Crosspoint was founded in December 2011. We have had the privilege of providing counseling services in Hanoi and beyond for almost 12 years. We currently have four counselors, listed below. If you have any questions, please feel free to email us at admin@crosspoint.vn or call us at 024-375-86819.
Russell Fryer, MSW, LCSW
Counselor/Director
Russell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker from the United States and received a Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois.
With a diverse career in counseling and social work, he has worked with teens to keep them from juvenile incarceration, with children and teens in children’s homes, orphanages, foster care (working with children, teens, foster parents, and biological parents), crisis counseling, family counseling, individual counseling (children-adult), and couples counseling.
In 2005-2009, Russell worked with the University of Labor and Social Affairs in Hanoi, assisting their students to put theory into practice, workshops for faculty, and provided individual counseling.
Since opening Crosspoint Vietnam at the end of 2011, Russell has provided services for older children, teens, adults, and couples.
Russell believes each person has significance and approaches the counseling process with a collaborative approach to understand the issues and to outline the goal of therapy. He is eclectic in his approach based on the needs of the client. For depression and anxiety issues, Russell primarily utilizes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. With couples, Russell uses primarily Emotionally Focused Therapy and also utlizes The Gottman Method.
Married to his wife, Ann, for 33 years, they have two adult children and have a passion to strengthen marriages. They highly recommend the Alpha Marriage Course, materials from The Gottman Institute, and books by Dr. Sue Johnson, such as Hold Me Tight.
A member of the National Association of Social Workers and the American Association of Christian Counselors, Russell enjoys photography, basketball, reading, and coffee.
Virginia Lee McGaughran, Ph.D
Clinical Psychologist
Virginia is a U.S. Clinical Psychologist who holds two Psychology Masters degrees and Ph.D in Clinical Psychology. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Behavior Medicine and Health Psychology from the Veterans Medical Center.San Francisco. Practicing for 36 years, she has helped countless people of all ages find meaning and purpose in their lives as well as overcoming anxiety, depression, stress, transitional changes and life problems in general. She maintains that emotional /personal growth is essential for successful relationships, self-empowerment, and work-life satisfaction. Although psychotherapy is only one of many paths in which to gain emotional skills and awareness, research has shown that it can be effective in most situations.
Rhianon Walls, B.A.
Counselor
Rhianon is an Australian Counselor with 18 year experience providing counseling in the areas of depression, anxiety, grief and loss. The last 10 years, she specialized in relationship counseling and working with parents and children. Additionally, she is a workshop trainer with government and private sector experience. Rhianon lives in Hanoi with her family and understands the challenges associated with change and relocation to a new culture. She looks forward to assisting others in their life transitions.
Nga (Deborah) Nguyen, M.A.
Counselor
Motivated by a clear gap in the counselling field in Vietnam, Nga Nguyen (Deborah) has committed several years to pursuing a Master’s degree in Counselling in Singapore to achieve her goal of becoming a professional therapist. On her journey, she has refined her skills as a compassionate and attentive listener, skilled at creating a secure, non-judgmental space for clients to openly address their difficulties. Throughout this process, she has offered invaluable support to numerous individuals dealing with challenges like depression, anxiety, stress, grief, loss, and navigating complex life transitions.
Nga Nguyen’s experience working with a diverse clientele, spanning various age groups and backgrounds, has driven her to adapt and enhance her abilities to address unique needs. In her role as a counsellor, Nga Nguyen is proficient in providing counselling services in both English and Vietnamese.
Her deep motivation lies in witnessing substantial transformations in people’s lives and helping them unlock their full potential as they pursue their individual life purposes. As an eager and authentic learner, she consistently invests in her professional development through continuous training and workshops, all in the pursuit of providing more effective assistance to her clients.