FAQs

Traditionally, psychology has focused on identifying and treating mental disorders. These interventions are extremely important and necessary for people with mental health issues and psychological disorders.

However, psychology is not just about treating mental disorders. There are also other areas of focus where psychology can be beneficial.

Positive psychology is a branch of psychology that focuses on one’s well-being instead of treating mental disorders. Positive psychology brings the art and science of psychology into the perspective that each individual can live their best life with utmost satisfaction and meaning.

Our adept and dedicated psychologists at Dynamics Psychological Practice empower you to live the happy and meaningful life you desire through positive psychology. Reach out to us to make an appointment or to learn more.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of the strengths that allow people and societies to flourish. This field is based on the concept that all individuals desire to lead a meaningful and fulfilling life, cultivate their best selves, and enrich their experiences of love, work and play.

Positive psychology is not about experiencing happiness all the time. The reality is, everyone faces difficulties and adversities in their life as well as experiences varying emotions, such as disappointment, sadness and anger. However, positive psychology can enable us to leverage our strengths and abilities to overcome difficult times, find meaning and purpose in our life, learn strategies and skills to navigate life challenges, and identify ways to enjoy our experiences and live happier lives.

Positive psychology can help us thrive in our personal life, relationships, work and social experiences. The ultimate goal of positive psychology is to enable people to grow, flourish and enjoy optimum well-being, life satisfaction and success.

Who can help you benefit from Positive Psychology?

Psychologists, counsellors and therapists specially trained in positive psychology can guide you to recognise your strengths and achieve your goals. These professionals are experienced in the use of different psychological approaches and can help you benefit from positive psychology in a way that uniquely fits your beliefs, skills, strengths and goals.

Our highly qualified and experienced psychologists at Dynamics Psychological Practice are committed to helping you live the happy and meaningful life you desire through positive psychology. Reach out to us to make an appointment or to learn more.

Do a quick test to see if you are experiencing any of these stress symptoms:

If you are experiencing any or most of the above symptoms, there is a high chance that you are feeling stressed.

At Dynamics Psychological Practice, our therapists can help you cope with your stress and anxieties through proven techniques and strategies. We will also help you develop or hone the following competencies to better manage your stress:

• Self-awareness
• Self-management
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Management
• Effective Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Make an appointment with us to find out how we can help you.

A loving and happy family is a valuable source of support and encouragement for people. Strong familial bonds promote healthy self-esteem and a sense of belonging, among other benefits. However, when conflicts and issues arise between family members and are not resolved, they can damage relationships, and disrupt everyone’s peace of mind and quality of life.

Families struggling to manage and cope with family challenges or conflicts can seek professional help to restore confidence and family dynamics.

Family Therapy is instrumental in dealing with issues, such as:

• Parents-Children relationship
• Dispute between siblings
• Grief and loss
• Chronic/Terminal illness
• Traumatic event
• Abuse (e.g. verbal or physical)
• Adjustment/Transition management
• Inter-racial issues
• Re-marriage and acceptance
• Sexual orientation conflicts
• Estranged family members
• Separation/Divorce
• Intolerance/Defensiveness
• Unwanted/Unplanned pregnancy

During therapy, our therapist will focus on:

• Mobilising the family’s collective strengths and functional resources
• Improving the family’s functioning by restructuring interactional patterns that may have caused/fuelled the problems. Interactional refers to how family members relate or interact with one other
• Strengthening the family’s problem-solving behaviours

Trained and experienced in handling family matters, our therapists have helped numerous families cement their relationships and learn how to better manage and overcome issues together.

Make an appointment with our therapist and find out how we can help you and your family.

Long-standing issues and unresolved or poorly managed conflicts can erode a couple’s relationship over time. These relationship problems can also be detrimental to both parties’ overall well-being and quality of life in the long run.

