What an Existential Retreat Taught Me About Myself
For years, I’ve carried a quiet vision. It was a hope to grow existential therapy in Singapore beyond the therapy room. Not just as something that happens in weekly sessions, but as a way of living, relating, and becoming. A way of understanding ourselves not only by turning inward, but by stepping outward—into movement, into […]
Emerge and Evolve An Embodied Existential Retreat
Maybe you don’t always find the right words. Maybe reflecting alone hasn’t brought you closer to who you are. This retreat is for you. Emerge and Evolve is Singapore’s first embodied existential retreat—offered by Encompassing Therapy alongside professionals in movement, music, and group process work. Together, we’ll explore how you show up in the world—not […]
What My Dog Taught Me About Being in This World
Recently, I faced one of the hardest moments of my life. My beloved dog, Guinness—the first baby girl of our family—was diagnosed with cancer. The photo above is the last one we took together. Hearing the news was devastating. I was shocked. Then came the painful realization: Our time together will now be heartbreakingly short. […]
Saying “Yes, And”: Setting Boundaries Can Be More of a Dance Than a Stance
Are you ready for the lifelong waltz between discomfort and liberation? I recently started participating in Playback Theatre as a novice performer. In this form of improvisational theatre, the audience tells stories and watches them enacted on the spot, where most of the performance is spontaneous. As a general rule-of-thumb for the performers, we will […]
Starting Therapy: Why Weekly Sessions are 50 Minutes Long
Why are therapy sessions usually 50 minutes long? Why not longer, why not shorter? I get this question from clients all the time. Here’s how I explain it. Having a set session time allows clients to think intentionally about how they want to use those minutes. Do they want to touch on ten different topics, […]
I Lived Through a Life-Enhancing Anxiety Moment
I lived through a life-enhancing anxiety moment. It was my first time sharing about existential therapy to a large audience in Singapore at the National Counselling & Psychotherapy Conference 2023. I have shared my study on authenticity and silence in Asian society multiple times before, in groups, one-on-one sessions, virtually, and in writing. But never […]
We Are Called to be Responsible For Our Voices
I’m so glad this CNA commentary came up. It says something about our voices. This specific commentary discusses a viral incident involving online personality Kurt Tay, who was heckled while leaving court. People online were divided over the clip. Even when internet figures seem to “feed” their trolls, CNA argues that they still do not […]
We Can Have Many Different Ways of Living
Tan Kheng Hua was a familiar face in my younger years and for many Singaporean millennials. I remember growing up and watching her on TV in Masters of the Sea and Phua Chu Kang. She was also in some of my all-time favourite productions by Wild Rice and TheatreWorks: Animal Farm, The Eleanor Wong Trilogy: […]
Your Presence Matters
How does this gorilla appear to you? The first time I saw Shabani, I felt a connection; his gaze conveyed an understanding of the person taking the photo and their existence. The eyes seemed so soulful, expressing emotions, intentions, and empathy. Notice the whites of Shabani’s eyes? He has that distinct white sclera, exactly how […]
Existential Therapy: Finding the Light in the Darkness
You may be thinking, from what I know about existential therapy, it sounds negative, dark, heavy, pessimistic and/or depressing. I’m not sure if it will make my life more depressed and anxious than I already am. It’s true that existential psychology acknowledges the inherent suffering in human existence, but this is not a call to […]