Top Therapists in Singapore

Mental health, therapy and treatment. All of these things have had a stigma for the longest time due to its negative association with ‘illness’. 

While there are people who consider topics related to mental health to still be taboo, there are more people now who are willing to learn more and have an open conversation about it in this day and age. Society is evolving and has become more accepting of mental health and is breaking the stigma that surrounds it. 

Difference between counselling and therapy 

Many people view counselling and therapy as interchangeable due to their similar characteristics, but they actually have distinct differences. 

In terms of duration, counselling is generally more short-term compared to therapy. It is more geared towards problem-solving and learning techniques to deal with certain problems that the person may be going through at that time. 

When it comes to therapy, it is a long-term treatment that is a more complex approach than counselling. Therapy digs deep into the broader range of issues, and tackles one’s thought processes and these may have been influenced by past experiences. 

Counselling is also more action and behaviour-centred while therapy is more feeling and experience-focused. 

Counsellors and therapists also hold different levels of credentials. For one, credentialed therapists have attained master’s degrees and may have had more extensive training, while counsellors generally have bachelor’s degrees but still have independent licenses that allow them to carry out their practice as and when. 

Common Types of Therapy 

Psychodynamic therapy

Psychodynamic therapy, or insight-oriented therapy, is a form of talk therapy that has a holistic focus on the client’s perspective. It focuses on the patient’s perspective on their external world and how they view it.

Psychodynamic therapy aims to bring about the subconscious behaviours that a person manifests, which could be caused and influenced by past traumas, experiences, and even one’s environment. The goal is to increase the client’s self-awareness as well as understanding how their past can still have an impact on their actions in the present. 

This form of therapy is mainly used to treat serious psychological disorders such as depression and social anxiety disorder, and those who have difficulties in forming and maintaining interpersonal relationships and those who lost meaning in their lives. 

Behavioural therapy

The objective of behavioural therapy is ultimately to identify, change and eliminate unwanted or self-destructive behaviours that clients might have. This includes anger issues and phobias. 

Unlike psychodynamic therapy, behavioural therapy is more action-based. The area of focus here is the client’s behaviour. This is why the main goal for therapists is to educate their clients on why there is a problem with their current behaviour, followed by introducing them to new behaviours in order to minimise or eventually eliminate the issues that they are having. 

Behavioural therapy can help treat an array of problems such as panic disorders, anger issues, eating disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and an array of phobias. 

Humanistic therapy

Humanistic therapy is rather unique. Instead of tackling and uncovering experiences from the past that have influenced current behaviours, this form of therapy does the opposite. It focuses on your day-to-day life and how a person feels in the present and uses that to make people more self-aware and accepting of themselves. 

The main goal of this approach is that if you want to live your most fulfilling life, you have to be your true, authentic self. It is based on the principle that your worldview can impact your beliefs, choice and actions, and that you can take charge of your life. 

Studies have shown that this may not be the best option for addressing mental disorders like depression and anxiety, as humanistic therapy generally does not provide you with a clear diagnosis or treatment plan. A good candidate for this form of therapy would be people coping with chronic illnesses, psychosis, or trauma. 

Other forms of therapy

While those are the most common forms of therapy, there are also other types that are more specific to a certain need. 

For instance, speech therapy is recommended for children and adults who have articulation, fluency, resonance, receptive, and expressive disorders and is used to improve one’s overall communication. Play therapy, on the other hand, is a form of psychotherapy that incorporates play in facilitating conversations with children who have psychosocial challenges and traumas. 

Why do people go to therapy? 

There are multiple reasons why people go to therapy. While there are those who have mental illnesses and psychological disorders that go to therapy as part of their treatment, you can also go to therapy simply because you are going through problems in your personal life and would like a professional’s input on how to deal with it. 

Whether it’s something as simple as wanting to learn more about your behaviours and how to cope with your problems better or get rid of addiction completely, therapy has been proven to be beneficial for people over many years. 

Therapy can be a great way to alleviate some of the problems that you are experiencing in your life by being able to open and talk with someone. Some people still struggle with finding the right one, but this list can surely get you started on your journey towards self-improvement. 

However, If you’re feeling down and feel that you need to speak with a professional urgently, please call the 24/7 National Care Hotline at 1800-202-6868. 

Can I only go to therapy if I have a mental disorder? 

This is a common misconception. People often think that you can only go to therapy if you already have an underlying mental illness or disorder and have been clinically diagnosed. However, this isn’t necessarily true. While it is true that one can only be prescribed with medication by a psychiatrist if they have been clinically diagnosed, one can still go to therapy even without a diagnosis. 

Editor’s Note:

Disclaimer: While every precaution has been made to ensure the accuracy and fairness of this listing, we acknowledge that they may be inaccuracies. Therefore, we urge you to contact the service provider above for the correct information and/or contact us with the correct information. If you have a medical condition, it is always better to consult with a certified health care professional directly instead of relying on any material in this website or any other literature.

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