Anxiety Counselling and Therapy

“The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don’t wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope.”

Barack Obama, former President of the United States

“What you are aware of, you are in control of: what you are not aware of, is in control of you.”- Anthony de Mello – author and psychotherapist

Anxiety is the body’s natural response to stress or perceived threat. It is a feeling of fear or apprehension about what is to come and can also present physically as jitteriness and tension. In a fast-paced society like Singapore, it is common to feel anxious from time to time. Situations such as job interviews, the first day at school or a new workplace, taking tests, or making important presentations can naturally evoke anxiety. While anxiety can be uncomfortable, it is not necessarily negative. In some situations, it can help us stay focused and can motivate us to work towards our goals. 

Typically, feelings of anxiety are transient and do not significantly affect our daily lives. However, if the feeling of anxiety persists and increases in intensity or regularity, you may benefit from anxiety counselling and therapy support.

Common Symptoms

Anxiety can manifest as symptoms, including:

      • Irrational fears – Being constantly alert to potential danger, intensely fearful or anticipating the worst in various situations
      • Excessive guilt – A persistent belief that you may have done something wrong or will do something wrong
      • Sleep problems or insomnia – Waking at random hours and experiencing difficulties sleeping
      • Persistent worry – Persistent worries and thoughts that interfere with daily life.
      • Dread and apprehension – A sense that something will go wrong, coupled with low motivation to work towards goals
      • Poor concentration – A racing mind that affects your ability to concentrate on what is at hand
      • Physical discomfort and sensations: Heart palpitations, shortness of breath, headaches and dizziness, stomach pain, frequent urination/diarrhoea, muscle tension/twitching, shaking, sweating, and difficulties sleeping. In extreme situations, these symptoms can culminate in an intense experience known as a “panic attack,” which can involve severe chest pains, elevated heartbeat, choking, and sweating, and may feel almost like a heart attack.

If these symptoms become regular or overwhelming, or if you experience abrupt surges of intense fear without any specific reason that debilitate and immobilise within minutes (commonly known as “panic attacks”), your daily life and functioning can be significantly affected.

In a medical approach, psychiatrists may diagnose a person with “anxiety disorder” if they experience intense and prolonged anxiety that affects their daily living and leads to unexplained physical symptoms and avoidance of places or situations where they experience anxiety. Psychiatrists may further categorise these issues into different types of anxiety disorders, such as:

  • Panic disorder – Characterised by unexpected, recurring panic attacks that are not situation-specific.
  • Social anxiety disorder – Involves panic attacks related to being in public or social settings.
  • Generalised anxiety disorder – Recurrent anxious thoughts and excessive worries that last for an extended period

Anxiety Counselling and Therapy 

If the above describes what you may be experiencing, please know that you do not have to go through it alone. A diagnosis, if any, serves as information and does not determine your future. Beyond anxiety counselling to help with managing the symptoms of anxiety, our counsellors at In Focus can help you delve deeper into the underlying issues through anxiety therapy. We are here to support you every step of the way.

There is a fine distinction between stress and anxiety. In both situations, there may be similar symptoms such as feelings of worry, increased heart rate, difficulty sleeping, and changes in appetite.

Stress is typically an internal response when facing external events such as deadlines, presentations, exams, interviews, starting a new job, or moving to a new place. It is usually short-term, and these internal experiences tend to pass once the event is over.

Anxiety, on the other hand, involves persistent feelings of worry, nervousness, apprehension, and dread, along with physiological symptoms like jitteriness, a racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, and insomnia. These symptoms persist even when specific stressful events have ended.

Lifestyle changes such as getting good sleep, exercising, maintaining good nutrition, and balancing work, leisure, and time with friends and family can help alleviate symptoms. However, if these measures are insufficient and daily functioning remains affected by anxiety, seeking anxiety counselling and therapy in Singapore can be beneficial.

Anxiety counselling is a form of talk therapy that helps you better understand the issues associated with your anxiety. It provides clarity on what is important to you and helps you plan how to take charge and move forward towards your goals. Furthermore, you will also learn how to manage your feelings and symptoms more effectively in daily life.

During the process, you may uncover deeper issues underlying your distress. There is also the option of receiving further psychotherapy to work towards resolving these issues. If past experiences are impacting your present life and struggles, these can also be addressed in anxiety therapy, fostering healing and empowerment.

Every individual’s situation, severity of symptoms, and preferences are unique. For many individuals, counselling and psychotherapy alone are sufficient when they actively apply what they have learned and make changes in their lives. For others, medications may serve as temporary support while they undergo counselling and psychotherapy. This is determined on a case-by-case basis. If you have concerns or questions about medication, these can be discussed during the counselling process with your medical provider to help you gain clarity on what may be best suited for your situation.

Contact us or book an appointment to find out how we can support you during this time.

ABOUT US

At In Focus, we empathise with our clients as they go through myriad of life’s problems, stresses and challenges which are overwhelming at times. As these happened to us too. The only difference is, it is our profession to help others overcome these life hurdles so as to live life to the fullest.

