Our psychologists use a specific structured approach based on scientifically proven methods, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help people. Taking a structured approach allows us to help people of any age or background and resolve a wide range of problems.
These problems could include low mood, too much worry, over-eating, under-eating, thinking about killing yourself, stress, chronic pain, drug & alcohol dependence, attention problems, learning issues, relationship troubles, bereavements, phobias or any other difficulty with thoughts, emotions or difficult life events (view a longer list here).
We’ve written out some general advice for these problems in the ‘information and advice’ section of our website. If you’d like advice tailored specifically to your circumstances then you can arrange a consultation with one of our psychologists.
What happens if you meet with a clinical psychologist?
We understand that meeting with a clinical psychologist can be anxiety provoking. We will do our best to make you feel comfortable. It may help to know that everything we discuss will be kept confidential (you can read about the code of ethical principals that we follow here). We prefer to work collaboratively so we will encourage you to ask questions or challenge us at any time. Our sessions should feel like a deep conversation with a kind and helpful mentor but we’ll actually be guiding you through a structured approach with four main phases:
In the ‘assessment phase’ we try to get to know you as best we can. We will ask you questions to understand how the difficulties you face came to be. If you would like a friend or family member to share information with us then we would be happy to talk to them too.
In the ‘formulation phase’ we work with you to build up an explanation of why the problems started, what’s keeping those problems going and most importantly we explain what we can do to help.
The ‘intervention phase’ will be tailored to you based on the formulation we have developed. We are all trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) which scientific studies have shown is one of the most effective psychological therapies. However, we also know a number of other evidence-based therapies such as Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) & Schema Therapy. We’ve taken these best practices from western psychology and adapted them for Asian cultures. You can read more about how we do this in our pages on the ReFlex Method.
It’s important to us that you benefit from our work together. The ‘evaluation phase’ is usually an ongoing informal measurement of whether things are getting better for you.
If you’d like more information or if you’d like to arrange an individual consultation please see our ‘arrange a consultation’ section.
How many sessions will I need?
The number of sessions a person may need to see an improvement in their well being depends largely on the severity of their difficulties, as well as other factors such as current life events and how comfortable they are with discussing their thoughts and feelings.
There’s also a choice for each individual on when they would like to stop seeing us. Some clients will stop seeing us once their distress lifts or a particular problem is resolved. Others will prefer to see us for longer so that they can put themselves on the path to feeling fulfilled by life.
Although it is difficult to predict the number of session that a individual we need we know that we are unlikely to achieve meaningful change, for most issues, with less than 6 sessions. Most people will need between 8 and 12 sessions. Others will need longer. This is because we need to:
- develop a shared understanding of the difficulties somebody is facing,
- identify which skills or strategies they need to learn to overcome their issues,
- help them implement these new skills & strategies in their lives and
- troubleshoot any issues with that implementation.
Do our psychologists use tests & diagnostics?
We are able to use a range of ‘psychometric tests’. However, we usually find that in-depth discussions are sufficient to gain all the information we need.
We only make a diagnosis if you ask us or if your insurance claim requires it. This is because, in common with many other psychologists, we find that diagnosis has more disadvantages than advantages. You can read more about our views on diagnosis here.
There are occasions when we will use a range of psychometric tests and assessment tools. We would recommend such an assessment if a problem may be due to an underlying biological issue that’s affecting your learning, memory, attention, processing speed or other neurological processes. You can ask us for a Psycho-Educational Assessment directly or we may suggest one based on information we find during our discussions.
Psycho-Educational Assessments for School Age Children & University Students
We can conduct in-depth assessments that help understand why a student is having academic, emotional or behavioural difficulties.
The assessment helps us understand a students strengths and difficulties. We can use this understanding to make recommendations on how a student can get around their difficulties and perform to their potential.
We write detailed reports which can, if you choose, be sent to teachers, tutors or exam boards. They can be used to apply for exam accommodations such as extra time.
Some people call these assessments ‘IQ tests’ but psychologists usually call the assessments a ‘Cognitive Assessment’, a ‘Neuro-psychological assessment’ or a ‘Learning Assessment’.
If you’d like to learn more about the assessments that we can carry out please click here.
Other Services Offered by our Clinical Psychologists:
Free Advice & Information for Common Problems
We know it isn’t always possible for people to meet with us. So we have provided general advice and information about common problems and difficulties on this website.
For advice on problems that children & adolescents often face click here.
If you are able to meet with us we can offer advice and guidance specific to your personal situation that should help you make progress more quickly than if you try to get out of a difficult place on your own.
Talks & Workshops
On occasion we gives talks and workshops around Malaysia and overseas. You can see details of some of these events here.
