As far as I can remember, I always had an interest in being a part of the helping profession. Growing up, I witnessed how several family members who experienced mental health or developmental difficulties were misunderstood by others or met with negative reactions from their loved ones, primarily due to the severe lack of awareness regarding their conditions which still exists today. I recall feeling a sense of unjust towards the way they were treated and perceived, and was subsequently determined to work towards reducing such sentiments in our communities, while contributing to efforts which could aid others in similar circumstances. As I approached my late teens and started exploring possible tertiary education pathways, psychological sciences immediately intrigued me since it aligned so well with my personal goals. I ended up taking Psychology as one of my subjects in A-levels, and went on to pursue it for my undergraduate degree as well.

Throughout my time at university, I was able to broaden my knowledge on various aspects of Psychology. From there, I was particularly drawn to understanding thoughts, emotions, and behaviour, as well as learning about mental health and psychological treatment. Following the completion of my degree, I sought after opportunities to gain exposure in mental healthcare to garner some real-life experience, and found myself at an NGO called SOLS Health. The months I spent there were invaluable, as it taught me about psychological services, community interventions, and the job scope of mental health professionals, which only further fanned the flames of my desire to join this field. After some reflection and contemplation, I eventually decided to walk down the road of becoming a clinical psychologist.

During my Master’s, I was further educated and trained to administer psychological assessments, such as intelligence and neurocognitive assessments, along with psychological intervention, in particular Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. My clinical experience was honed through my training at Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM), Kelantan, and International Islamic University Malaysia Medical Centre (IIUMMC), Pahang. At my placements, I worked with individuals of varying ages, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, as well as a range of neurodevelopmental and mental health difficulties, including depression, anxiety, BPD, autism, and ADHD. Furthermore, I also provided tele-health and Psychological First Aid (PFA) services when the MCO took effect, and was given the opportunity to conduct stress management workshops for medical students and front-liners.