The Function of Fear Fear serves a function in the evolution of human beings. It helps us to stay away from potential dangers that might harm us and ensure our survival. With the current Covid situation threatening our survival, it is no wonder that it spikes fear...
If you are facing difficulties in your relationships, you’ve probably thought about going to counselling to get positive changes. But what actually happens in a first session? Let me tell you. Where would the session take place? Prior to the session, we would...
Social media platforms have served multiple purposes. They facilitate ease of online purchase, and are boredom killers. They help us keep in touch with our friends, and melt the barriers of direct communication with our idolized celebrities. Though occasionally...
Trauma Traumas are normal stress reactions to abnormal circumstances. The subsequent effects of trauma comes in different forms for different people as trauma interacts with our individual biological, sociological and psychology makeup. Just as how the effects of...
Cognitive health and mental health Cognitive health refers to the ability to think clearly, learn and remember while mental health refers to our psychological and emotional well-being. Although these definitions differ from one another, cognitive and mental health...
Anger is a common feeling. Blood boiling. Muscle tightening. Clenched jaw. Want to scream. Pent up energy. These are the common internal experiences of anger. Most people, if not everyone, have felt angry at some point of their lives. We can feel angry when we...
Being rejected by a dismissive or a distant parent can have negative effects which lasts a lifetime, if without therapy. Recent studies have shown that the emotional pain caused by parental rejection activates the same area of the brain that physical pain does. Work...
A solution-focused approach to staying optimistic in the face of challenges.My preschooler son and I recently returned to Singapore to put down roots after spending several years abroad. Before our self isolation, the idea of being stuck at home for two weeks with my...
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is a combination of cognitive and behavioural therapeutic approaches. It focuses on breaking down overwhelming problems into smaller manageable ones.This approach suggests that thoughts, feelings and behaviours are interconnected....
Psychodynamic Therapy takes a holistic approach towards assessing clients in relation to their problems. Insight is essential to achieve success in therapy. This approach helps clients understand their long standing conflicts from the past. These conflicts are a...
Person centred therapy, or client centred counselling is a humanistic approach that views clients as always trying to fulfill their inner potential. Counsellors act as facilitators listening empathically without judgment or influencing clients’ process of self...
Solution Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a quick solution focused therapy that emphasises clients’ present and future circumstances. Symptoms are not targeted. Instead, SFBT has a rational approach towards formulating clients’ solutions. This approach also assumes...
Reality Therapy was developed under the theoretical basis of choice theory. Choice Theory suggests that we are responsible for our choices, as we have control over our behaviours. Reality therapy is solution oriented as it encourages changing one's own behaviour to...
Confused on who you should see for therapy? Don’t worry. This article provides a comprehensive explanation for these different professionals in the mental health care sector. Counsellor/Therapist Counsellors often focus on current challenges clients are facing. This...
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a nontraditional therapy approach that alleviates distress of associated traumatic memories. EMDR suggests that mental health problems are created from maladaptively stored past experiences, as unprocessed...
Have you ever experienced a moment when someone jokingly makes a comment that may not be a huge deal to other people, but it immediately destabilizes you for the rest of the day? Suddenly, you find yourself fixated on that comment and all you can feel is a variety of...
Being positive is good and people usually try to be positive or look good at all times. People feel good through their thoughts or behaviours. This is part of human nature. However, is it realistic to be positive all the time when we consider life’s negative events?...
Anxiety sensitivity is a tendency to the negative misinterpretation of bodily sensations of anxiety that produces a state of fear. It is believed to be due to concerns about potential physical, social, or cognitive consequences of anxiety symptoms. Anxiety sensitivity...
Which to Go For? Advancements in the digital space have certainly introduced more choice to our lives. It has massively changed the way we consume information, products and services. One quick example close to our (Singaporean) hearts would be food: looking for ideas...
What is Psychological Abuse and How Does It Occur? Abuse emanates in numerous forms and it can be a vicious cycle that can be handed down from generation to generation. Certain kinds of abuse are easy to recognise, namely physical or sexual abuse. On the other hand,...
According to the latest edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks consisting of physical and cognitive symptoms – such as palpitations,...
Growing up in Singapore, I was constantly reminded by others that people with mental disorders were siao or “crazy”. However, when I entered Secondary School, I learned 2 things. The first is that people with mental disorders were not like what I was told when I was...
Existential Therapy explores clients’ challenges through a philosophical perspective. This approach focuses on the human as a whole, and emphasises that we have the responsibility and freedom to make choices. It focuses on themes such as meaning, freedom, anxiety,...
Self-Gestalt is a German word which translates to “form” or “shape”, suggesting that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Thus, Gestalt therapy is a holistic process treating people as a totality of their mind, body, and emotions. According to Gestalt...
Ericksonian hypnotherapy (indirect hypnosis) refers to hypnosis characterised by indirect suggestions. Indirect suggestions are often harder to resist, because the conscious mind does not recognise them as suggestions. An example of indirect suggestion is “You may...
Given the current COVID-19 situation, many mental health service providers have temporarily closed and stopped providing face-to-face therapy sessions with clients. However, as mental health service providers, we have the duty of ensuring the public’s mental health,...
There are many reasons to relocate to a foreign country: to see a different world and experience a new culture, to further studies, to explore different perspectives or relocate for your foreign spouse… Entering a new environment definitely creates some form of stress...
We are in times of uncertainty right now, there’s no doubt about it. And it is in uncertain times like this, our psychological resilience is put to test and shows up most evidently. As nations, organizations and individuals brace ourselves in meeting the challenges...
For some people, the thought of having to face your feelings can be difficult. Though it may seem so, it is essential to take that first step out of your comfort zone and speak to someone about it, especially if those feelings are imposing on your daily life in one...
What is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? ADHD is the continuous pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity which disrupts overall functioning or development. What causes ADHD? Evidence from several studies in pharmacology, neuroimaging and...
It can be hard for one to discern if they have PTSD. The symptoms usually appear after a period of time after the event. Learn more about such signs here
Sleep is directly related to one’s mental health, deprivation of sleep can cause mental illnesses. Learn more about the relations here.
The Price of Wanting More We all want more out of Life. More fulfillment, more love, more fun, more travel, more money, more success, more freedom – the list goes on. This is our hardwiring. Without this built-in instinct, human progress would cease. But wanting more...
As play therapists, we provide a safe space for participants to play, so that they can express their emotions, explore and cope with their daily challenges. Our daily lives consist of responsibilities and stress which may add extra weight on us....
Many have found solace through the therapeutic benefits through art expression. The ability to express thoughts and feelings through art making has been timeless. Our love for art making goes as far back as the prehistoric ages of the caveman as evidenced on cave...
In Peter Pan, the famous Scottish novel, Peter Pan comes from the Never-Never Land where children never grow up. In reality, people with Peter Pan syndrome (PPS) can and do become adults, however, they resist taking on the responsibilities of adulthood and adopting...
A counselling tool that transforms the human mind for change What Is Journaling? As a counsellor, I love to use journaling as one of the tools in my session with clients. Although similar to diary writing, journaling goes deeper. In my counselling sessions, journaling...