Author: Charlotte Song
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Understanding self-harm and how to help loved ones who self-harm
Understanding Self-Harm and its functions Self-harm or non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is when someone intentionally injures their own body (e.g., cutting, hit themselves). Self-harm can be a difficult coping mechanism to understand as it can seem counter-intuitive and does not always indicate someone has suicidal intent. But understanding self-harm helps you understand your loved one’s perspective…
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The Role of Small Acts of Kindness in Suicide Prevention
In my work as a clinical psychologist, I have met many clients who keep their thoughts and feelings to themselves and live their lives without anyone knowing how much pain and suffering they are in. There is still much stigma around speaking to family and friends about mental health, whether it is because of shame…
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Managing School Stress in Singapore
The stress of studying in Singapore is well-known and as someone who has first-hand experience, I can only agree that I didn’t enjoy learning and studying during my primary and secondary school years due to the amount of pressure put on obtaining good academic results. The Ministry of Education (MOE) has made changes in recent…
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Building Healthy Self-Esteem in Teenagers
Self-esteem is defined as one’s subjective evaluation of their own worth and value as a person (MacDonald & Leary, 2012). This can be particularly challenging to navigate during adolescence, when a young person is trying to figure out and form their own identity. It’s important to foster healthy self-esteem as it is linked to better…
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Managing psychosomatic symptoms
Have you ever felt stressed and experienced physical symptoms at the same time such as a stomach ache or headache? It’s likely they are linked as emotional difficulties can affect us physically due to the mind-body connection (Rief & Barsky, 2005). Many psychological concerns also tend to exhibit physical symptoms, such as anxiety where it…
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World Adoption Day
November 9th is World Adoption Day, an opportunity to celebrate and hear from adoptees and families who have adoptees. The adoption process for both adoptees and families can be psychologically challenging to navigate. According to the United Nations, children tend to be adopted during early childhood, where over 60% of children are adopted before the…