Re: Online Psychotherapy

Basic & General, Treatment Approaches, ,

I’ve been asked about this quite often in the past few months, and have done it a bit due to clients moving overseas and wanting to continue with her booster sessions. I have always had clients coming all the way from different parts of Johor, and a few from Sabah and Sarawak, just to see me (or sometimes with the psychiatrist drs in my clinic). These are people who have to spend time and costs travelling regularly. I understand it’s not always possible due to all sorts of constraints and logistic issues for many others.

So in this post today, I’d just like to make my opinions about it clearer.

  • I’m happy to conduct psychotherapy online, ideally over Skype or Zoom. I’ve done online lectures over Wechat and Microsoft Teams as well.
  • If the situation allows, I’d like to see you at least once in person first, for the assessment and hopefully some initial intervention. This is important for me as a therapist, to properly assess my clients and decide what’s best for them together.
  • It’s not just instant messaging, I’d want to be able to see you live (video call). I’ve long heard of others trying online psychotherapy or counselling that runs through emailing or instant messaging, but no, it doesn’t usually end well. And I offer free instant messaging (whatsapp/wechat) supports to all my patients and clients anyway.

So yes, if you’re interested, or have better ideas, do be in touch on 017-2757813 or hello@huibee.com. You can also leave a comment below.

P.S. I’ll also be starting my practice and service in Johor Bahru or Batu Pahat next year (2020).

What Acceptance is and is not?

Treatment Approaches, , ,

I generally try to avoid using the word “acceptance” in my everyday clinical work. I found that people can become resistant when I say “accept it”, normally when I follow it with “allow it to be, let it be, without struggling”, they immediately get it, or at least become more “accepting” to the idea of acceptance.

Acceptance is not wanting or liking. You accept how things are going for you, doesn’t mean you like or want things that way. I accept that my cat has to be put down due to lymphoma, doesn’t mean I like or want him to be put down. I accept the sadness that comes with the loss, doesn’t mean I like or want to be sad.

Acceptance is also not tolerating. They are very different, do you want people to accept you, or tolerate you?

Acceptance is more about allowing things to be that way, accommodating it without struggling (so much) with it. Normally it applies to things that you can’t change directly (external events  which you have no control on, e.g. your cat has lymphoma; but also includes your internal thoughts and emotions, which you can’t simply chuck away like a piece of paper, e.g. sadness, fear, anxiety, thought of “I’m not good enough”).

The Evolution of Human Mind

Anxiety Disorder, Basic & General, Depression,

Why does my mind keep thinking negatively?

Why is my mind always looking for problems and threats?

Why is my mind always warning me when I’m trying to step out of comfort zones, and making me worry a lot?

Why is my brain always predicting the worst?

Why am I always thinking about the painful memories?

Why am I so scared of rejection and not fitting in?

Why is my mind always comparing myself to others?

Why do I never feel enough or contented with what I already have, and wanting more more more?

Watch this cute animation by Dr Russ Harris that might answer your questions, from evolutionary terms:

Did you realise that what your mind does is completely normal and natural? It’s just trying to keep you safe!

Fear & Anxiety: Differences

Anxiety Disorder, Basic & General, , ,

Most researchers in the field agree that there are differences between fear and anxiety. Here are some of the key ones.

Fear:

  • Generally seen as a response to danger here and now.
  • E.g. the dog is right in front of me, I’m scared.
  • Orientation: Here and now
  • Higher sympathetic arousal, higher level of fight or flight.

Anxiety:

  • Generally seen as a response to a predicted/anticipated threat.
  • E.g. no actual dog here, but at the corner there might be a dog.
  • Future-focused
  • The degree of sympathetic arousal is lower

Of course nobody likes feeling fear or anxiety, we all don’t want to have them. However, both fear and anxiety are not dangerous. They are completely normal and everyone experiences them.

Think about this: Are there times in your life where fear and/or anxiety have been useful/helpful in some ways? Where fear and/or anxiety saved you? Protected you? Motivated you?

