Frequently Asked Questions

Booking your first psychotherapy session can be intimidating but it does not have to be. Approach this initial session with an open mind and open heart.

The first session is a lot like an icebreaker between you and your psychologist. Your psychologist will like to have a well-rounded idea of the problems you’re facing by finding out more about you and your needs. You may sometimes be asked to fill out forms about your current and past physical and emotional health.

You are not obliged to disclose anything that makes you uncomfortable. You’ll work through each issue during subsequent sessions, and you can bring up other points as the weeks go by.

Both medication and therapy have been shown to be effective in treating mental health conditions and emotional distress.  In fact, research has shown that a combined approach is often more beneficial in many conditions in terms of faster recovery and staying well subsequently.

Very often, both medications and psychotherapy complement each other. For example, medications can help reduce severe symptoms so that you can better focus and engage in therapy; at the same time, therapy can help process and uncover underlying issues to help you cope better in future.

However, it is important to know that not all conditions or individual are the same. For example, certain conditions with strong underlying biological causes such as Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia or Bipolar Disorder would especially benefit from a combined approach (i.e. medications with complementary therapy) rather than solely psychotherapy alone.

We encourage you to talk to your Therapist, Doctor or Psychiatrist to discuss which approach is in your best interests.

In psychological therapy, we view the identities of our patients and the issues shared as strictly confidential. Relevant healthcare information will only be provided to other parties if express consent is given by the patient.

However, in exceptional scenarios, there may be certain limits to confidentiality. A psychologist may break confidentiality if there is an immediate threat to safety (yours or someone else’s) or when required by law. When in doubt, please consult your psychologist.

Clinical Psychologists pursue further post-graduate education, training and supervised experience in order to treat mental, emotional and behavioural difficulties. They focus extensively on psychotherapy and behavioral intervention. Some psychologists are also qualified to conduct psychological assessments.

On the other hand, Psychiatrists are trained medical Doctors, and they often see patients to rule out contributory medical factors for emotional symptoms and also to make a diagnosis. Psychiatrists can prescribe medications (if required) and may also be trained in some intervention techniques such as psychotherapy.

At Mind Care Therapy Suites, our Psychologists and Psychiatrists work together seamlessly in the treatment of our patients.

Very often, psychotherapists do not just utilize a single method or approach. In fact, we strongly believe that psychotherapy should be individualized to fully benefit you. Our psychologists therefore tailor the therapy to meet your needs, and draw from a variety of approaches including Psychodynamic, Schema, Interpersonal and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBT).