How Do You Choose a Counsellor in Singapore?

Looking for a counsellor can be more confusing than expected.

Search online and you may find counsellors, psychotherapists, psychologists, life coaches, social workers, community services and private counselling centres. Their qualifications can look very different, their fees can vary considerably, and the way they describe their services may not make the differences any clearer.

Some counsellors work in a structured way. Others give clients more space to talk and process. Some use Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, while others work with person-centred, solution-focused, experiential or integrative approaches.

So how do you know who to choose?

There is no single counsellor who is right for everybody. A useful starting point is to look at the counsellor’s professional training, registration, experience, approach, fees and how comfortable you feel working with them.

It is also worth remembering what counselling is actually for. Counselling provides professional psycho-emotional support. It can help you understand what you are experiencing, process difficult emotions, recognise patterns, develop ways of coping and consider possible ways forward.

Counselling is not a service where somebody promises to fix you or cure every problem in your life. The counsellor brings professional knowledge and therapeutic skills, while you bring your experiences, choices and participation. The work happens together.

 

Start With the Counsellor’s Professional Training

The title “counsellor” alone does not tell you very much about someone’s training.

Counsellors in Singapore come from different educational and professional backgrounds. Some studied psychology before completing professional counselling training. Others entered counselling from education, social work, healthcare or another helping profession.

What matters is whether the person has received substantial professional training in counselling.

A short workshop in counselling skills is not the same as professional counsellor training. Someone may learn useful listening or communication skills from a short course, but professional counselling requires a much broader understanding of therapeutic relationships, ethics, mental health, assessment, case formulation and supervised clinical practice.

When you look at a counsellor’s profile, start with their main professional qualification. Then look at the additional training they have completed and whether it is relevant to the people and concerns they work with.

A long list of certificates does not automatically make someone a better counsellor. However, the depth, breadth and relevance of the person’s training can make a difference. A clinician who has trained across several appropriate approaches may have more options when deciding how best to support different clients.

Instead of asking, “How many qualifications does this person have?”, it may be more useful to ask, “Does this person’s training give them the knowledge and skills that are relevant to what I need?”

 

Does a Psychology Degree Matter?

A counsellor does not necessarily need a bachelor’s degree in psychology to become professionally trained in counselling.

Counselling and psychology are closely related, but they are different disciplines. A psychology degree provides an academic foundation in human behaviour, emotion, cognition, development, mental health and psychological research. Professional counselling training focuses more directly on how to work therapeutically with people.

When a clinician has studied both psychology and counselling, the two areas can complement each other. Psychology provides one way of understanding how people think, feel and behave, while counselling provides the professional skills needed to support people through emotional and psychological difficulties.

This does not mean that a counsellor without a psychology degree is automatically less competent. Professional counselling training remains the important qualification for counselling practice.

However, a psychology background can provide an additional layer of academic understanding.

 

The Psychology Foundation at The Lion Mind

This is one of the ways The Lion Mind has chosen to structure its counselling practice.

Every counsellor and psychotherapist at The Lion Mind holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology as well as postgraduate counselling training. The centre currently states that its counsellors and psychotherapists hold both a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Counselling.

The intention is not to suggest that a psychology degree alone makes someone a better therapist. Rather, it gives The Lion Mind’s counsellors a common academic foundation in psychological science before they build upon it through counselling, psychotherapy and further clinical training.

Counselling should still feel human. You are not attending a psychology lecture when you come for counselling. The psychology background sits behind the work, helping the clinician understand behaviour, emotions and psychological processes while the actual session remains collaborative and centred on you.

 

What Does “SAC Registered Counsellor” Mean?

You may notice the letters SAC on a counsellor’s profile. SAC stands for the Singapore Association for Counselling.

SAC maintains a professional register for counsellors in Singapore. Counsellor accreditation is currently voluntary rather than a statutory requirement. The Ministry of Health stated in March 2026 that SAC provides voluntary accreditation and supports professional standards through certification requirements, a code of ethics, continuing training and professional support.

Voluntary does not mean unimportant.

Registered Counsellor status gives clients one way of checking that a practitioner has gone through an established professional accreditation process rather than relying only on what appears on a business website or social media profile.

There is also an important difference between being an SAC member and being an SAC Registered Counsellor. Membership alone does not mean that a practitioner has obtained Registered Counsellor accreditation.

If professional registration matters to you, look specifically for the words Registered Counsellor and check the professional register where possible.

