“I started seeing Xinyi soon after I had come out to my family, and was struggling with low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. I’d seen other therapists and school counsellors before her, and felt an immediate connection thanks to her openness and genuine warmth in talking to me about what most people might feel awkward about.

Therapy has made me more confident and allowed me to have a better understanding of myself. Most importantly, I haven’t self-harmed in nearly a year, something that I struggled with for a long time and a change that I am very proud of. Therapy has been relaxing, as I feel like I am able to talk to a trusted advisor who isn’t your parent; talking on a consistent basis to someone out of the family makes me feel less self-conscious as I don’t feel as if I am being judged, or that the relationship will be affected by anything I say. Xinyi has created a space where I feel comfortable revealing vulnerable emotions and difficult thoughts, and this has been helpful in allowing me to have more stable moods.

As I will be starting National Service (NS) next year, I look forward to having Xinyi guide me in managing my social anxiety, so that I might learn to be more comfortable in expressing myself and not shutting people out because I am anxious about how they might perceive me. I feel more confident now that I will be able to make friends, and maybe even be in a healthy relationship one day!”