Don't deal with it on your own – there are plenty of places where you and your children can seek help. Look to these top family counsellors and therapists in Singapore
While on the surface life in Singapore may appear rosy and full of sunshine, sometimes we all need someone to hear us through all the noise and really listen to us. Life is hard enough as it is, and our mental health has certainly taken a hit (thanks, Covid-19). Luckily, there are some great counselling services, therapy sessions and family resources we can turn to when we need to get our thoughts in order and our minds re-balanced. So whether you are a single mum looking for some guidance, a parent working through financial pressures, divorce, bereavement, anxiety, parenting a special needs child, or just learning how to survive parenthood, we’ve found some really great family counselling sessions for you to reach out to, right here in Singapore.
Counselling and therapy for families in Singapore
1. Benjamin Psychological & Therapeutic Services
Despite being a boutique-sized clinic, Benjamin Psychological & Therapeutic Services offers a broad range of psychological care for children, adolescents, adults, and families in Singapore. The team, made up of internationally trained clinicians who are also professionally registered in Singapore, has extensive experience working with children and young people. They have also recently undertaken specialist ADHD training, strengthening the clinic’s support for children, adults, and families with this condition.
Benjamin Psychological & Therapeutic Services also provides psychological assessments for children and adults, including evaluations for autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, and learning difficulties. For families, these assessments can help clarify a child’s strengths and challenges, giving them a better understanding of what may be contributing to difficulties at home or school, as well as identifying appropriate next steps. The team also has experience collaborating with both local and international schools, translating assessment findings into practical recommendations that can support children across home and school settings.
Benjamin Psychological & Therapeutic Services
2. Family Support Outside School
Katy Harris, the heart of Family Support Outside School (Family SOS), employs a diverse approach to assist children, whether they’re neurotypical, autistic, shy, non-verbal, or grappling with ADHD. What sets her apart is her unwavering support for parents on the therapy journey. Katy specialises in helping kids and teens address anti-social behaviour, self-image, self-control, communication skills, aggression, and anxiety. She’s also there for children facing various life challenges, from relocation and bereavement to abuse, bullying, and feelings of being overwhelmed. Katy employs methods like interactive media, role play, cognitive behaviour approaches, counselling, goal setting, and play therapy while maintaining close connections with both families and teachers.
3. REACH Community Services
The Ministry of Social & Family Development is behind the community-based REACH Community Services Society for families and individuals looking for support, guidance and a listening ear. The family service centres are dotted around Singapore and provide help to all ages, nationalities and religions via a team of social workers and counsellors. Services provided include marriage guidance, personal growth and healing sessions, and relationship counselling for families. Fees are based on your monthly income, which makes this option affordable for everyone.
4. Samaritans of Singapore (SOS)
Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) is the only suicide prevention centre in Singapore. It is a non-profit organisation that provides 24-hour confidential emotional support to people who feel they have nowhere else to turn. As well as the round-the-clock crisis support hotline manned by trained volunteers, SOS also offers specialised counselling services and bereavement support groups for individuals and families by in-house counsellors, psychologists and social workers. Read our interview with an SOS volunteer who’s been with them for over a decade.
5. Mindful Space
Mindful Space provides a coaching environment that caters to individuals of all ages, including children, families, and adults. Their primary goal is to empower children by facilitating the development of values and life skills through enjoyable play. The dedicated teachers and facilitators at Mindful Space create secure and nurturing spaces, allowing children to explore their inner potential and express themselves freely. They offer a range of engaging activities for families, from bonding through family gardening to creative art and craft projects. Additionally, Mindful Space offers fitness classes such as yoga for adults, promoting overall well-being and mindfulness within their community.
6. Alliance Professional Counselling
This is a popular choice for expats here in Singapore, and Alliance Professional Counselling is often recommended on various Facebook support groups. It offers care, support and guidance through counselling and psychotherapy to children, couples and families who may be struggling with a problem or relationship that requires some professional advice without judgement. The counsellors are multicultural, and among them speak English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Mandarin and Cantonese.
7. International Counselling & Psychology Centre
International Counselling & Psychology Centre’s (ICPC) professional team brings over 40 years of collective experience in providing supportive mental health services to Singapore’s expatriate and local communities. The ICPC’s team provides a great range of family counselling options. They aim to help children and adults deal with problems including living overseas and transitioning to a new life, blended family issues, sibling rivalry, self-harm, LGBTQ+ issues, cross-cultural relationships, divorce and anger management.
International Counselling & Psychology Centre
8. All in the Family Counselling
The clue is in the name: everyone in the family can try the counselling services at All In The Family. The centre provides help for individuals and groups on all family matters. It offers counselling to couples facing infertility issues, marriage crisis guidance, hypnotherapy and parenting workshops. It even provides sleep training advice for exhausted parents of livewire babies and toddlers.
9. Relationship Matters
First started by Jessica Lamb, Relationship Matters is recommended for its non-judgemental space for individual adults, couples and families. She works with clients to support them through all sorts of relationship issues. Think infidelity, trailing spouse anxieties, or other issues such as sexual problems, depression and addictions. Speak to a therapist as a couple or individually to find a way to move forward.
10. The Blue Pencil
This counselling centre is one of the more affordable options in Singapore. We also love that it takes a tailor-made approach to each client’s needs. The centre offers understanding and compassionate advice to married couples, youngsters facing emotional struggles in school, families looking to strengthen relationships and anyone who just needs someone to listen.