Perhaps it’s not about their study skills?

Basic & General

“I want my kids to study better… Ehmm… Or at least do some revision…”

The other day an anxious mother asked if I could help guiding her son to study better, to try harder for his upcoming exam.

And you know what, if you simply google it, there are so many websites out there telling you the best study habit, the top study skills, exam preparation tips, effective study methods, memory enhancing techniques, the essentials to pass exams, last minutes revision techniques etc etc.

Yes, sometimes they need some help and tips on how to stay focus and not get distracted, how to organise their time and notes perhaps. But quite often than not, they already know all of these, they just can’t make themselves doing it. They procrastinate, they avoid, they resist…

Why?

Have you ever asked them, “do you want to study?” “do you want to graduate from the college/school?” “do you want the certificate/diploma/degree?”

NO? Ok, how about quitting school now, if you have decided, and are quite sure that you will not regret? And, what’d you like to do?

YES? That’s great! So that’s what you want to do? For yourself? Not to please anyone else, not to fit in to the group/family/society. You recognise that it’s something you’re doing for yourself, your future? Not for your mum or dad or neighbour? Nobody forces you to study right?

Of course you can’t ask every student this directly, some might work, some you will have to adjust how you say it, skillfully. When done correctly, it almost always works, then it can be followed by motivation building and positive affirmation, and study techniques if needed. But it’s really important to guide them, to help them clarify that nobody ever forces them to study, they are free to decide. This initial step is crucial! And it’s especially true in teenagers and young adults, they become “resistant” when they feel they are being forced to do something.

There might also be time when they said they don’t want to study, but they want to graduate and get the certificate…. Yes of course, who don’t? I want my salary but I don’t want to wake up at 6am every day to go to work. I want to travel the world but I don’t want to get a job. I want to live long but don’t want to look after my health. I want to retire early but don’t want to save money ……….. Show them everyone in this world is doing the same, we are often working for delayed gratification. But still, if the ultimate purpose is what you are targeting for, you want to start working on it now. It’s for yourself, for your future, not anyone else.

When the motivation is there, also try getting the student to say out loud;

“I want to study!”

VS

“I must study!”

See if they feel any difference…

 

“How to study better? How to motivate my child to study? How to stop procrastination from studying? How to help my child study better?”

So dear parents, you may try this out, or contact me if you need any help. And of course students, you may clarify this for yourselves too!

How to ground yourself during an emotional storm?

Basic & General, Treatment Approaches, ,

Here are some short Dropping Anchor recordings, suitable to be used when you’re feeling intense emotions and wanting to ground yourself to the here and now, and make the most of the situation you are in. (Ideally you’d have done more extensive version of it with me in sessions. )

Dropping Anchor recording 3.5mins

Dropping Anchor recording 2.5mins

Essentially it’s about these steps:

  1. Notice and acknowledge your painful thoughts. What is your mind telling you? (“I notice that my mind is having the thought of I’m not good enough, I’m a failure”)
  2. Notice and acknowledge your feelings and emotions. What are you feeling in your body? (heavy chest? tensed shoulders? headache? numbness? etc)
  3. Come back into your body, straighten your back, put your finger tips together, have a stretch, take a couple of breaths.
  4. Using your senses, connect with the external environment. What can you see? What can you hear? What can you touch/taste/smell?
  5. Action: Now that you’re grounded in this situation, what are you going to do to make the full of this situation?

Please note that it’s not necessary to follow these steps, when I do it I tend to move around. Sometimes you can quickly do this, or even repeat a few times within 30 seconds or so.

You can also use the ACE to remember the steps:

  • A: Acknowledge your thoughts and feelings
  • C: Come back into your body
  • E: Engage in what you’re doing

It’s important to notice that the pain hasn’t gone away, but despite what the mind is saying and how you’re feeling, you can still notice so many things else going on and take effective actions moving towards a more meaningful and fulfilling life.

中文版：5分钟固定船锚录音