The following are some issues that could put a strain on couples’ relationships:

• Infidelity
• Separation and divorce
• Physical/Mental illness
• Anger and emotions
• Conflicts
• Cultural clashes
• Financial problems
• Breakdown in communication
• Intimacy and sexual issues
• Infertility struggles
• Managing changes, e.g. unemployment or retirement

For couples who are unable to cope with the issues facing their relationship, seeking professional counselling/therapy can be a good way to help alleviate the negative emotions, rebuild the trust and mend the relationship.

Through Couples Therapy, our therapists aim to help couples:

• Talk openly about their concerns and hear each other out without judgment
• Work together to identify the root cause(s) of their conflicts and resolve issues
• Learn relationship-building and communication skills, such as communicating effectively or discussing differences in a rational manner
• Remain focused on the issues, discuss and agree on possible solutions through meditation
• Strengthen their bond further through deeper insights into each other and their relationship

Proficient in this area of specialisation, Dynamics Psychological Practice offers personalised and effective counselling and therapeutic services to couples who are:

• Dating
• Married (with/without children)
• Empty nesters
• Getting married
• Soon-to-be parents
• Going through a divorce
• Of a different race/culture
• Part of a blended family

Take the first step towards making a positive difference in your relationship. Make an appointment to speak with our therapist.

Fear is a natural reaction to a known and external danger. Fear, a basic human emotion, can aid one’s survival when the fight-or-flee instinct kicks in. Symptoms of fear could include shortness of breath, chills and nauseousness, among others.

Anxiety, on the other hand, is defined as a vague and unpleasant sense of apprehension, an anticipation of future threats. If an individual is experiencing what seems like ‘fear’ and yet there is no imminent physical threat, they may be experiencing anxiety instead. Anxiety often results from one’s effort to avoid or suppress certain emotions. These emotions are usually associated with unpleasant past events or experiences.

When an individual exhibits excessive fear and anxiety and experiences related behavioural issues, they might have an anxiety disorder. The disorder can adversely affect the individual’s well-being and significantly interferes with day-to-day functioning.

The types of anxiety disorders could include:

• Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – may not be related to a specific cause/behaviour
• Panic Disorder
• Specific Phobia
• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Selective Mutism
• Social Phobia
• Agoraphobia
• Substance/Medication-Induced Anxiety Disorder

Common symptoms of anxiety include:

Physical Symptoms

• Tremors
• Restlessness
• Muscle twitches
• Palpitations
• Sweating
• Hyperventilation
• Constriction in the chest
• Dizziness
• Frequent urination

Psychological Symptoms

• Poor concentration
• Easily distracted
• Negative thoughts
• Unable to relax
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Increased sensitivity to noise
• Fearfulness

Anxiety can be treated using psychotherapy (or talk therapy). The treatment is personalised to address the individual’s specific issues and teach beneficial strategies and techniques to overcome the issues. Psychotherapy can also identify and determine the root causes of an individual’s anxiety.

If you are struggling with bouts of anxiety and stress, let us help you. Highly specialised in their field, our psychologists can guide you to overcome your challenges and walk you through your recovery journey. Reach out to us to arrange an appointment.

Psychotherapy and Counselling are professional interventions that utilise interpersonal relationships to enable people to develop self-understanding and make positive changes in their lives. Psychologists do not dictate what should be done, instead, they guide individuals to discover their answers and support these individuals through the decisions they have made.

While counselling and psychotherapy overlap considerably and are terms often used interchangeably, there exists a slight distinction between them. The focus of counselling is more likely on present issues that can be easily resolved on the conscious level (e.g. specific problems, changes in life and fostering well-being), while psychotherapy focuses on the restructuring of self and beliefs, and the development of insights.

Counselling may help individuals deal with emotions (i.e., grief, anger, anxiety), identify and manage stressors, clarify values, manage conflicts, develop better interpersonal and communication skills or change unproductive thoughts and behaviours.

On the other hand, psychotherapy looks at long-standing attitudes, thoughts and behaviours that have influenced the current quality of the individual’s life and relationships. Psychotherapy explores the root causes of problems to resolve underlying issues that have fuelled ongoing concerns. This may lead to changes in the perspective of oneself and life in general. An individual is empowered through increasing awareness of unconscious triggers.

