Counselling in Singapore is relatively “new” as adoption of counselling within the community in Singapore has been slow. Counselling has otherwise been around for more than 20+ years.
Table of Contents:
Interest in Counselling in Singapore
Why the resistance to Counselling?
Psychological / Mental Health is as important as physical health
Isn’t it the same as talking to my friend or family?
What should I expect during my first Counselling session?
The future of Counselling in Singapore
COVID-19 has created an awareness about the need for counselling support. This period has taken mental turmoil to unprecedented heights. The Government of Singapore provided several options for people to seek the type of support they need. Just perform a search, and you’ll find the many options available, some free and some with a very minimal cost. The National Care Hotline was also mobilised where volunteer Counsellors handled calls.
Interest in Counselling in Singapore
In Singapore, interest has begun in the area of Mental Health since the past year. There are now more options for people to seek Counselling and Psychotherapy in Singapore.
Even today, there are people who are unaware that these services exist in Singapore. So why did it take so long for people to adopt and utilise these services? In some parts of the world such as in the United States of America and United Kingdom, mental health and wellness services are a part of normal life. Why is this? They know about the importance of speaking about stress, depression, anxiety and other situations which cause Mental Unhealth. It is important to seek help for these situations.
Why the resistance to Counselling?
One of the reasons, we think, may be attributed to the stigma associated with counselling. “If I go see a counsellor people will think I’m mad” is a common belief amongst some of us in Asia, where the “save face” culture is prevalent at the cost of much needed psychological health. When we think of counselling, negative responses are triggered in the mind, “no lah, what if people find out?” “I’m not mad what, why see a counsellor?” Pride and ego end up destroying a person from the inside. Psychological “damage” takes away the freedom to live life comfortably.
Then there some common misconceptions which lead to people thinking negatively about counselling or that it is not effective –
Misconception 1 – The Counsellor or Psychotherapist is a miracle worker. One session will solve all my problems.
No, we are not miracle workers. The fact is that Clients will surely need to, and are normally happy to, come in for more than 1 session. As it has been with most of our Clients, the first session is usually an eye opener.
Misconception 2 – The Counsellor or Psychotherapist will do all the work, all I need to do is let the miracle happen.
The Therapist will do their work, you will have to do yours. You will need to apply the tools collected and skills gained through the sessions.
The above misconceptions, are common not only to private counselling firms but to Government funded, low cost organisations as well.
Where private counselling firms are concerned, the above misconceptions magnify the negative perceptions that people have, due to the high cost involved. Private Counselling firms may charge anywhere between S$150-S$300 per hour, add the above misconceptions, and Clients do not allow Counsellors or Therapists enough time to work on them due to “cost efficiency.”
Psychological / Mental Health is as important as physical health
We have used a similar example before, and we’ll use it again here. When you visit a medical doctor…..we’ll leave the rest of the “visit” to your imagination. It is important to realise that mental health is just as important as physical health. Its well established in medical literature that the mind can influence physical health! Stress, anxiety, fear and other factors have an adverse effect on the physiology of a person, so isn’t it important to take mental health as seriously as physical health? When you have a stress induced diseases, the medical doctor advises you to “relax, don’t stress too much, take it easy” etc. Why is that so?
Isn’t it the same as talking to my friend or family?
Speaking to your friend or family may result in several other possibilities – Your friend may tell another friend.
A friend may be sincere in wanting to support you but may not know how. His / her experiences and choices may not fit into your own challenges. He / she makes choices the way he / she does due to her own experience through her own journey of life.
Talking to friends and family may help to take the load off your chest for a while but you still need intervention skills, you need to learn to fill in the gaps, you need to learn to manage the challenges effectively and you need to learn to give closures.
Just like there is a difference between consulting a trained doctor and treating yourself with suggestions from family and friends, in the same way, consulting a trained professional counsellor or psychotherapist is very different and empowering.
There are several issues that you may find difficult to discuss with a person you are close to. These issues may seem embarrassing, difficult to discuss, or be open about with people you know.
Trained, Professional Counsellors are bound by confidentiality, which may allow you to openly talk about issues you are facing. There is no need to suffer in silence, just because you feel it is embarrassing. Your counsellor is focused on your well being, is trained in Counselling Care, non-judgemental and supportive in a professional way.
Now, with the widespread availability of Mental Health and Well Being services, several questions have arisen. Common Questions include, how expensive and effective is it, and what should I expect during my first counselling session?
How Expensive is Counselling?
The cost ranges significantly for Counselling in Singapore, from firm to firm, organisation to organisation and qualifications of the practitioner or clinician. While the Singapore Government funded (MSF, NCSS) Counselling Organisations may charge prices in the range of S$20 for 15 to 20 minutes, Private organisation may charge prices in the range of S$150 – S$300 per hour. Does more expensive mean better? Not necessarily. This ranges from Therapist to Therapist, the rapport the Therapist is able to build with you and the Therapist’s / Counsellor’s area of expertise and care amongst other factors.
How Effective is Counselling?
This is difficult to answer. The Counsellor is only as effective as you allow him / her to be. The effectiveness ranges from counsellor to counsellor and Client to Client. If you have an excellent counsellor but are unwilling to put in the effort you need to, you will find counselling ineffective even with an award winning counsellor. At the end of the day, it is about you, and as much as Counsellors would like to take on the burden and end all your pain, they can’t. The doctor can’t make you take your medicine, you have to take it yourself. You have to be willing to make an effort when you begin your treatment journey.
We have successfully closed files after 6 sessions, and there are Clients who have been with us for more than a year. There are Clients who shed tears of joy after the first session, and there are Clients who look forward to subsequent sessions.
What should I expect during my first counselling session?
Before you visit a Counsellor, try to think about what you want, and if you’d be willing to make a change and put in the effort needed to see results.
Apart from the formalities such as registration, you’ll be asked a few questions and your Counsellor will gather some relevant information from you to get to know more about you, issues you are facing and your goals. Try to be honest with your Counsellor / Therapist. Your honesty and willingness to share will help in determining and focusing areas that need work. During your first counselling session you may be given certain tools to use before you come in for the subsequent session.
The future of Counselling in Singapore
The COVID-19 pandemic has opened avenues and created an awareness for the need for counselling in Singapore. We see more discussion in the news and media, people are open to talking about the need for Mental Wellness. We are seeing an increase in the number of Mental Health Professionals, and there is now the realisation that Mental Health and Well Being is important. If you’d like to explore Counselling with us, you may Contact us to find out more, or make an appointment with us
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