Relationship Issues Counselling and Therapy

At In Focus, we provide relationship counselling and therapy to help individuals address relationship challenges, improve communication, and build more fulfilling connections. Whether you’re facing conflicts or boundaries issues with a partner, family, friends, or colleagues, our counselling sessions offer a safe, supportive space to deepen self-understanding and improve your relationships.

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relationship counselling and therapy - friendship paper cut out

“No man is an island” – John Donne, Poet

“All long-term psychological problems are relationship problems” – William Glasser, Psychiatrist

Why Relationship Counselling and Therapy Matters

We are all involved with people throughout our lives – including  family, friends, partners, colleagues, and even ourselves. As we navigate these relationships, we may encounter challenges such as conflicts and difficulties in relating with people and developing healthy connections. At times we may feel at a loss about how to manage the different relationships in our life, or even exhausted and overwhelmed trying to do so

At In Focus, relationship counselling is for individuals who want to improve how they relate with others including their friends, partner and/or family, It is also suitable for individuals discerning whether to be in committed long-term relationships, or who are navigating the challenges and struggles from having ended a significant relationship. 

For couples and family, In Focus also offers counselling for couples and family members through couples counselling, marriage counselling or family counselling to address the challenges in the relationship. These are options where the parties involved desire to work together to improve their relationship, and are available to do so. Otherwise, relationship counselling for individuals is an option to start with as well. 

Our Fast-Paced City Life and the Impact on Relationships

In our busy fast-paced modern life, we often face many demands. Living in a bustling city like Singapore can take really a toll on us. Long work hours, tight schedules, and the grind of daily life can be stressful. At times this feeling of stress and constant pressure may impact how we relate to people at work, at home, in our friendships and relationship with our partner or spouse. In addition, we may struggle to find time and space to nurture our relationships with family, friends, colleagues and people we value.

Familial, Cultural and Societal Expectations and The Impact on Relationships

Familial, cultural and societal expectations can influence and support us or add additional  layers of complexity to our relationships and how we relate with each other. We may face challenges associated with expectations in terms of our choices and our behaviour. Some of such expectations affecting us in our relationships may be things we heard from people around us, or which we may form as our own belief. Some of the more common ones may be:

  • “Be accommodating, don’t be a problem”
  • “Don’t question authority and just comply for your good”
  • “Don’t bring embarrassment and shame to the family”
  • “Be good and filial”
  • “Be productive and useful”  
  • “Be strong and don’t show weakness” 

The above statements may appear intellectually correct. Nonetheless, how we perceive such expectations and how we live them out impacts the way we relate with ourselves, the way we relate with others and our relationships. Over time, these play out in how we feel in our relationships with people. Some of this includes often feeling

  • Exhausted and tired out caring about others
  • Anxious and worried about others see us 
  • Guilty about our behaviour and feeling the need to over-compensate 
  • Small and unimportant in the relationship
  • Frustrated, angry and unjust in how we are being treated
  • Feeling lost and unsure about what really matters to us

Over time, our relationships become less satisfying and connecting to us if these experiences and feelings are not understood and addressed.

Signs That Relationship Counselling May Be For You

Our feelings tell us when our needs are not met, and an indication that we may be struggling with our boundaries and communicating them in our relationship. When we experience recurring negative feelings in our relationships, and have difficulty communicating our needs to people around us such as friends, partners and family members, this is where relationship counselling and psychotherapy can offer support. 

Relationship counselling for individuals provides a neutral space to explore these experiences. It can be a starting point in finding support to better understand ourselves and our communication patterns by incorporating our understanding of the other’s perceptions as well as the dynamics involved. This can help heal from past hurts and create healing and effective communication patterns, thus strengthening our relationship.  

Relationship counselling is suitable for individuals facing a range of issues in relationships, including:

  • Communication struggles and difficulty expressing one’s needs
  • Challenges with intimacy and connection
  • Difficulty trusting others 
  • Strained relationships with family, friends or other loved ones
  • Challenges responding to dominance, control, contempt, or aggression in relationship 
  • Confusion and doubt about experiences in a relationship
  • Difficulty setting and maintaining healthy boundaries 
  • Feeling alone, anxious, insecure or emotionally drained in friendships and relationships
  • Navigating workplace relationships
  • Managing conflicts and differences with others
  • Concern about being disliked and tendency to people-please 
  • Feeling stuck in unhealthy coping mechanisms or self-sabotaging behaviours
  • Past hurts or grief affecting current friendships and relationships
  • Decision-making struggles in friendships and relationships
  • Struggling with a recent relationship break-up, separation or divorce

The Value of Relationship Counselling

Understandably, we are often busy and may struggle to find time and space to look into our relationships and how we relate with the people we value most. Yet, investing time and energy in relationship counselling is one of the most valuable thing we can do for ourselves in helping us towards living a fulfilling life. This is because we all need at least one person who we trust and can feel safe, accepted, valued and connected with. When the important relationships in our life are unsatisfying to us over time, or has come to an end, other associated issues such as anxiety, depression, anger, or grief may also arise. Relationship counselling offers the opportunity to attend to these other experiences and feelings where they are present. 

The Journey of Relationship Counselling

At In Focus, relationship counselling and psychotherapy provides a supportive empathic space for our counsellors to work with individuals with relationship struggles to unpack and understand the deeper issues.

In the process, individuals can gain greater emotional awareness, and clarity on personal values and goals vis-à-vis what the individual may have acquired through external influences over time. In relationship counselling, while we incorporate the other’s perceptions to better understand the dynamic, individuals are also able to give voice to hurt or unresolved issues that have been present in the relationships for these to be  attended to by our counsellors to feel understood and validated. This process can help individuals understand the core issues underlying the difficulty in relationships for that individual, begin to heal and gain deeper personal connection with the self, as well as create healing and effective communication patterns, thus improving the relationship. 

When an individual is able to engage loved ones in sessions such as relationship, couples, or family counselling, involving the other party in sessions can be helpful with that additional support enhancing the counselling process. Individual counselling can still be effective even without the involvement of loved ones. While we encourage the involvement of the loved ones, it is not a requirement for relationship counselling.

Our Approaches

At In Focus, we take a client-centred approach, and we ease clients into a therapy environment where they can feel safe in exploring their emotional state. We aim to impart skills for self-directed emotional regulation, and provide a close sense of support in helping them address their challenges.

Additionally, our approaches are backed by psychological principles and neuroscience. Growth and change is possible regardless of age due to the flexibility of our brain (a.k.a. neuroplasticity). Counselling and therapy provides the experiences and new options possible for shaping how our brain grows and works. When the new neural networks are formed and re-activated with repetition and intentionality over time, they tend to run automatically. On this basis, we meet our clients weekly or fortnightly and help our clients work through their issues. Our approaches are informed by several proven methods of counselling, including Choice Theory & Reality Therapy and Emotion Focused Therapy. These are integrated with other complementary approaches in professional counselling such as Person-Centred Therapy. Based on an initial consultation, we select the most appropriate approach, or a combination of approaches, to find the best path in helping clients work towards healing and self-empowerment.

Choice Theory & Reality Therapy (CTRT)

CTRT emphasises empowerment through personal agency and the power of choice in creating meaningful change. It helps individuals recognise their current best attempts to meet basic psychological needs but which may have inadvertently compromised other needs. It helps individuals discover alternative and more effective ways while getting along with people who matter to them. CTRT is a versatile approach. At In Focus, CTRT is practiced in an empathic and compassionate way, pacing with clients’ readiness for change. At the same time, clients see hope in practical and action-oriented ways towards living a life of greater internal freedom.

Emotion Focused Therapy Approach

Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) is based on the idea that emotions are important part of who we are. It helps clients access, understand, and transform emotional responses, especially the overwhelming and ‘numbed out’ emotions. EFT approach facilitates the process of connecting to the emotions in a safe way. Unlike behaviour or cognition driven therapies, EFT focuses deeply on emotional processing to create self awareness, lasting internal change and shifts in interpersonal dynamics.

To find out more about the various approaches, click here.

Our Relationship Counselling Therapists

At In Focus, counsellors prioritise working with you to understand what matters most and how to best support you, rather than relying on a direct diagnosis or applying static labels onto clients.

We believe anxiety symptoms can indicate deeper issues, and we create an empathic, non-judgmental environment for exploring these issues through anxiety therapy. Working beyond diagnosis has been proven to empower individuals long-term, and helps them connect with their own emotional experiences.

