To Cure, To Serve, To Inspire

James Lee finds his unbroken chord from a music teacher to an occupational and sex therapist. 

Upon graduation, James Lee lived a life measured in musical notes and paychecks. As a professional musician, he functioned like a clockwork toy, racing between teaching sessions and performances. It was a lucrative existence, but eventually, the notes began to lose their resonance. Seeking a deeper purpose beyond the daily grind, James made a radical choice: he sold his instruments to his students, “burning his boats” to ensure there was no way back.

“I realised that the music industry, when pursued full-time, is remarkably lonely,” James reflects. “From morning to night, you are on your own, hustling from one venue to the next,” he says. He eventually kept only a basic student model clarinet, just to hold onto the joy of playing, but he vowed never to make another penny from it.

What he didn’t know then was that music would eventually return to his life, not as a commodity, but as a bridge to the human soul.

From Performing to Healing 

The turning point came during a Winter Solstice, a time of essential family gathering in Chinese culture. Consumed by work, James missed the dinner. When his father called to ask where he was, the disappointment in the old man’s voice cut through James’s pride.

“I was incredibly arrogant,” James admits. “I believed that as long as I was making money, nothing else mattered. I felt like Nick Cheung’s character in the movie Unbeatable, as if the whole world belonged to me.” That call stayed with him. “I realised that while I was chasing ‘success,’” he tells Youth Hong Kong, “I was absent for the moments that actually mattered to my family.”

This epiphany led him away from the stage and, after a few twists and turns, into the lecture halls of Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where he enrolled in a Master’s programme in Occupational Therapy (OT). He had found his new calling: a profession defined by human connection and the art of healing.

Later on, he specialises in therapies and interventions such as psychotherapy with music and imagery, sometimes involving mindfulness and sleep-focused approaches. Now, James teaches at The Education University of Hong Kong and works as an occupational therapist at Siu Lam Psychiatric Centre under the Correctional Services Department, providing treatment for incarcerated people under the mandatory hospital order — a legal mechanism for those requiring psychiatric care following a criminal conviction.

Small Yet Fulfilling

For James, the work is a far cry from the spotlight of a concert hall, yet it offers a far more sustainable sense of fulfilment. Occupational therapy is the art of small victories: helping a stroke survivor regain the dignity of dressing themselves, or guiding a mental health patient reintegrate into the community.

“When you genuinely present with someone, you understand their struggles and their pain. Then you use your expertise or methods to help them get back on their feet and walk that road to recovery with them,” James adds. “That fulfilment is tremendous and self-sustaining.”

Through his work, James has witnessed both the fragility and resilience of life. His time in the psychiatric centre has also sharpened his perspective on the systemic failures of society. He hears stories of men crushed by the stereotypical gender expectation to be “strong” or individuals broken by a lack of social mobility. “Deep down,” he says, “I often feel like society has failed them.”

To help others in their lowest moments, James sometimes had to confront his own deep-seated fears. Early in his clinical career, he routinely turned down elderly clients, paralysed by an intense fear of dealing with death. It was only through witnessing the full spectrum of the human condition, from birth, ageing, sickness, to death, that his perspective shifted. Gradually, he accepted mortality as an inevitable part of the journey.

“With more experience of life’s full cycle, I began to accept this reality,” James reflects. “More importantly, I learned to truly cherish the time we have each day.”

Sexual Health as a Human Right

A significant, yet often overlooked, facet of James’s OT practice is sex therapy. In a culture where the topic remains taboo, James views sexual health as a fundamental human right and one of the foundational elements of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. As the Founder of Dr. Sexology, a clinic that provides therapy, coaching, education and related clinical services, he critiques the current biological, sex abstinence education approach, which often steers students away from equally crucial broader topics such as love and relationships, family values, consent and respect.

“Sex isn’t just about yourself. It affects the people around you, it affects your family, and it impacts society as a whole,” James says.

He envisions a system that moves away from “spoon-feeding” facts, instead empowering young people to make informed, mature decisions regarding their own bodies and relationships.

James proposes a shift in sexuality education, advocating for robust home-school collaboration integrated with social service learning. He suggests that stakeholders develop interactive resources where teachers introduce core concepts that students then take home to complete with parents. This “homework” serves to bridge the communication gap, fostering an environment of trust where children feel comfortable discussing sexual health or reporting potential abuse with trusted adults.

Furthermore, he champions experiential learning through community service. By engaging with HIV carriers, sexual minorities, or sex workers through 「human library」 initiatives, students can move beyond textbook definitions to develop genuine empathy and dismantle long-standing social stigmas.

He also suggests that student representatives should influence the curriculum by voting on topics they find most relevant. By exposing students to diverse perspectives and real-world case studies, the goal is to equip them with the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate complex issues like unplanned pregnancy or sexual health management.

To Trust & Respect

Reflecting on his journey from the orchestra to the clinic, James sees a common thread: inspiration. “I’m not here to tell them exactly what to do,” he says. “I’m here to offer inspiration and advice. I want my clients to make their own choices, and then I support them through that process. They say ‘think big, act small.’ Inspiration is one of those small things that changes everything.”

Years after qualifying as a therapist, James was asked to play the clarinet at a funeral ceremony for a client who had passed away. Without hesitation, he reached for that old student-model instrument he had kept.

As the notes of the client’s favourite tune filled the room, the music felt different. “At that moment, the music transformed,” he says. “It was no longer about a performance or a paycheck; it was an expression of trust and mutual respect.”

In this circle of life, James is looking for a way to make his life, and the lives of others, meaningful. “I want to keep using my life to impact others,” he says. “I want to keep using my profession to serve people, rather than being served.” ■