 

Qualifications Matter, but Experience Matters Too

Formal education provides the foundation. Clinical experience develops through actually working with people.

Two counsellors may have similar academic qualifications but very different professional backgrounds. One may have spent years supporting students and young adults. Another may have worked mainly with working professionals. One may have experience in schools or community organisations, while another may have spent more time in private practice.

When you read a counsellor’s profile, look beyond the qualifications and see what they actually work with.

A counsellor may have experience supporting concerns such as anxiety, low mood, stress, burnout, grief, anger, emotional regulation, career uncertainty, relationship difficulties, social anxiety, obsessive thoughts, addiction or adjustment to major life changes.

You do not necessarily need someone who calls themselves a specialist in your exact concern. However, the clinician should have enough relevant knowledge and experience to understand what you are bringing into the counselling room.

Just as importantly, a counsellor should recognise when something falls outside their competence.

Sometimes a responsible counsellor may tell you that another professional or service is better placed to help. That does not mean that counselling has failed. Knowing when to refer is part of professional practice.

 

Think About How the Counsellor Actually Works

This is an important part of choosing a counsellor, but it is often overlooked.

Two well-trained counsellors may offer very different experiences.

One may be structured and goal-focused. Another may give you more space to talk and process. One may frequently explain psychological concepts and make suggestions. Another may use reflection and questions to help you arrive at your own understanding.

Neither approach is automatically better.

What matters is whether the approach is professionally appropriate and whether you can engage with it.

 

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, or CBT, may appeal to someone who likes structure and practical work. The clinician may help you explore connections between thoughts, emotions, behaviour and situations in your everyday life.

Some work may also continue between sessions so that what happens in counselling can be applied outside the counselling room.

 

Person-Centred Counselling

Person-centred counselling may feel more open and less structured. The counsellor provides a supportive environment where you can explore what you are feeling and experiencing without being rushed towards a solution.

For some clients, having enough space to process is an important part of the work.

 

Solution-Focused Work

Solution-focused counselling places more attention on where you would like to go from here. The conversation may explore what is already working, your existing strengths and small changes that could move things in a more useful direction.

 

Experiential and Projective Approaches

Some people find direct conversation difficult. They may know that something feels wrong but struggle to put it into words.

Experiential approaches can provide another way into the conversation. These may involve metaphor, imagery, drawing or projective tools such as OH Cards.

At The Lion Mind, OH Cards are used as reflective and therapeutic prompts rather than for fortune-telling. The clinician does not tell the client what a card means. What matters is what the image brings up for the client.

 

Sound-Based Support

Some clients may also find sound-based work helpful for grounding, settling or creating space before or after emotionally demanding parts of a session.

These tools should not be presented as replacements for established psychological treatment when a recognised treatment is required. They can instead be used as supportive or complementary elements where appropriate.

 

Integrative Counselling

An integrative counsellor draws from more than one therapeutic approach.

This can be useful because your needs may change as counselling develops. You may need more emotional support at the beginning, greater understanding of a recurring pattern later, and more practical work when you feel ready to make changes.

The point of broader training is not to use every technique available. It is to have enough options to work with the person sitting in front of the clinician rather than forcing everybody into the same model.

Is CBT the Best Type of Counselling?

Not necessarily.

CBT has a strong research base for many psychological concerns, and some clients respond very well to its structured and practical nature. For the right person and the right concern, it can be very useful.

However, evidence is not the only factor that affects whether counselling is helpful.

People differ in the way they process emotions, talk about difficult experiences and engage with therapeutic work. A client may understand the logic of a structured evidence-based intervention but still find that they engage better with a more supportive, relational, experiential or reflective style.

Some clients may also experience benefit from counselling interventions that have a smaller research base or are not considered established evidence-based treatments in their own right. For example, a client may find an experiential card exercise useful for expressing something they could not put into words, or find sound-based support helpful for settling enough to continue a difficult conversation.

That does not mean every non-evidence-based intervention should be treated as a proven psychological treatment.

There is an important difference between saying:

“This method has been proven to treat your condition.”

and saying:

“Some clients find this tool helpful as part of their counselling experience.”

Clinicians should be honest about that difference.

A less researched supportive tool can still feel meaningful or useful to an individual client without being presented as a cure or as a replacement for an established treatment when one is needed.

The better question is therefore not simply, “Which therapy has the most evidence?”