Make an appointment with us if you have more questions or wish to speak to a psychologist.

A consult is an initial interaction between the parents/caregiver and the psychologist. The focus of the consult is to gather all relevant information about the child so that the psychologist can have a comprehensive understanding of the child and would be able to recommend/develop the most appropriate intervention plan to successfully reduce the child’s difficulties.

As the child’s parents/caregiver are the most informed about the origin of the child’s concerns and developmental history, the parents/caregiver need to be present at the consult. During the consult, the parents can share more about the issues their child is facing and provide critical information. The accuracy of the information leads to the application of the right treatment and assurance of successful outcomes.

Find out more about our child counselling services here.

To speak with a child psychologist, reach out to us to arrange an appointment.

Difficulties are an inevitable part of our lives. However, when an issue or difficult situation starts becoming overwhelming and negatively affects other areas of your life, such as family, personal, school/work or social, you may want to seek professional help to cope with the challenges.

During therapy/psychotherapy/counselling, a psychologist uses objective observations to make non-biased clinical evaluations and design the most suitable intervention plan for the individual. Usually, this consists of a detailed psychological assessment of the individual, followed by structured goal-oriented psychotherapy.

Dynamics Psychological Practice offers a wide range of psychological services to meet diverse needs. These services include psychological assessments and counselling for adults, children, couples, families and career matters (adolescents).

Speak with our psychologist to find out how we can help you or your loved one.

Here are some key points to think about when choosing your therapist:

• Does the therapist have a sophisticated set of interpersonal skills?
• Is the therapist able to build trust and understanding?
• How good is the therapist’s ability to create an alliance with me?
• How well can the therapist provide an acceptable and adaptive explanation for my condition?
• Does the therapist have a treatment plan and allow flexibility?
• Is the therapist influential and persuasive?
• Does the therapist monitor my progress effectively?
• Does the therapist offer hope and (realistic) optimism?
• Is the therapist aware of my characteristics in context?
• Is the therapist reflective?
• Does the therapist rely on evidence-based practice and research?
• Does the therapist continually seek self-improvement through professional development?

You can also enquire about the psychologist’s theories of practice, specialities, length of experience and academic qualifications.

Studies have shown that the therapeutic relationship (between the psychologist and client) is an essential component in the success of the therapy. This is why it is important to select a therapist whom you are comfortable with, apart from other considerations. Some therapists are better than others at contributing to positive client outcomes. Such therapists are more understanding, accepting, empathic, warm and supportive. They engage in fewer negative behaviours, such as blaming, ignoring or rejecting.

You do not have to stick to one therapist if you find that they are not suitable. A good time to find out more about your therapist is during the first/consultation session. The therapist will also be asking you questions to assess suitability and where appropriate, may suggest a change to a more suitable therapist.

Make an appointment here if you have more questions or wish to speak to a therapist.

Yes, all personal information will be kept in the strictest confidence as we respect every individual’s privacy and adhere to the highest ethical standards for psychologists. The psychologist can only share or discuss pertinent details with another specialist with written consent from the parent/adult client.

In the event that we refer our clients to outsourced psychiatric treatment (medication/hospitalisation), we will release a medical liability and share the information of the client with the respective centre/hospital.

More information regarding case confidentiality will be stated on our consent form for psychological therapy and assessment.

Make an appointment with us if you have more questions or wish to speak to a psychologist.

Meta-analysis (statistical analysis of multiple scientific studies) of psychotherapy outcomes has shown evidence of the effectiveness of psychotherapy. On average, treated individuals were better off compared to 75% of those who have not undergone psychotherapy.

While there can be many factors that influence the outcome of therapy, research (Lambert & Barley, 2001) has identified four key areas that have the greatest impact on the success of therapy: extratherapeutic factors (40% of effectiveness), expectancy effects (15% of effectiveness), specific therapy techniques (15% of effectiveness), and common factors (30% of effectiveness).