OUR SERVICES

We have a range of services available for your consideration depending on your needs. You can get in touch with us for coaching services, corporate consultation, professional training, counselling and psychotherapy services. Please visit our services page to see what we offer.

CONTACT US

Phone: +65 8725 9303

Email: enquiry@in-focus.com.sg

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Chan Pei Lin

Master of Guidance and Counselling (MGC)

Counsellor Masters in Guidance and Counselling (MGC), James Cook University Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), University of Buffalo New York State

I have always had a keen interest in working with children and youth. I find it fulfilling and meaningful to be working, supporting and guiding them, and I now have more than eight years of experience in this area. After graduating from the University of Buffalo, New York State with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, I started working with children and youth with Special Needs in early intervention. From my interactions with my clients over these years, I have come to see that being able to provide the emotional support that they and their families need is very important.

Being diagnosed with dyslexia and tactile defensives (Sensory Integrative Disorder), I remember the unconditional and judgement-free support I received from families and friends that got me through the various challenges. Therefore, I aim to offer the same unconditional support and judgement-free interaction to all my clients. Through my personal experience, I understand how crucial it is for individuals to develop a strong emotional foundation and a support network, especially those in similar circumstance. Therefore, I strongly believe in journeying and supporting individuals through stressful times, and in working with their loved ones through the strengthening of the bonds within the family unit.

I am trained in the major counselling and therapeutic approaches and also in Choice Theory Reality Therapy and Behavioural Therapy. My work is informed by Person Centred Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, and Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy. Beyond children and youth, I have counselled clients in other settings and age groups including young adults and families. I am particularly interested in supporting people in building resilience and skills to cope with stress, anxiety adjustments and overall socio-emotional needs. Given my own personal and work experience, I firmly believe that everyone deserves a chance in a fulfilling life. To better support my clients, I am currently pursuing my certification for Choice Theory and Reality Therapy after obtaining my Masters in Guidance and Counselling at James Cook University.

Evelyn Rochelle Koh

Senior Principal Counsellor, Counselling Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor

Master of Social Science (Counselling), CTRTC, EFT, EFCT
Clinical Supervisor & Instructor (Senior Faculty of William Glasser International & William Glasser Institute, Singapore)

Certified Human Behaviour Analyst (DISC)
Certified PREPARE-ENRICH

I developed a passion in counselling when I started out as a school volunteer counsellor working with youth. I saw the transformative power of the counselling relationship on the youths in school and even later in life beyond school. This was a life changing experience for me and I was spurred to setup my own private counselling and psychotherapy practice in 2004. That was a time when there were few counselling and consultation services in Singapore. Since then, I have been working with youths, couples, parents, working adults on their emotional issues and mental health and well-being through counselling and psychotherapy for over 20 years.

Beyond helping my clients within the counselling room, I believe in tapping on the multiplier effect to bring healing and strength to individuals, and relationships between couples and within families. I thus expanded my work and I now devote a large portion of my time towards raising the skills and competencies of the helping profession through lecturing, training, clinical supervision and consultancy services.

My area of passion and specialisation is Choice Theory, Reality Therapy, Lead Management (CTRTLM) because it is highly empowering. I thus find great joy in training counsellors, therapist, social workers, coaches, leaders and managers in this area.  I am also trained in Emotion Focused Therapy, Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and Gottman Couples Therapy and my work is also informed by therapeutic models such as Positive Psychology, Humanistic Therapy, Experiential Therapy and Systemic Family Therapy.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with organisations across different sectors, ranging from Youth Centers, Family Service Centers and Specialist Centers to the Health Promotion Board (HPB) and Ministry of Education (MOE). The latter two involved projects where I was able to share my passion for helping youth in Singapore. With the HPB, I helped develop the Peer Support Program for youth and conducted training for youth leaders from tertiary institutions and for those involved in the online peer support network “Youthpals”. With the MOE, I conducted cluster training for school counsellors and teachers on counselling and therapy skills to better help our students.

It is also my firm conviction that all situations of loss and pain can be opportunities for deep healing, growth and connection. I have thus been committed to providing regular training on the topic of “Grief and Loss” to social service practitioners through the Social Service Institute (SSI).

Curriculum Vitae

  • Registered Singapore Counselor with Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC)
  • Registered Clinical Supervisor with Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC)
  • Registered Social Service Practitioner with Singapore Association of Social Workers (SASW)
  • Professional member of the American Counselling Association (ACA)
  • Senior Faculty member as Approved Instructor and Supervisor of William Glasser International and William Glasser Institute, Singapore. At William Glasser Institute, Singapore, Evelyn is serving in the Executive Committee to advocate Dr. William Glasser’s teaching in Choice Theory Psychology, Reality Therapy and Lead Management.
  • External Lecturer/ Clinical Supervisor, Swinburne University of Technology
  • Clinical Supervisor, James Cook University Singapore, Monash University
  • Associate Adult Educator, Social Service Institute
  • Trained in Gottman Couples Therapy, The Gottman Institute
  • Trained in Emotion-Focused Therapy, York University, EFT Clinic
  • Trained in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy, International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Canada