It is, “What approach is appropriate for my concern, and what kind of counselling am I actually able to engage with?”

What Kind of Counselling Style Might Suit You?

You do not need to study different psychotherapy models before making an appointment.

Instead, think about how you generally prefer to work through a problem.

If you appreciate structure, explanations and practical suggestions, you may feel more comfortable with a counsellor who works that way. If you tend to need time before making sense of your emotions, a more supportive and reflective approach may suit you better.

Some clients find it difficult to sit face-to-face and explain everything directly. Experiential tools may make the conversation easier. Others dislike activities and would rather talk.

You are also allowed to change your mind.

You may begin counselling believing that you want a very structured approach and later realise that you need more space to process. You may initially want to talk but eventually feel ready for more practical work.

A good counselling process can respond to that.

Therapeutic Fit Matters

Qualifications can tell you whether a counsellor has appropriate training. They cannot tell you whether you will feel able to talk openly with that particular person.

That is where therapeutic fit comes in.

After meeting the counsellor, consider whether you felt listened to and respected. Could you speak honestly? Did the clinician seem to understand what you were trying to communicate? Could you disagree? Did you have some idea of what the session was trying to achieve?

You do not need to feel completely comfortable during your first appointment. Counselling often involves talking about uncomfortable things.

There is, however, a difference between feeling uncomfortable because the subject is difficult and feeling uncomfortable because the counsellor feels judgemental, dismissive or unsafe.

If something about the counselling process is not working for you, say so while the feedback is still timely. You might tell your counsellor that you need more structure, that things are moving too quickly, or that you need more time to talk before considering possible ways forward.

Feedback gives the clinician an opportunity to adjust the work rather than leaving both of you guessing.

Singapore Context Matters

Counselling does not happen separately from the world you live in.

For clients in Singapore, decisions can be shaped by family expectations, housing, finances, National Service, education, work culture, caregiving responsibilities and the realities of living in a small and highly connected society.

A suggestion that sounds simple in theory may not be simple in real life.

“Just move out” may not account for housing costs or family responsibilities. “Just resign” may ignore financial commitments. “Cut this person out of your life” may overlook cultural, family and practical consequences.

A counsellor does not need to share your exact cultural background to understand you. They do, however, need to be willing to listen to your circumstances rather than immediately applying their own assumptions about what you should do.

This is why counselling is usually more useful when suggestions are explored collaboratively instead of being handed down as instructions.

Your counsellor knows counselling and psychology.

You know your life.

Both matter.

Counselling Is Support, Not a Fix or Cure

This is one of the most important things to understand before choosing any counsellor.

You may be seeking counselling because you want a problem to go away. That is completely understandable. You may be exhausted, overwhelmed or simply tired of dealing with the same issue.

Counselling can help.

But counselling is support, not a promise that somebody will fix you.

A counsellor can help you make sense of what is happening, process emotions, recognise patterns, develop coping strategies, understand choices and consider possible ways forward. Counselling and psychotherapy may also form an important part of treatment for mental health conditions.

What a counsellor cannot do is guarantee that every problem will disappear.

They cannot make another person change. They cannot undo the past. They cannot make difficult decisions for you, and they cannot promise that a mental health diagnosis will simply be cured after a certain number of sessions.

Sometimes counselling supports recovery. Sometimes it helps you cope during a difficult period. Sometimes it helps you maintain progress after things have improved. Sometimes it is about preventing an issue from becoming worse or helping you live better with something that cannot immediately be changed.

This does not make counselling less valuable.

It simply gives a more realistic picture of what professional psycho-emotional support can do.

The aim is not for you to become dependent on a counsellor who solves every problem for you. Over time, counselling should help you develop greater understanding, confidence and ability to manage life outside the counselling room.

Do Not Get Too Caught Up in Job Titles

Mental health job titles in Singapore can be confusing.

You may encounter counsellors, psychotherapists, principal counsellors, counselling psychologists, clinical psychologists, life coaches and other helping professionals.

The title by itself does not tell you enough.

Look underneath it. What did the person study? What professional training did they complete? Are they registered with an appropriate professional body? What sort of clients do they actually work with? What are they offering you?

Counsellors and psychologists also follow different professional pathways. Singapore is introducing statutory regulation for selected psychology disciplines, while counselling currently continues to operate under professional accreditation and sector-based governance rather than statutory counsellor registration.

A more impressive-sounding title does not automatically mean that someone is more suitable for your needs.

