Welcome to therapy. This is where I’ll briefly share about how I practise and my style.

I’ll probably ask you something like: “So, what brings you in today?” Here’s where you give a thumbnail sketch of your story. There’s no pressure to provide a full autobiography, just a rough draft to start things off is adequate, and you’ll have plenty of time to fill in the gaps. You can go about this however you’d like: starting with where you were born and moving forward, or starting with your current issue and moving back. Either way, I’ll help by asking questions that will help in understanding who you are and what brings you to counselling. This is the time that you’ll really get a feel for therapy – how it feels to talk about yourself, and how comfortable and at ease you are with the conversation.

In the last few minutes of your session, I’ll usually summarise what’s been discussed and give some feedback. We can then discuss how we’ll work together to address the underlying contributing factors of your presenting challenges. I might ask if you have any particular goals you’d like to achieve through therapy. This is your time to begin collaborating on a plan.

Based on the information provided during the intake assessment, I might recommend that you see our consultant psychiatrist to complement the psychological assessment.

Although a referral letter can be helpful, it is not essential and you are more than welcome to self-refer. In fact, many of my clients are referred by friends and family.

Each session will typically last around 50 minutes. Sometimes, an extension may be required depending on the complexity of the presenting concern and the needs of the individual.

Yes, everything you talk about is confidential.

The only exceptions to confidentiality are if you’re assessed to pose a risk to yourself or others. In such instances, I will contact other professionals involved in your care, and loved ones who will be able to provide you with additional support during challenging periods. This will always be discussed with you first.

Where appropriate, I can provide updates or written correspondence with your school or university, your employer’s human resources department, CMPB or Psychological Care Centre (for National Servicemen), or other medical and allied health professionals involved in your care, to support continuity of care. This may include helping to coordinate academic access arrangements, workplace or NS-related adjustments, portfolio accommodations, or referrals to relevant specialists. Any information is shared only with your clear and explicit permission.

Depending on the nature and severity of your difficulties you might need to see a psychologist, a psychiatrist, or both. Psychologists are experts in the delivery of a range of intervention and therapies, whereas psychiatrists predominantly have expertise in the management of mental disorders through medication.

If you are unsure about who you need to consult with after the first session, we can discuss different options and provide you with more information about what might be the best fit for your current needs.

Having an initial assessment will give you a sense of whether therapy is for you. You are not committed to any further sessions after the first appointment. I make it a point to advise clients to consider if they are ready to embark on their therapeutic journey after the initial session.

Sessions are strictly by appointment. We advise that you schedule an appointment to avoid disappointment and inconvenience.

If you are having suicidal thoughts that you may act upon, please call 999 or go to the A&E of any restructured hospital.

To book an appointment, please call us at 6474-7552 during office hours.

Our business hours:

Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9am to 5pm;

Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, 9am to 1pm.

We are closed on Sundays and public holidays.

Appointments can be cancelled with 3 working-days’ notice for initial assessments and with 2 working-days’ notice for ongoing sessions. This allows us to provide urgent appointments to new enquiries or clients who are on the wait-list.

If you cancel an appointment within this cancellation period, the full session fee will be incurred.

We completely understand that paying a cancellation fee can feel frustrating, and we genuinely wish it were something we did not have to implement. However, as a professional practice, we do need to apply our cancellation policy in order to provide a reliable and sustainable service to all our clients. We appreciate your kind understanding, as:

• The session time had been specifically reserved for you and was therefore not offered to other clients.

• Our appointment slots are very limited and highly sought after, and many clients make deliberate arrangements to attend—such as taking time off work, rushing over after school, or arranging childcare.

• Unlike brief medical consultations, psychology and therapy sessions are typically 1 to 2 hours in length and are not feasible to fill at short notice.

• Your psychologist also dedicates considerable time and care to preparing for each session in advance.

Thank you for your understanding and for working with us to ensure we can continue supporting our clients well.

We accept payment through cash, NETS & credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, and AMEX), and bank transfer.