Work-Life Balance Counseling and Therapy in Singapore, Asia and Online
Why am I so unhappy and lonely if I’m thriving at work?
You’ve worked hard to get where you are. You know you should be proud.
Yet, behind closed doors, you wonder if maintaining this status and wealth is worth the sacrifices you’ve made in your personal pursuit of happiness. The ideal “success” doesn’t quite stack up.
Instead, you’re so drained from overworking that you:
- Eat and sleep poorly, even after bookmarking healthier diets to bedtime rituals to try
- Struggle to ‘switch off’, even when you’re on a well-deserved break
- Neglect friendships and relationships, even with constant reminders that life is short
- End most days doom-scrolling on IG or TikTok, or binge-watching shows you don’t enjoy, writing this habit off as a ‘guilty pleasure’ when it’s really to distract yourself from the emptiness inside
You’re at the top of your game but there’s always more to climb. You could continue to ‘move up’ but can’t shake off the uneasy feeling that perhaps this isn’t what you want.
Work doesn’t have to be like Severance.
Being a top performer at work shouldn’t mean Oscar-worthy theatrics.
You know something needs to change – but will this undo everything you’ve achieved?
You have to keep many plates spinning at once. You’re balancing long hours, endless deadlines, unrealistic expectations, and the pressure of upholding diligence on any serious issues that crop up.
You’re managing workplace relations with your manager, subordinates, vendors, clients and colleagues.
A change could mean that your fear of all these plates crashing down becomes very real.
You’ve read and watched too many videos on ‘finding your why’, on ‘leaning in’, on being brave.
But really, what would a shift towards work-life balance mean for everything you’ve built?
You don't have to close your past chapters to rewrite your success story.
Let go with Work-Life Balance Counseling
An Invitation: Shift Your Starting Point
You might spend most of your waking hours at work. But, at the end of the day, work is still one part of your life.
It’s interwoven with personal, social, physical and spiritual dimensions. These worlds collectively contribute to your sense of being.
Rather than focusing on work and any related issues to resolve, take a step back and consider all the different worlds that make you, well, you. By creating shifts in each world, you’d inevitably bring change to all aspects of your life – including work.
So consider this: how could each world align with your life goals and values?
To help you get started, take some time to reflect on the questions below:
Personal
Explore passions and strengths. What are you naturally drawn to and how does that align with who you are?
Social
Consider the relationships you wish to nurture. How do you intend to foster connection and belonging?
Physical
Visualise your ideal environment. How can your work create space for health and balance in your life?
Spiritual
Reflect on your sense of purpose*. How can your goals honour your values and bring a sense of fulfilment?
*If you’re not sure of the answer, that’s okay. Consider specific actions or events that were meaningful to you.
Exploring these questions shifts your focus. Rather than viewing your job as the centrepiece, it becomes a thread in the tapestry of your life that connects to something larger.
Even if you’re unsure of what the final tapestry could look like, start weaving. And if you need support in identifying or connecting the threads, reach out. You don’t have to do it alone.
Work doesn’t have to take centre stage.
Consider work one of the many actors in service of your story.
How Can Work-Life Balance Counseling Help You Build Boundaries and Find Meaning?
There are A LOT of tactics and systems for improving productivity, performance and happiness.
And while they can be useful, they’re often band-aids to bigger questions that should be addressed first.
You may be a top performer and successful on society’s terms. You could have morning rituals and bedtime routines that may impress others.
But are you doing all this simply because you feel you have to?
Work-Life Balance Counseling and Therapy can help you:
- Set clear boundaries, even with authority figures
- Build strength to bring your authentic self to work
- Unpack imposter syndrome
- Examine how you choose responsibilities
Through Existential Therapy, we’ll work together to uncover your values and how you really want to spend the decades to come.
You can learn to walk the tightrope of freedom and belonging and redefine success on your terms.
It’s not too late to start.
Create Meaning at Work with Dr. Mag
Hi! I’m Dr. Magdalen Cheng and most people, including my clients, call me Mag.
I am a UKCP-accredited counseling psychologist with a Doctorate in Existential Psychology from the New School of Psychotherapy and Counselling in London, U.K.
As an existential therapist, I’m here to facilitate your search for meaning in life through honest dialogue.
In addition to my clinical credentials, I am equally an Asian, Chinese, female, heterosexual, daughter, wife, mother, career woman, and academic.
These different roles grant me perspectives that allow me to resonate with your lived experiences and guide you in reflecting on your journey to find purpose at work.
Whether you’re struggling with imposter syndrome or seeking work-life balance on your terms, I’m here to support you.
FAQs About Work-Life Balance Counseling and Therapy
This is a really great question and I encourage you to read my FAQs in full to understand how we would work together.
A super summarised answer: We’ll start with a Chemistry Session for both of us to see if we might be the right fit for each other.
If you choose to start Work-Life Balance Counseling and Therapy, we’ll start our journey together. You may share specific challenges and motivations – it’s really up to you.
I’ll guide you to process and, if relevant, uncover insights through the experiences you’ve shared.
While all three options may help you discover insights, the starting points and process in reaching these insights are very different.
Executive Coaching and Performance Coaching focuses on specific challenges you may face as an employee and aims to support you in different areas of professional development.
You may learn strategies and tactics to achieve your goals of finding your dream job or becoming a great leader.
With Work-Life Balance Counseling anchored in Existential Therapy, I hope to support you as a person.
Through dialogue and understanding your lived experiences, I’ll guide you to uncover insights that I hope will inform your decisions and actions in navigating challenges at work.
Dr. Mag (that’s me) offers:
- In-person at Encompassing Therapy in Singapore: 16 Mohamed Sultan Rd, #06-02, Singapore 238965 (Nearest MRT: Fort Canning) or
- Online therapy
How We Can Work Together
Unpacking life’s biggest questions can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone.
Starting work-life balance counseling and therapy is a big step. Having the right guide for you is essential. If you’re still unsure, that’s okay. Get to know us better here – I’ll be here when you’re ready to begin.
If you’re ready to start your journey of change, here are some practical notes to help you make time for our sessions:
- Book a Chemistry Session
- If we’re a good fit, let’s work together in-person or online.
- Block time beyond our sessions* to reflect or practice what we unearthed.
*Small, consistent steps help you build new perspectives and mental muscles to navigate uncertainty
A warning: Encompassing Therapy is not for everyone.
Encompassing Therapy Work-Life Balance Counseling is not for you if:
- You’re looking for magic tips and tools or quick wins
- You’re looking for solutions from a performance coach
- You aren’t able to commit at least 1-2 hours a week to this journey of change
- You aren’t ready to show up consistently
Encompassing Therapy Work-Life Balance Counseling is for you if:
- You’re open to honest conversations, even if they’re uncomfortable and scary
- You’re ready for change and have gotten as far as you can on your own and need support
- You’re committed to exploring the process (even if you’re not sure about it just yet)
- You’re willing to invest at least 10 minutes a day beyond each session to practise or reflect on what you’ve learned
Get started with a Chemistry Session
Existential Therapy is a long-term partnership. And it’s essential that we’re a good match for each other.
So think of the Chemistry Session as a first date.
If we’re aligned, we can start building the partnership.
If you’re still unsure, take your time to decide. I’m here when you’re ready.
If we’re not a good match, you’ll get alternative options to explore.
Whatever the outcome, the investment has brought you closer to deciding the next step on your journey. So let’s begin.