Depression Counselling Singapore
Looking for Depression counselling & Treatment?
Hi, I’m Cassandra Chiu, a psychotherapist/Counsellor and accredited coach based in Singapore. I am a mental health professional who has been offering counselling and coaching since 2011.
At our centre, we encourage treatment through a combination of depression counselling and therapy. By using relaxation techniques and encouraging lifestyle changes, we aim to help you learn how to process your thoughts and change your behaviours to feel better and prevent relapses.
Learn more about my services below
Our Approach to Depression Counselling Services
Counselling & Therapy
Our counselling services help you navigate your thoughts and emotions through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). By understanding and addressing the root cause of your feelings, we can help you understand your stressors and triggers better.
Lifestyle Changes
We understand the impact lifestyle has on mental health. Therefore, we will guide you as you implement beneficial changes in your daily routines, enhancing your overall well-being.
Relaxation Techniques
Practicing relaxation techniques such as mindfulness and meditation can be a powerful tool to reduce stress levels and manage symptoms of depression.
Remember, you're not alone in this journey, and help is always within reach. Treating depression is an ongoing process, and we're here to accompany you through it.
What to Expect
In the sessions, we will work together to:
Note that no medication prescription will be involved as that must be prescribed by a qualified psychiatrist who is a medical doctor.
My Practice Philosophy
My practice philosophy is to not dive into your painful past, but instead focus on the present. I use a direct, yet compassionate approach, and highly value the use of authenticity and humour in the process. The dance of therapy and coaching is both an art and science, each individual is unique and deserves customised help to quickly regain clarity, confidence and motivation.
My practice is very much influenced by Steve and Insoo Kim Berg’s Solution Focused Approach. In my clinic, you will learn to process your thoughts and react to situations differently while challenging some of the assumptions and preconceived notions that you have. In interpersonal therapy, we will analyse unhealthy behaviours in your interpersonal relationships that contribute to your depression so you can learn to change them. You will get unbiased feedback from me in a way that challenges you to gain new perspectives and to develop new skills to help yourself.
Signs & Symptoms
Been in a depressed mood? If you've noticed the following symptoms for an extended period (more than two weeks), you may want to consider booking an appointment with us.
Are you laying in bed, unable to sleep, with negative feelings about your situation? You may feel sick and tired of life, or feel helpless or worthless. If so, you may be experiencing rumination, overthinking, and loss of interest caused by depression.
If left untreated, these depressive symptoms could escalate into suicidal thoughts or ideation.
Have you been constantly feeling down, hopeless, angry, easily irritable and weepy? Some depressed people may also experience intense and persistent feelings of sadness. That is what severe depression does to your thinking. It makes you feel like you can never be happy again.
Are you struggling with seemingly simple daily activities? Find it an enormous task to get out of bed? Or maybe feel unmotivated to start your day? When you’re experiencing depression, you might feel apathy, helplessness and that you can’t change your situation.
A depressed person may also experience physical symptoms, including digestive problems, significant weight loss, weight gain, or insomnia.
Have you been having poor sleep? Maybe you feel tired and unable to concentrate on anything throughout the day, even simple stuff like watching Netflix? Or maybe you always feel numb about everything that has been going on around you? Minutes suddenly feel like hours.
Have you been feeling a lot more pessimistic about situations that didn’t use to faze you? Depression results in a loss of interest in a lot of things. Things you previously enjoyed in your daily life don’t feel enjoyable to you anymore.
Are you wondering if this dark cloud will consume you? And hoping that you will no longer have to deal with this awful feeling of dread? Are you maybe thinking about how you could make the feeling go away just by 'being strong' and 'dealing with it'?
Severe depression makes a person feel bogged down, heavy, and unable to help themselves; those with depression are usually not aware of the severity of the situation. Oftentimes, they don’t seek professional help till things get much worse.
Do you often ask the question “Do I have depression?”, or do you find yourself Googling about depression treatment in Singapore? A person suffering from depression is most likely to often feel sad, confused and have a lot of self-doubt and unanswered questions.
Causes of Depression
Physical Causes
Depression can be caused by many factors. At times, depression is triggered by a specific event; other times, it seems like there’s no rhyme or reason behind your feelings, thoughts, and symptoms. Support from a professional is important because we know how to properly deal with symptoms like depression, extreme sadness, anger, and other inexplicable feelings. Depression can affect all types of people regardless of age or gender. Most mental health experts agree that brain chemistry plays a major role in major depression. The brain has chemicals called dopamine and serotonin. These chemicals affect our well-being and our ability to feel pleasure, so if the brain doesn’t make enough of these, clinical depression sets in. But what really comes first, is it the chicken or the egg? Just as brain chemistry can affect life, life events too can cause changes in the brain. Any stressful or traumatic event can greatly contribute to developing depression.
Common Triggers of Depression
Here are some common factors and life events that might put you at a higher risk of developing depression. With depression and mental illness, symptoms tend to be persistent, and usually not tied to any specific thought. It’s important to seek mental health-related help if you’re struggling.
Testimonials
“Sessions with Cassandra have provided a safe environment and framework to understand the deeper issues and triggers behind my depression. These have been invaluable in my personal growth, reframing perspectives and developing a more positive way of handling situations.”
“Cassandra is very professional and skilled. More than just listening and advising, she purposefully steers every session into techniques and options I could use in the healing process. Cassandra always involved me in working out solutions or ways of coping. My personal involvement in these decision-making modalities made a real difference in my recovery. One must work hard to change or at least adapt. I didn’t quite believe Cassandra when we talked on the phone to make my first appointment that I would feel much better and see significant results within 3-4 sessions, but it really happened. I am deeply grateful to her.”
Been in a Depressed mood?
If you've found yourself relating to these causes and symptoms of depression, it may be time to book an appointment with a mental health professional. Don't delay in seeking out a consultation.
For my professional charges, head here.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
There are many theories that may prove effective, but the one we focus on at our clinic is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), where we attempt to help you analyse and work through your thoughts and behaviours.
It's recommended that you consult a mental health professional, such as a licensed psychotherapist or psychiatrist.
While a counsellor can recognise signs and symptoms of clinical depression and provide treatment, only a psychiatrist or other medical doctor can officially diagnose depression as a medical condition.
In Singapore, you can reach out to registered therapists, counsellors, or psychiatrists. Our clinic provides counselling services, and you can easily set up an appointment.
There is no fast track to a good recovery, as depression is a serious mental health condition that requires ongoing treatment. However, working with a qualified mental health professional and learning strategies for coping can help battle symptoms.
Yes, Anti-depressants may be prescribed by a licensed psychiatrist and medical doctor. However, this is not directly available at our clinic.
An initial consultation session will take 1.5 hours, to get to know the patient better. Subsequent sessions will run an hour each.
The first session will cost $400, and subsequent hour-long sessions will cost $250 each. We also offer additional packages, and do not charge GST. Find out more about our prices here.