Extratherapeutic factors, which have the biggest influence on the outcome, refer to an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, beliefs, attitudes, etc. Expectancy effects refer to the individual’s hopefulness in the outcome and self-improvement. Together, these two sets of factors contribute to more than half (55%) of the therapy’s effectiveness! This simply means that the success of your therapy is within your control.

Other factors that contribute to a successful outcome include common factors (30%), such as the therapist’s empathy and warmth and the client-therapist relationship, and specific therapy techniques (15%), which refer to the therapy methods and approaches.

Make an appointment with us if you have more questions or wish to speak to a psychologist.

Here are some practical tips:

• Take therapy (and homework) seriously. Treat it as a course that you want to excel in by doing the assignments the therapist assigns you. Spend time to reflect and think about what you and your therapist have talked about during the sessions.
• Build social support by getting family and/or friends involved in your therapeutic journey. Talk to them about your sessions and let them know how they can help you.
• Keep a journal to take note of the times when you feel things are not working out, and times when you feel that you are making good progress. Keep track of what works and what does not, and talk to your therapist about them.
• Be patient. When we are working through our problems, we are bound to experience some distresses and discomfort. Such intense emotions may have arisen because of the changes that have occurred or are occurring within you. And sometimes, therapy can be the most productive during these moments of frustration.
• Do one nice thing for yourself every day. Being appreciative of yourself improves your therapeutic outcome.
• Investing in your mental health requires much effort, but similar to physical exercises, the rewards can be satisfying.

Make an appointment with us if you have more questions or wish to speak to a psychologist.

Preparing your child adequately for an assessment can reduce their anxieties and encourage cooperation throughout the testing.

Before the Assessment

• Be open and honest with your child. Explain to your child clearly that the purpose of the testing is to better understand their struggles and figure out ways to help them feel and learn better.
• Let your child know that you will not be present during the testing. Reassure your child that you will still be close by during their session with the psychologist.
• Schedule the testing during the time of the day when your child functions the best. Refrain from taking your child out from their favourite activities or classes to undergo the testing as it may create a negative experience for the child.



For young children:

• Give your child the name of the psychologist.
• Assure your child that the visit will not involve any physical examinations, painful shots or procedures.
• Let your child know that the psychologist has many fun toys and games that they can play with.



For school-going children:

• Explain to your child that going for the testing is like going to school. There, they will get to do many activities, which involve listening and talking, looking at pictures, building things and drawing.

The night before the Assessment

• Ensure your child gets plenty of sleep the night before.

On the day of the Assessment

• Make the day of the assessment a special and stress-free one for your child by leaving their siblings at home.
• Ensure your child has eaten so that they will not get hungry during the testing.
• Pack a snack and/or drink. We will have short breaks in between.
• Allow your child to bring along an item that will help increase their sense of safety and security. Pick an item that will not be too distracting for the child, e.g. opt for a small stuffed animal instead of a toy with many small parts.
• As it can get cold in our office, bring along a jacket to keep your child warm.

Reach out to us if you would like to find out more or to book a psychological assessment for your child.

A psychological assessment is conducted by a psychologist to ascertain an individual's current level of functioning. The focus of the assessment and choice of assessment tools will vary, depending on the referral concerns, and will be discussed and agreed upon during the initial consult.

The underlying cause of an individual's problems may not be always clear. For example, if a child is struggling with their studies, is it because of a learning difficulty, ADHD or deficits in memory?

The results of the assessment will give the psychologist a comprehensive understanding of the individual. These results do not focus on a single test score, but instead, the individual's competencies and limitations are evaluated and reported in an objective but helpful manner. Understanding the individual’s strengths and weaknesses and the nature of the problem can also help the psychologist ascertain the best way to address the challenges.

Dynamics Psychological Practice’s psychological assessments help with the following areas:

• Intellectual functioning
• Sadness/Depression
• Anxieties/Phobias
• Social skills issues
• Anger management
• Family/Relationship challenges
• Grief (death, loss and/or divorce)
• Work/Productivity problems
• Gifted assessments
• Sleep management
• Learning difficulties
• Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• and more.

Make an appointment with us if you have more questions or wish to speak to a psychologist.