Counselling Singapore

Singaporean counsellors at TYHO all have a minimum of a master’s degree in counselling or psychology.  

We work with counsellors who have excellent communication skills and align with TYHO values.  

Our values include being non-judgemental and empathetic during sessions and showing sensitivity to diverse backgrounds (eg sexual orientations, cultural identities). 

Counsellors at TYHO are also well-equipped to address specific issues faced by men, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, children, couples, and families. 

The cost of a counselling session depends on many factors:

• Whether the session is taking place online or in person 
• Whether the session is for an individual, couple, or family

In-person sessions may cost more than online sessions.

The changes in cost are due to extra costs like the rental of a venue. Similarly, couple or family therapy may cost more than individual sessions. 

For more information about the price of different types of counselling services at TYHO, refer to our pricing page.

If you are employed, you may wish to check with your company. The Human Resources department can inform you if your company has an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP). 

The EAP programme gives you access to fully or partially subsidised online counselling sessions. 

This depends on your company’s specific EAP arrangement with the service provider.

TYHO provides customised services based on your company’s budget and needs. All our Therapists in Singapore come from diverse backgrounds. Our experts are experienced with both local and international clients. 

If you are currently a student, check with your school’s staff. 

Most schools in Singapore have at least one school counsellor. Students may also have counselling sessions at no additional cost.

At TYHO, we collectively refer to our professional counsellors and psychologists as ‘Therapists’. We use counselling and therapy interchangeably. 

Regardless of the differences, you may want to select a Therapist in Singapore whose services and counselling style align with your needs. 

In general, both counselling and therapy involve speaking about your challenges with a qualified mental health professional. 

However, counselling generally refers to talk therapy. In contrast, therapy may involve working with other elements like art, music, and even physical movement (eg Walk and Talk therapy) throughout the therapeutic process.

There is great flexibility in terms of the types of counselling sessions. For instance, a counselling session may be for an individual, a married couple, or a family. Any of these sessions may take place online (by video, audio, or text) or in person. The therapy mode depends on your needs.

Talk Your Heart Out (TYHO) offers a range of services. Our services include individuals, couples, families, grief, children, art, walk and talk, and hypnotherapy. 

We also deliver workshops and facilitate discussions on mental health and well-being. Further, we provide personal and professional development. You can find more information by subscribing to our newsletter below!

On our platform, a Therapist may be a professional counsellor or a psychologist. 

Counsellors in Singapore are highly skilled in using integrative therapies. TYHO counsellors can help you manage your personal and emotional issues. Examples include support for events such as divorce or loss. 

On the other hand, psychologists in Singapore can diagnose and manage more serious mental health disorders. For example, management and support for post-traumatic stress disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. 

However, it is worth noting that for mild to moderate mental health issues, there often is a lot of overlap in the work that counsellors and psychologists do. For such issues, it becomes more important to select a professional on the basis of fit and degree of comfort the client feels. 

Ultimately, the best determinant of good client outcomes is the rapport between the client and their Therapist.

You may wish to look through various Therapist profiles before making a decision. The important thing is that you pick someone you feel comfortable with. 

Some people try therapy with a few different TYHO Therapists in Singapore. Trial and error before finding the right professional is hugely helpful.

The question does not have a direct  answer. The effectiveness of counselling differs for clients due to several factors like:

• Motivations for seeking support
• Goals of counselling
• Levels of commitment
• Client-therapist fit

According to research, after attending an average of 8 sessions (Foundation Psychology; Saxon et al., 2016), individuals report the most significant decrease in psychological distress and are most likely to experience positive life changes. 

In addition, those who decide to withdraw within or just after three sessions are less likely to experience positive outcomes. This is because progress often starts taking a turn for the better after the third session (Crago & Gardner, 2012).

People tend to associate counselling with life problems and difficulties. While that is one possible reason for seeking counselling, it is not always the case. People seek counselling for all sorts of other reasons, too.

Some examples include:

• Self-improvement
• Gaining clarity on one’s thought processes 
• Learning to draw boundaries more effectively
• Learning to be more assertive 

A common goal in couples or family counselling is for partners or family members to talk more effectively. Communication prevents resentment from building up over time. 

If you go to the gym regularly to work on your physical muscles, why would you not go for counselling to work through your emotions?

Another common myth held by many is that a problem needs to be ‘severe enough’ or ‘major enough’ before one begins their counselling journey. 

Some people might compare their situation to that of others. They mistakenly perceive that their situation does not quite ‘justify’ the need to see a counsellor. They then wait for their problem to worsen and find that coping becomes increasingly difficult as time goes by.

The reality is that each of us is unique. If something is important enough to you and you want to talk about it, you may chat with a counsellor. Our counsellors in Singapore are trained to provide a safe and comfortable space to talk about your concerns. 

Some people only go to the gym for physiotherapy after an injury. In contrast, others go out of habit in pursuit of a healthy lifestyle without waiting for an injury to occur. Working on one’s own emotions is not that much different.

Counselling can benefit individuals of different ages – adolescents/youths, adults, and seniors.

Counselling is delivered in several ways in Singapore. A therapist may see you:

• In person at their office/counselling centre 
• Your place (during a house visit)
• Speak with you online (via audio/video conferencing)
• Over the phone

At TYHO, besides English and Mandarin, you may also talk with your Therapist in your preferred language (eg Malay, Tamil, Hindi) or even dialect (eg Cantonese, Hokkien).

You and your Therapist would typically discuss your struggles and feelings during your session. Your Therapist may then use:

• Relevant therapeutic approaches/techniques
• Take you through specific exercises/activities
• Perform assessments to help you better manage your challenges

In addition, different services (eg individual, couples, or family therapy) may call for different mediums. 

For instance, a family may find attending their family counselling session in person easier than online. What matters is that you (and the other person(s) involved) select an option you find comfortable.

Each counselling session on TYHO typically lasts one hour. How many total counselling sessions are required varies greatly based on your (or couple’s or family’s) needs. 

Clients usually start out with weekly counselling sessions at the beginning of their counselling journey with us. Having regular sessions helps to keep their progress going. 

Moreover, the frequency of counselling sessions may increase or decrease. The frequency  depends on your situation and what you would like to achieve from your sessions.

You can talk to your counsellor to decide the frequency of counselling sessions.

There are various ways to get counselling support in Singapore. 

These include individual hotlines for specific purposes (eg crisis support, family violence, mental health difficulties, women’s issues, pandemic-related struggles, and so on).

You can also receive support through private practices which cover a broad array of issues. 

There are also Family Service Centres (FSCs) located in different areas. FSCs offer social and emotional support for the lower-income population and/or vulnerable residents within the community. 

At Talk Your Heart Out (TYHO), we aim to provide quality counselling in Singapore that is affordable and accessible. We have a diverse panel of counsellors who come from different backgrounds. 

Yes, you can! That is the beauty of online counselling. It can be attended from anywhere, anytime, as long as you have a good internet connection and your device has sufficient battery. 

Nonetheless, when you book a session, you may need to be mindful of any time zone differences. Convert your session timing to the relevant time zone, depending on where you live.

Our counsellors in Singapore have experience with both local and international clients.

Counselling is confidential, with a few limits to it. Generally, these limits involve situations where there is a risk of harm to the client or someone else. In these cases, safety is prioritised over confidentiality. 

Therapists are also subject to the law and the ethical standards of their profession.

Yes, professional bodies that represent counsellors in Singapore include:

• Singapore Psychological Society (SPS)
• Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC)
• Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors Singapore (APACS)