Parents’ Reflections.
Curious — and perhaps a little nervous — about taking that first step? That’s completely natural. Beginning therapy can feel unfamiliar, even intimidating, especially if you’ve never spoken to a psychotherapist before.
Some past and present clients have kindly shared reflections on their therapeutic journeys — what it felt like to begin, what surprised them, and how things gradually shifted over time. Their words are offered to help make the process feel less unknown, and to give you a clearer sense of whether this kind of support might be right for you.
You may find that certain reflections feel closer to your own experience than others.
Take your time reading. And if, at some point, you feel ready to explore this for yourself, you’re welcome to get in touch. We can begin at a pace that feels comfortable for you.
F, 53, Lawyer and mother of adult client with anxiety
“My 25-year-old daughter has been seeing Xinyi for 8 years since we sought help to manage her anxiety attacks. Despite her initial reticence, my daughter seemed to make an immediate connection with Xinyi and their sessions continued on Skype when she returned overseas for studies. Over time, I observed that my daughter was better able to regulate her emotions and generally cope better under stressful conditions.
It was invaluable to have someone my daughter was able to trust and talk to, especially during the time she was miles away from home and particularly vulnerable.
Xinyi was always responsive to me (as the concerned parent) while being careful not to betray confidentiality. It gave me a measure of peace of mind to know I had her in the wings to look out for my child and provide that much needed support to her.”
F, 63, HR Specialist and mother of adult client with schizoaffective disorder and autism
“My son is receiving support to address his anxiety, adjustment disorder, suicidal thoughts, depression, and strained family relationships.
Xinyi is able to identify his challenges and equip him with coping skills to relieve negative thoughts. She provides professional guidance on stress management mechanisms, activities on moving forward, and helps develop methods of coping with school stress. The most noticeable change I see in my son is his anger management, and his ability to interact better with people because of an improvement in his social skills. He is also less anxious and fearful of change since starting sessions with Xinyi.
I look forward to progressive improvement of his personality growth, to seeing him build up his ability to be self-sufficient, to cope better in accepting fear, and eventually reducing the frequency and intensity of his negative thoughts in challenging situations.”