Your Guide to Counselling: What to Expect, Types & Tools

Singapore is a country where the pace of life never seems to slow down. Finding a moment of peace or rest can, therefore, feel impossible.

In fact, a study conducted in Singapore showed that around 14.1% of Singaporean adults had depression and 15.2% had symptoms of anxiety.

These statistics show that it’s more important than ever to find a professional space, such as counselling in Singapore.

This article is a detailed guide to the counselling process in Singapore. We take you through various aspects including what happens in a counselling session, different types of counselling services in Singapore, common counselling tools and techniques, and how to prepare for your first counselling session.

5 Types of Counselling Services in Singapore

a) Individual Counselling Services

Individual counselling refers to one-on-one counselling sessions between an individual and a mental health counsellor.

At Talk Your Heart Out (TYHO), we offer individual counselling in Singapore through online or in-person sessions.

Counsellors can help with several issues, such as depression, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, low self-esteem, life transitions, and personal growth.

b) Couples Counselling Services

During couples counselling in Singapore, you and your partner can gain a better understanding and empathy towards each other. You can learn relationship skills, such as setting boundaries and expressing your needs clearly.

TYHO couples counsellors specialise in issues such as lack of trust, communication gaps, frequent conflicts, and intimacy issues. We offer couples counselling through online and in-person sessions.

c) Marriage Counselling Services

Marriage counselling involves counselling sessions between a married couple and a professional counsellor.

Through marriage counselling in Singapore, you may explore topics like:

Handling financial disagreements

Differing parenting styles

Emotional disconnect

Frequent argument

Marriage counselling lets you work with your spouse and counsellor towards a happy and healthy marriage.

d) Family Counselling Services

During family counselling in Singapore, you can attend counselling sessions with your family members.

TYHO family counselling services in Singapore are available online and in person. Through family counselling, you can explore issues such as:

Generational gaps

Sibling rivalries

Gaslighting parents

Lack of honest communication

e) Child Counselling Services

Child counselling at TYHO is designed with your child in mind. Our approach is gentle and focuses on creating a safe environment where kids can express their feelings.

During counselling in Singapore, children can learn to cope with issues such as bullying, learning difficulties, anxiety, and mood swings. Experts at TYHO use age-appropriate tools such as motivational interviewing (MI).

Children may engage in one-on-one conversations with our counsellors. Child counsellors may occasionally invite parents or guardians to join the sessions.

Types of Counselling Based on Duration: Short-Term Vs Long-Term Counselling

Just as no two people can be the same, no two counselling journeys can follow the same path. This is why there’s no single answer to the question, ‘How long is counselling in Singapore?’

Some people may achieve progress as early as a few months, while others may need long-term support to work through deep issues or concerns.

Having said that, the exact duration that’ll work for you may depend on several factors, such as:

Your goals for counselling in Singapore

The challenges or concerns you’re looking to address

The type of counselling you choose

The frequency of your counselling sessions

You may be stuck with the ‘short-term vs long-term counselling’ dilemma. In the sections below, we explore different types of counselling classified based on duration:

1) Short-term Counselling

Short-term counselling typically ranges from 5 to 20 sessions and is ideal for those looking to address specific issues, such as life changes and workplace challenges.

It follows a pre-structured and solution-oriented approach, providing clients with immediate strategies and actionable solutions.

Below are some commonly practised types of short-term counselling in Singapore:

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

Crisis Intervention Therapy

2) Long-Term Counselling

Long-term counselling is usually spread across several months or years. It involves more profound psychological work and ongoing emotional support, helping people work on persistent patterns, unresolved trauma and long-standing mental health challenges.

Long-term counselling is ideal for self-exploration, personal growth and addressing chronic mental health conditions.

Some common types of long-term counselling in Singapore are listed below:

Psychodynamic Therapy

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

Humanistic Therapy or Person-Centred Therapy

Originally published on: https://talkyourheartout.com/sg/blog/your-guide-to-counselling-in-singapore-what-to-expect-types-and-tools/