ABOUT ME Training and Experience “Life as a therapist is a life of service in which we daily transcend our personal wishes and turn our gaze toward the needs and growth of the other. We take pleasure not only in the growth of our patient but also in the ripple effect—the salutary influence our patients have upon those whom they touch in life.” Irvin D. Yalom I have always been curious by the world, namely from the inner workings of the mind, the nature of nurture, the interplay of philosophies in the world, and the dynamics of interaction amongst people in work, play, life, and love. Growing up, my mother would constantly echo that my favourite word was “Why?” Growing up as a Third Culture Kid, and having lived in South East Asia, the Middle East, Central Asia, and Australia, the “whys” became more frequent and developed layers of complexity embedded with science, culture, and philosophy. To nobody’s surprise, l set forth to discover the whys of the world by studying Psychology in Australia. My career in the field of psychology began in 2009, in Singapore, when I trained under Autism Partnership in Applied Behavioural Therapy (ABA), in order to work with individuals with autism and Aspergers’.  I then worked in the social sector as a Caseworker, and a Counsellor in a juvenile home for boys.  I was then employed as a trainer where I would develop and run mandated resilience-building programs for primary and secondary schools in Singapore. In addition to that, I had also trained various professionals in healthcare, education, and mental health. I did this in conjunction with known Australian children psychologists, and Restorative Practices pioneers.  This encouraged me to pursue my training and further my education in the field whilst temporarily working as a teacher. During this time, I became a senior teacher and my role expanded to student and academic counselling.  I then resumed my postgraduate studies, which led me to a 6-month placement in a primary school in Singapore as a School Counsellor, followed by another placement in a hospice, training in End-Of-Life counselling.  In 2016, I developed Road to Recovery as an online counselling platform aiming to reach out to the wider population in need of support, such as those facing financial, sociocultural, and geographical barriers, without compromising on confidentiality and expertise. In order to equip myself better, and up skill, I continued pursuing further education and training in professional counselling. This led me to another year long placement in the University of Queensland as a Student Counsellor.  After which, I spent 16 months working with refugees at Melaleuca Refugee Centre in Darwin. My role as a torture and trauma counsellor gave me the opportunity to work in a humanitarian space. I also had to the opportunity be trained in trauma-informed psychotherapy, as well as to train other professionals in social services and healthcare working with individuals inflicted by trauma.  Over the years, I have had the privilege to work with a vast variety of presentations such as trauma, grief and loss, bereavement, end-of-life spiritual care, depression, anxiety, body image, eating disorders, behavioural therapy, work-related matters, domestic violence, and more. My passion in this field has grown over the years, and I completed my PhD at the University of Queensland. My dissertation was to understand the spiritual experiences of individuals in the face of grief and traumatic grief, in this unique transcultural tapestry of Australia. "It is this spiritual freedom—which cannot be taken away—that makes life meaningful and purposeful.”Viktor Frankl Education  2019 - 2023Doctor of Philosophy,The University of Queensland Brisbane, Australia 2016 - 2018Master of CounsellingThe University of QueenslandBrisbane, Australia 2014 - 2015     Graduate Diploma Professional CounsellingSwinburne University (ECTA) Melbourne, Australia 2009ABA TherapyAutism PartnershipSingapore 2006 - 2008     BA. Psych & Management/ MarketingMonash UniversityMelbourne, Australia