Senior Principal Counsellor, Counselling Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor

Evelyn Rochelle Koh

Evelyn is a highly experienced counsellor and psychotherapist with over 20 years of practice, working with youths, couples, families, and individuals to support their emotional and mental well-being. She is a passionate educator and clinical supervisor, training and mentoring professionals across the helping fields, and brings warmth, clarity, and empowerment to her therapeutic work.

Senior Counsellor

Cheryl Lee

Cheryl is a dedicated counsellor driven by a deep passion to help others live life meaningfully. She works with adults, youths, and couples on a wide range of emotional and relational challenges, using an integrative approach grounded in Choice Theory Reality Therapy and Emotion-Focused Therapy. Cheryl creates a safe and empathetic space where clients can explore their struggles, reconnect with themselves, and move towards more empowered and fulfilling lives.

More about our Professional Team

What Our Clients Say

"I have always been a confident and charismatic leader but desired to understand my emotions and be less angsty when dealing with inconveniences. I knew my childhood was not the best, but could not put into words why that was the case. Thus, I sought out psychotherapy. Cheryl was my counsellor and she asked questions that helped to develop my thinking and taught me skills and lessons that allowed me to grow outside of therapy. If this sounds like something that you want, but have any uncertainties or certain requirements, you can always arrange a call to discuss. I highly recommend the work done here."
K.M,25 years old, male
"Evelyn displayed a thorough knowledge of Dr William Glasser's work, how it was developed and comfortably able to develop this knowledge to us. She was keenly aware of our varied personalities and was able to step in and guide us as individuals. I felt acknowledged irrespective of what my views were or the many questions I had."
Angela Mitakidisformer manager, Mediation Services of Eagles Mediation and Counselling Centre
"Cheryl had been very supportive and respectful of my needs in this journey. I could sense her sincerity in addressing my needs and ensuring that she holds the space for me, making sense of the clutter in my head and also being affirming of the growth in the time that we had these few years. I appreciate how she maintains professionalism even when addressing issues and never taking a blaming stance. Overall I am glad to have had her guidance in this journey and would never forget the kindness and understanding she had extended thus far. 100/10 would recommend having Cheryl as your counsellor."
Y.T27 years old, social worker
"I received supervision from Evelyn for two practicum modules with William Glasser Institute (Singapore) - Basic Practicum and Advanced Practicum. She has been instrumental in providing a supportive platform for learning in my journey to be a certified Choice Theory / Reality Therapy practicioner. Evelyn's approach is gentle yet firm, nurturing yet assertive. She sees beyond the requirements of the modules and focuses on the growth of the practitioners in the professional and personal sense. In that aspect, I find the sessions enjoyable and energising, always leaving me motivated to learn more after each session. In addition, Evelyn provides timely feedback which helps me pace my own learning. Lastly I am impressed by Evelyn's dedication to supervision."
Andy Lamformer Centre Manager and Senior Counsellor of Whispering Hearts family Service Centre
"Overall experience of counselling and therapy with my counsellor Cheryl was very good. She created a safe and trusting space, allowed me to feel comfortable and authentic. Skills were very good in helping me identify themes in my life and helped me resolve issues that had direct impact on my present day functioning. Very applicable."
Anonymous29 years old, female
“I learnt to understand and use CTRT, and learnt how versatile it is to be applied to all types of cases. I enjoyed watching Evelyn’s role play demonstrations and to be guided with suggestions on how to conduct CTRT interviews”
Rachel Tan,Social Worker
"All in all, I think a good counsellor is a professional listener, who understands what you feel, can empathise with you, call you out on things you need to face, not tell you the answer but help you build mental resilience so you can face it yourself and find your own answer. In this regard, I think Cheryl is an exceptional counsellor."
E.W29 years old
"In the CTRT training, I liked learning from Evelyn's deep experience and Cheryl's sharp detail-focus was very illuminating."
AlsonPR and Comms Professional
Since 2020, In Focus Counseling & Therapy Services has walked alongside HCSA Dayspring on a journey of growth and development. Their presence has touched many of us - from providing vital mental health support for our staff and nurturing leaders through supervision, to enriching our team through training and throughtful consultations.... Working with trauma survivors requires immense emotional resilience, and In Focus truly understands this. Through their dedicated support of our staff's mental health and professional growth, they've become integral partners in our mission to help those we serve.
Maria Chuaformer Director of HCSA Dayspring
“I liked the clarity in explanation of CTRT and the role play practices in this training. Evelyn has a warm personality and was effective in facilitation of learning for participants. Both trainers Evelyn and Cheryl facilitate very well."
Serene LohCounsellor
"What I liked about the training were that the explanations by Evelyn and Cheryl were thorough and relevant in our training."
JoySocial Worker
“I have been attending counselling sessions with InFocus for the past 3 years. i started attending after a break-up and was feeling very upset and emotional. Cheryl has been very patient in helping me to sort out my feelings and holding a safe space for me to release my emotions. Thereafter the sessions evolved into counselling other aspects of my life, inparticular, recognising my inner child, being gentle and kind to her. Other therapy work included how to make better decisions and how to communicate better with others. After 3 years, I feel much more confident in myself and my ability to face challenges with a positive attitude."
Miss Tan

