Frequently Asked Questions

In general, the privacy and confidentiality of all communications between the therapist and you are protected. There are however, legal and ethical requirements that may make it necessary for your therapist to disclose information about your sessions. Such situations of exceptions include: 1. If there is evidence of clear and imminent danger or harm to yourself and/or others, the counsellor/therapist is legally required to report this information to the authorities responsible for ensuring your safety and the safety of others. 2. If you are under 18 years of age, and report any sexual abuse to which you have been subjected, the law requires your counsellor/therapist, who learns of or strongly suspects, to report this information to the authorities. This condition also includes physical or sexual abuse; or neglect of a child/elderly/disabled. 3. When there is a court order or judicial proceedings, issued by a judge, requiring release of client information contained in records, and/or requires your counsellor/therapist to testify in a court hearing. Some examples are child custody proceedings or mental state conditions amongst others. 4. The counsellor/therapists in this centre work as a team. Your counsellor/therapist may consult with other therapists and their supervisor to provide the best possible care. These consultations are for professional and supervision purposes only. The focus of such discussion is on the casework, and none of your personal information (such as name, identity, address, mobile, etc) will be disclosed. All staff and therapists are bound by the same confidentiality clauses as your therapist.

Psychotherapy and counselling are general terms used to describe the process of therapeutic interaction and intervention between a therapist and a client or clients. It is not easily described as it varies greatly depending on the therapist, the client, and the particular problems a client(s) presents. There are a wide range and variety of approaches that can be used to deal with the challenges/opportunities that are brought by you and/or your family/group to therapy. Our services are unlike a visit to the medical doctors as your active participation and cooperation is required for therapy to be effective. Therapy has both its benefits, costs and discomforts such as difficult feelings of sadness, anger and fear amongst others and even unpleasant thoughts when past events are processed. However, there are many benefits in therapy such as more healthy thinking, feelings and actions. You may also experience changes in the behaviour of others around you as a positive impact of the changes you have made in your life. Clients frequently share feelings of happiness, reduced symptoms of headache, anxiety or sadness amongst others and also better relationships and coping skills. There is no specific benefit as it depends very much on your individual goals, interventions and maintenance of new skills, lifestyles, thinking patterns, emotional regulation and self-awareness. Please feel free to ask your counsellor(s)/therapist(s) for more details about this.

Psychologists: They usually have a minimum of Masters in Psychology and is a specialist in the area of the study of mind, emotions and behaviour. They usually do psychological testing and assessments, analysis of psychological assessments, diagnosis, research, and provide consultation and therapy. Their work focus usually is on deeper trauma, disorders, chronic issues amongst others and it is usually longer term therapy which can be a couple of years. Psychotherapists: This is an umbrella term that includes psychologists, counsellors and social workers. They provide a variety of treatments and interventions from medium term to long term therapy. Many psychologists who provide therapy and many counsellors who focus on deeper issues call themselves psychotherapists. Counsellors: They usually have a minimum of a postgraduate degree or a Masters in Counselling. They focus on immediate and practical life challenges and help with personal and professional development. Their work involves interviewing clients, helping to assess the situation or challenge and to understand their challenges. The intention is usually problem solving with a plan of action and is solution focused. Counselling is generally shorter term therapy which is anything from 3 to about 15 sessions or so depending on needs.

We have a wide range of service. You may wish to read the Services listing to better understand some of the services. Alternatively, feel free to email us your requirements and we can advise you accordingly.

We have a wide range of options. You can choose amongst the options below: Face-to-Face at our office Online via Zoom or Skype Phone call Email You can also choose a hybrid to have some sessions Face-to-Face and some Online or any other combination.

We have a few therapists that you can choose from. Go to our Psychotherapists/Counsellors tab and choose your preferred therapist. From there, you will be guided to fill in your particulars and a preferred date, time and medium of therapy. While we cannot guarantee that the slot is available based on your initial preference, and do rest assured that the therapist will connect with you to arrange a mutually agreed date and time if this happens. We are committed towards a collaborative relationship.

