As the NS enlistment looms, my son became anxious about what lies ahead in the army. Through my friend’s recommendation, we sent him for counseling with you. Our son found you friendly and very quickly felt safe to open up to you. You helped him with his thought process to manage his anxiety. Thanks to your help, our son is now able to manage his stress better. We also find that he is more open to us and shares his views more readily. We are pleasantly surprised to see this positive change within a short period of time. You are also professional to strike a balance between confidentiality and partnering with parents by updating them generically on what you have worked on without disclosing the details of your conversation.

Seeking therapy with you is one of the best decisions I’ve made in my life. In the past, I’ve always endured my feelings, and most often bear unpleasant experiences thinking that I will be okay. However, several episodes of constant fear, breathlessness, and breakdowns were what woke me up.

I learned that it is okay to sit with my fear and it is ok not to be ok. I noticed some of my friends were feeling the same way too. This encourages me to speak up on matters that cross our personal boundaries. I guess knowing that I am not alone, motivates me to take small baby steps.

Aunty Shirley, you helped me learn that counselling is not for bad kids. Counselling is to help me to be calm, nicer to myself and building tools to solve my problems.

I am now the helper to my friends.

You helped me through that period of crisis in my life.  You looked into my family history and my childhood experiences, helped me to see myself more clearly. You helped me identify certain blind spots  in my life. That helped me to know myself better. I became more aware of my threshold and how and when I must let go.

You kept pace with me during that period and encouraged me to reconnect with my friends who were trying to reach out to me although I really did not feel like doing so. During that period, you held me accountable in my efforts to break out of that black tunnel of mine. You empowered me.

You know your content well, you have a good balance of facts and down-to-earth examples because you are not just a trainer but a practitioner. You are composed & patient.

I enjoyed your style of answering questions. Before you gave an answer, you asked the participants questions relating to the questions that were asked. That brought us into a reflecting and processing mode and realized that we actually have the answers. You also have a good sense of managing the time

You are a very empathetic and encouraging counsellor. In all my sessions with you, you were always fully present, highly attuned, and sensitive to my needs. Your non-judgmental manner and unconditional positive regard made me feel safe and heard. You provided sound options when asked for but what I found most helpful were the intentional questions you asked that made me consider perspectives in ways I had not considered. These questions helped me search deeper within myself for my own answers. You have indeed helped me navigate through many of my life’s challenges.