We’re grateful to share these testimonials, kindly given with permission. To respect our clients’ privacy, counselling clients’ names have been changed according to their preferences.

How to Get Started

1
Reach Out
Call or leave a message via email, WhatsApp, or the 'Contact Us' page on our website briefly describing what you would like help with and your availability for us to get in touch.
2
Initial Complimentary Consultation Call
We’ll arrange a complimentary 20 – 30 mins consultation call with our counsellor / therapist, where you can share what you are going through and the support you are looking for. During the call, if you are not sure where to start, our counsellor / therapist will guide you by asking questions. You’ll get to experience speaking with our counsellor / therapist and get a sense of how we work
3
Begin Your Journey
If it feels like a good fit and you’re ready to begin, we’ll schedule your weekly/fortnightly sessions to begin your journey with your counsellor / therapist.

Our counselling sessions begin from $150/hr for individuals and $200/hr for couples and family counselling. Each session lasts 1.5hrs on average to allow for meaningful exploration and processing.  Sessions are held weekly or fortnightly. We recommend weekly sessions as lasting change happens with consistency, close follow-up and support, and deepening of the work over time. All sessions are conducted in person, face-to-face to support meaningful connection and engagement in a safe space.

Frequently Asked Questions

Couple or family counselling is typically suitable when the issues primarily involve conflicts and communication patterns within specific relationships, such as with a spouse, partner, or family member. In these sessions, both parties can work together to enhance understanding, improve communication, and develop healthier ways of relating to each other to improve the relationship dynamics.

It may feel challenging when a partner or family member does not share a similar perspective as you about seeking help for relationship counselling. In such situations, it is possible to work with you to improve your relationship. Concurrently, we will explore your challenges faced in engaging the other party. It is part of the work in relationship counselling to strengthen communication to improve your relationship. 

Yes. Individual counselling for relationship concerns offers a nurturing space where you can deepen self-awareness, broaden perspectives about relationships, develop essential skills, and find clarity in making related decisions. Relationship counselling is for individuals who want to improve how they relate with others including their friends and family, or who may be discerning whether to be in a committed long-term relationships.

It is never too soon to seek counselling support. Relationship counselling will help you gain greater self-understanding in the context of the relationship and learn new ways of being more effective in relating with others. You will then be able to address the issues sooner before they pose greater challenges in future. This can make a positive difference to your life and well-being by knowing what change is needed and then take steps towards it.

The duration varies from person to person. The key is consistency, openness and intentionality in the process. Our trained professionals are able to help you gain insights, develop new perspectives, and discover new ways of approaching your struggles and issues. At the same time, counselling and therapeutic outcomes are also collaborative in nature and deliberate effort in applying what has been learnt in sessions is also key to change. In addition, the goals in relationship counselling may also shift over time should there be new issues or developments that surface. Our counsellors will work with you to collaboratively review the progress and goals intermittently during the counselling journey.

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

Get In Touch With Us Today

Interested in exploring counselling and therapy? Leave us a message or call us at +65 8725 9303.

Visit our FAQ page to find answers to some of the most common questions.

If you need immediate help, please call SOS at 1800 221 4444 (24 hours) or send an email to pat@samaritans.org.sg

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