You can connect with your therapists to reschedule. Kindly help to inform your therapists at least 24hours before your appointment time if you need to reschedule as they can then schedule other clients who may have urgent needs to receive therapy.

We understand that from time to time, you may need to reschedule sessions due to sickness or last minute engagements. We seek your understanding to inform your therapist 24 hours before where possible. Rescheduled appointments should be held within 30 days from the original appointment where possible. We do not limit the number of reschedules and we will speak with you if there is continuous or consecutive reschedule to further understand your needs and provide alternatives.

All therapists are required to keep case notes after each session. All records, including case notes and assessments, are locked and kept strictly confidential. Client records are kept for 3 years only after which they are shredded or permanently deleted.

The first session is normally an intake interview session where we gather more information about you and your family and your presenting challenge. The therapist will guide you through the process and frequency of meetings in the session. Therapy can be in terms of brief therapy for 3-12 sessions or long term therapy lasting for a few years. The length of therapy depends on the goals of therapy and your expectations. The therapist would prepare you for the sessions by having a discussion about length of therapy after the first session and revisit it in the 2nd or 3rd session or when necessary. If however, you prefer to be assigned to a different therapist within the centre or at other mental health organisations, we will be glad to assist you. The first session can be from 60 mins to 90 mins. Subsequent sessions are usually scheduled for 50-60 minute session per week and at a time that is agreed on by both parties (although some sessions may be longer or more frequent depending on the challenges/opportunities discussed).

There is usually nothing to prepare in advance. Come with an open mind and explore with us. We will guide you through the session.

Each session is between 50 minutes to 60 minutes.

For onsite sessions, please go to our centre at: Sultan Plaza 100 Jalan Sultan #02-05 Singapore 199001 For online sessions, we use zoom and google teams. Your therapist will send you the link for the sessions. Please note that all sessions are by appointments only.

We have a transparent fee structure. Our fees range from $80 to $350 for individual therapy depending on the therapist and services rendered. Our therapist will discuss the fee with you before your first visit if you have any customised needs. The fee includes the therapy session for 50 mins to 60 mins or otherwise stated. This excludes any tests or other services such as telephone conversations (more than 10 minutes are chargeable), tele-health services, longer therapy sessions or other professional services. In court ordered or litigation cases, if your therapist is required to attend court hearings (either requested by you or the court or a third party), you will be required to pay a professional fee to the therapist for every session that the therapist is called to court. Such arrangements are discussed on a case by case basis.

We operate on a cashless system. Kindly help to use PAYNOW or bank transfer to make payment before or right after your session within 24 hours: • Please state your name in the remarks/comments section of payment. • Bank Details: o Account Name: Holistic Psychotherapy Centre Pte. Ltd o Bank: United Overseas Bank Limited o Account No: 3533113824 o Paynow ID: 202042005H

Yes, we issue a receipt right after your session if payment is made 24hours before or on the spot. You can show the therapist on the spot that payment has been made and she/he will issue you the receipt. For payments that are received after the session, we will pass you the receipt in your next session.

We understand that affordability can be a challenge. We have packages which you can choose or feel free to speak with your therapist for a solution. We also have interns who are new to the counselling field and are willing to see you for free. We can always link you up with those who are interning with us. Alternatively, feel free to explore any of the Family Service Centres.

The Holistic Psychotherapy Centre and its therapists do not operate or work 24 hours a day and may not be available during crisis.. We operate from 8am to 9pm on weekdays and on Saturdays. We usually take a break on Sundays to spend time with our family and friends. However, we do see clients online on Sundays where required. The centre however is open only by APPOINTMENT. If you need to reschedule an appointment, please contact your therapist with at least a 24 hours notice before the session.

If you have an emergency but unable to reach your therapist, please call your family doctor or the nearest hospital for help. Please note that our centre does not have emergency services or facilities. If you need to speak to someone urgently and are unable to reach your therapist, please call Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) at their 24-hr hotline at 1800-221-4444.