“Two years ago, I started seeing Xinyi after being bumped around by a handful of mental health professionals. For context, I came from a ‘branded’ school, and was experiencing a lot of stress and anxiety as I was unable to manage my self-expectations and the expectations my parents had of me. I resorted to self-harm and attempted suicide twice, thinking that ending my life would end all my struggles.

Initially, I entered Xinyi’s office with a lot of anger, thinking that it was going to be just another adult telling me that I was just being ‘attention seeking’ or ‘unable to cope’, before ratting my anxieties out to my parents and teachers. However, Xinyi proved herself to be different from the rest. In each session, I began to see her more and more as a friend than just any other mental health professional.

Xinyi listened to my struggles and empathised with them from my perspective, without any judgement or condescension. She made me feel heard in every way possible and validated my emotions, instead of purely jumping straight into a ‘recovery gameplan’ as most other professionals would.

I recall the darkest months when I hit rock bottom. I was cutting myself daily, anytime and anywhere, be it in my room at home or under the desk at school. That was only the tip of the iceberg. Obsessive habits of dieting and skipping meals, constantly thinking about how to unalive myself, and many other unhealthy behaviours began to surface. By then, most people had given up on helping me, thinking that it was impossible for someone who had given up on life at such a young age to ever recover or do anything great with their life. That did not faze Xinyi at all. Each week as I entered the session, she always heard me out and encouraged me, coaching me with practical advice that actually works, and not just some ‘think of happy thoughts’.

One of my greatest takeaways from therapy is that sometimes, it’s impossible to change the environment that I am put in. But what I can do, is to change my perspective of things, and how I react to the environment. Xinyi saw me beyond my challenges - she saw me as a decent human being, who was hurt but still worthy of receiving as much support as she could provide me with.

After journeying with Xinyi for two years in therapy, I flourished despite my past wounds, topping my cohort in multiple subjects. The girl who was infamous for ‘skipping school and cutting herself’ became the same girl who shocked everyone with her resilience and tenacity. Although therapy is still stigmatised in society today, I firmly believe that there is truly no shame in reaching out and seeking help. In fact, therapy puts one in an optimal space to thrive and grow, and I can attest to that in my 2-year journey with Xinyi.”