The Taipei Department of Health yesterday confirmed that it had received a report that actress Tammy Lai (賴佩霞), the running mate of independent presidential candidate Terry Gou (郭台銘), had allegedly been charging for one-on-one counseling sessions without a license.
Since Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Gou announced Lai as his running mate on Thursday, the authenticity of Lai’s education and expertise has sparked speculation among political pundits and online.
One political pundit said Lai’s official Web site, titled “Dr Lai Pei-hsia,” lists “mental consultant” under her experience and says she offers paid counseling sessions and spiritual lessons, although she has only received a certificate in hypnosis for a 12-day course from the National Guild of Hypnotists.
Photo: CNA
A licensed psychologist asked whether Lai had been providing psychotherapy or counseling without a license, as she offered 80-minute one-on-one sessions for NT$23,000 and other workshops relating to mental health, also at relatively high prices, and used psychotherapy terms to describe the services.
The Taiwan Counseling Psychologist Union on Sunday issued a statement giving pointers to people who are in need of counseling.
People who need counseling are advised to search the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s medical affairs personnel inquiry system (ma.mohw.gov.tw/masearch/SearchDOC-101-1.aspx) to ensure the service provider is a licensed psychologist, it said.
However, only a nurse could be found when searching for “Lai Pei-hsia” in the inquiry system.
The union also said that people who want to become psychologist must follow the Psychologists Act (心理師法), completed the relevant master’s program and internship and pass the Ministry of Examination’s national exam to receive a certificate, then join a local psychologist association and register with a facility approved by the health ministry.
Psychologists are governed by the act and ethical guidelines, as well as the local associations, it said, adding that people who do not have the qualifications but offer psychologist services can be penalized or sent to prison.
Author Hedy Lee (李文) yesterday shared on Facebook screenshots of Lai’s official Web site, and wrote that she has reported Lai to the Taipei Department of Health on suspicion of contravening the Psychologists Act and Physicians’ Act (醫師法).
Lee said she had noticed that the wording on Lai’s Web site had been changed over the past few days.
Lai in a video on Facebook yesterday said that she received qualifications as psychological counselor and corporate trainer in China in 2011, but she had never practiced in Taiwan, so she is a coach for top executives.
The Taipei Department of Health yesterday confirmed that it received a report, saying its initial assessment found that there was no direct evidence that Lai had contravened the Psychologists Act, although it would look into the case to determine whether Lai’s Web site had been misleading.
ANOTHER EMERGES: The CWA yesterday said this year’s fourth storm of the typhoon season had formed in the South China Sea, but was not expected to affect Taiwan Tropical Storm Gaemi has intensified slightly as it heads toward Taiwan, where it is expected to affect the country in the coming days, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. As of 8am yesterday, the 120km-radius storm was 800km southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost tip, moving at 9kph northwest, the agency said. A sea warning for Gaemi could be issued tonight at the earliest, it said, adding that the storm is projected to be closest to Taiwan on Wednesday or Thursday. Gaemi’s potential effect on Taiwan remains unclear, as that would depend on its direction, radius and intensity, forecasters said. Former Weather Forecast
As COVID-19 cases in Japan have been increasing for 10 consecutive weeks, people should get vaccinated before visiting the nation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said. The centers reported 773 hospitalizations and 124 deaths related to COVID-19 in Taiwan last week. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Center Director Guo Hung-wei (郭宏偉) on Tuesday said the number of weekly COVID-19 cases reported in Japan has been increasing since mid-May and surpassed 55,000 cases from July 8 to July 14. The average number of COVID-19 patients at Japan’s healthcare facilities that week was also 1.39 times that of the week before and KP.3 is the dominant
The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) working group for Taiwan-related policies is likely to be upgraded to a committee-level body, a report commissioned by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said. As Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is increasingly likely to upgrade the CCP’s Central Leading Group for Taiwan Affairs, Taiwanese authorities should prepare by researching Xi and the CCP, the report said. At the third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the CCP, which ended on Thursday last week, the party set a target of 2029 for the completion of some tasks, meaning that Xi is likely preparing to
US-CHINA TRADE DISPUTE: Despite Beijing’s offer of preferential treatment, the lure of China has dimmed as Taiwanese and international investors move out Japan and the US have become the favored destinations for Taiwanese graduates as China’s attraction has waned over the years, the Ministry of Labor said. According to the ministry’s latest income and employment advisory published this month, 3,215 Taiwanese university graduates from the class of 2020 went to Japan, surpassing for the first time the 2,881 graduates who went to China. A total of 2,300 graduates from the class of 2021 went to the US, compared with the 2,262 who went to China, the document showed. The trend continued for the class of 2023, of whom 1,460 went to Japan, 1,334 went to