown to gain the benefit, as the membership also covers free coaching, mentoring and peer supervision quarterly and/or whenever needed at 25 per cent discount rate for additional sessions so that it is affordable and accessible.”

Family business

Ho’s 38-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, a veterinary surgeon with over 11 years’ experience working in a small animal practice, joined the company this year as the Clinical Director, developing new coaching and mentoring services for vets, new graduate vets, nurse students and pet owners. It’s well-known that pets, such as cats, dogs or horses, can have therapeutic effects for people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Sam, Elizabeth’s husband, an artist and a designer, also joined the company this year as the Artistic Director to help promote the Empsy® brand, making it truly a family firm.

Professor Ho Law is well known in the British Psychological Society and local colleges for his contributions to coaching and mentoring services for members and young students.

Visit the website to find out more or to sign up for membership and to start your journey to a more empowered you: https://www.empsy.com