Mental health has always been an integration of both my personal and professional experiences. There’s never a day when I do not think about something that is not related to mental health. In a way, life has been very intriguing and unique with this aspect.
In my personal life, I would say that I was a socially awkward and shy person while growing up. With that, emotional bullying came into the picture and it was a struggle for me to stand up for myself, especially when heavy discrimination was part of the picture. The struggles continued when I entered young adulthood, when new classmates and educators were quick to judge, perceiving me as a loner and someone standing on the outside. But in reality, I was a depressed soul who lost my grandmother and dog, alongside struggles with my self-esteem, studies, and finances.
Despite these, perseverance plus social support from my loved ones motivated me to stand up and also to help those who struggled similarly with me. I could still remember vividly when I decided to pursue clinical psychology during my final year of my bachelor’s degree. It was like a calling, telling me that I can be professionally trained to help people struggling with mental health issues while having a sense of purpose in life.
Throughout my postgraduate training period, I received the opportunity to expand my knowledge, skills, and experiences at UoC Health and Psychology Clinic, PPUiTM-Selayang, PPUiTM-Sungai Buloh, and Hospital Kuala Lumpur. I have been exposed to a variety of assessments and interventions (mainly Cognitive Behaviour Therapy [CBT] and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy [DBT]), working with both adult and child populations.
Presently, I am working at The Mind with one of their corporate partners. These include conducting psychotherapy and coaching sessions for clients with different backgrounds and presenting issues (e.g., depression, suicidality, stress). In addition, I am actively involved in a few volunteer works, including the Kuala Lumpur AIDS Support Services Society (KLASS). Through these works, I am able to extend my services and passion, ranging from emotional support to psychotherapy.
Let’s round up my profile with a mental health quote by Sophie Turner (you might recognize her from Game of Thrones): “You are stronger than you think. You will get through this. You’re so loved. You are not a burden.”