11. Lyra Singapore
Formerly SACAC Counselling, Lyra Singapore offers a wide range of psychotherapy support. It helps individuals, couples and families cope with challenges that may be affecting everyday life. The team is a multicultural one, and between them speak English, French, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, Malay, Hindi, Mongolian, Cantonese, Hokkien, and Mandarin. Anger management, grief counselling, marriage guidance, OCD therapy and emotional or behavioural issues in children are just a few of the problems the friendly therapists are highly qualified to deal with.
12. PAWSibility
If you have a child aged between four and 20, then talking to a counsellor should feel a whole lot less daunting when conducted through animal assisted therapy and animal assisted play therapy sessions. PAWSibility runs individual and group sessions using a professional therapy dog. This helps engage children and youths during counselling and social-emotional development programmes.
13. Kaleidoscope Therapy
If you’re looking for support and strategies to help your children with behavioural issues including anger management, anxiety attacks, problems with social and interpersonal skills or low self-esteem, speak to Kaleidoscope Therapy. They are a dedicated team of professionals committed to helping your child reach their full potential through having fun. Kids will love the friendly approach, and the art therapy and creative therapy sessions are especially popular.
14. Little Marvels
As its name suggests, Little Marvels’ group of therapists strive to empower and make little marvels happen for families. This multidisciplinary clinic believes in partnering with parents to be enablers in their children’s development. Little Marvels specialises in speech therapy, occupational therapy, psychological services (diagnostic and therapy), music therapy, play therapy, and animal assisted therapy. The clinic has two sensory integration gyms to diagnose and treat children with sensory processing disorders. It has a variety of specialised equipment that occupational therapists can use to help children work on adaptive responses and behaviours. But above all, Little Marvels is a family-focused practice, so parents – you’re more than encouraged to get involved in the sessions!
15. Livingston Counselling
Cathy Livingston is a registered counsellor who practises equine assisted psychotherapy, an experiential therapy that involves horses. She works with clients struggling with depression, anxiety, grief and loss, as well as those facing other traumatic life experiences. The horses help clients practise new ways of communicating their issues. Potential clients can choose to participate in either traditional therapy or equine-assisted psychotherapy. Equine therapy sessions take place at the Singapore Polo Club.
16. Annabelle Kids
Being the largest multidisciplinary child therapy clinic in Singapore isn’t the only thing that sets Annabelle Kids apart. The clinic is also the only one in the country that offers multidisciplinary intake assessments for all children. Not only is this cost-effective for the family, but it also provides the therapists and parents with a holistic view of their child’s development. This helps to identify all your child’s needs, ensuring they will all be met during the subsequent therapy sessions if needed. They also use play-based sessions that are fun and stress-free for children.
17. Psych Connect
Located in Newton, this specialist psychology clinic provides a variety of services for everyone from kids to adults. Children can partake in psychotherapy, educational, occupational and behavioural therapy, and even assessments that target social-emotional/personality and developmental areas. Adults, meanwhile, can undergo assessments to check their suitability in parenting capacity for gaining custody, guardianship and adoption.
18. Heart to Heart Psychotherapy
Founded by Dr Jasmine Siang, Heart to Heart Psychotherapy provides counselling and psychotherapy to children, couples and individuals. The clinic covers a wide spectrum of issues, from LGBTQ, sexual addiction and bullying to parental issues, self-esteem issues and isolation anxiety. Sessions can be held in English, Mandarin and Malay.
19. Promises Healthcare
If you’re looking for a clinic that provides a comprehensive range of clinical, psychiatric, and psychological services, Promises Healthcare is a good place to start. Established in 2011, it offers individual counselling and group therapy for children and adolescents, family counselling, marriage therapy services, and parenting skills training by child psychologists. Promises is committed to helping families be equipped with what they need to attain a fulfilling life.
20. Sofia Wellness Clinic
Intending to start on your journey towards a meaningful life? Sofia Wellness Clinic can help you out with that. This clinic provides professional counselling, psychotherapy, and therapy services for people of all age groups. It uses approaches such as cognitive-behavioural therapy, dialectical behavioural therapy, acceptance commitment therapy, and Gottman method couples therapy on patients. The team works together with you in a safe, private environment to achieve your personal goals. Sofia Wellness Clinic offers both in-office and online counselling sessions.
21. Dynamics Psychological Practice
Dynamics Psychological Practice is a holistic wellness clinic that provides both clinical psychology and educational psychology services and assessments for adults and children. Dynamics also provides counselling services for adults and children, including couples and family therapy for those who need it. As the clinic is a member of the Dynamics Therapy Group, you and your family will also have access to the group’s multi-disciplinary team of therapists in areas like speech therapy, early intervention, occupational therapy, and more.
Dynamics Psychological Practice
22. The Flow & Flourish Practice
Talk-centred therapy is often unsuitable for children as they often express themselves differently compared to adults. This is why non-talk-centred therapies can prove really useful. The Flow & Flourish Practice (formerly Play Therapy by Therapy Inc.) offers an alternative approach through play, using this as a medium for children to communicate their thoughts and emotions. It also offers therapy services to children aged four to 16, with therapy slots available from Mondays to Saturday mornings (by appointment basis). Wondering if play therapy could benefit your child? You can learn more about it from our play therapy 101 article.
The first step to feeling better is seeking the help that you need. We hope these resources will be able to assist you.