Look at the actual person behind the title.

What About Counselling Fees?

Cost is a genuine consideration, particularly if you expect to attend counselling regularly.

Private counselling in Singapore can represent a significant financial commitment. Before booking, you should know how much the session costs, how long it lasts, when payment is required, and what happens if you need to cancel or reschedule.

At The Lion Mind, counselling with Principal Counsellor Mr James Chong is currently listed at $200 for a physical session and $250 for an online session, with sessions lasting up to 50 minutes.

Price alone does not tell you whether counselling is good value.

A counsellor who charges less may be completely suitable for you. A counsellor who charges more may bring greater experience, additional training or a different practice model. Neither fee guarantees that you will connect with the clinician.

It is therefore more useful to consider the fee together with training, registration, experience, therapeutic approach and fit.

Ask yourself whether you understand what you are paying for and whether the support feels professionally appropriate for your needs.

Be Careful If You Feel Pressured to Commit

Counselling commonly involves more than one session, and a clinician may recommend regular appointments because continuity can be helpful.

That does not mean you should feel pressured into buying a large block of therapy before you have even experienced the counselling relationship.

At The Lion Mind, counselling and psychotherapy sessions are not sold as therapy packages and are not hard-sold. Clients retain the choice of whether to continue.

A counsellor can recommend that you return next week.

They should also be able to explain why.

There is a difference between a professional recommendation and financial pressure.

Be Careful With Anyone Who Promises to “Fix” You

It can be comforting when someone sounds extremely certain.

If you are struggling, you may want to hear, “I know exactly what is wrong, and I can fix this.”

Be cautious when mental health services make guarantees of that kind.

Complex emotional and psychological problems rarely follow a perfectly predictable timeline. A clinician should not need to promise a cure within a fixed number of sessions, claim that one method works for everybody, or tell you that they can solve your life on your behalf.

Professional confidence is useful.

Overpromising is different.

A counsellor should be able to explain what they can support you with, where the limits of their work are, and when another service may be more appropriate.

Your First Session Can Help You Decide

You do not need to make the perfect choice based solely on a website biography.

The first session gives you an opportunity to experience the counsellor rather than simply read about them.

Notice how they listen and ask questions. Pay attention to whether you feel rushed or judged. See how they respond when you disagree or are uncertain. Consider whether they explain what they are doing and whether their suggestions make sense in the context of your life.

The counsellor is learning about you during the first appointment.

You are also learning about the counsellor.

Sometimes therapeutic fit becomes clear very quickly. Sometimes it takes a little longer. Either way, the first session provides information that a qualifications page cannot.

If you are uncertain about what happens during an initial appointment, you can also read What Happens in Your First Counselling Session? A Step-by-Step Guide for Clients in Singapore.

Choosing a Counsellor at The Lion Mind

The Lion Mind takes a psychology-grounded approach to counselling and psychotherapy.

Its counsellors and psychotherapists hold both a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Counselling, providing a shared foundation in psychological science together with professional counselling training. They are also registered with the Singapore Association for Counselling.

Principal Counsellor Mr James Chong, for example, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the National University of Singapore and a Master in Counselling from Monash University. His additional qualifications include psychotherapy and career counselling training, and his practice draws from approaches including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, career counselling and experiential work. He is a Clinical Member and Registered Counsellor with the Singapore Association for Counselling and a Full Member of the Singapore Psychological Society.

The purpose of having breadth in training is not to use every approach with every client.

It is to avoid assuming that every client needs exactly the same thing.

One client may want structure and practical suggestions. Another may need supportive counselling and time to process. Someone else may respond better to an experiential approach, while another client may benefit from a combination.

The approach should follow the client as far as it is professionally appropriate, rather than requiring the client to fit one preferred method.

Clients choose their clinician when making an appointment with The Lion Mind. Sessions are arranged in advance and payment is completed through the booking system before attendance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every counsellor in Singapore need to be registered with SAC?

No. SAC registration is currently voluntary rather than statutory. The Ministry of Health recognises SAC’s role in professional accreditation, ethical standards and continuing development for the counselling profession.

Registered Counsellor status can nevertheless be a useful indicator when you are comparing practitioners.

Is an SAC member the same as an SAC Registered Counsellor?

No. Membership and Registered Counsellor accreditation are different.

If you specifically want to work with a Registered Counsellor, look for that professional status rather than relying simply on the words “SAC member”.

Does a counsellor need a psychology degree?

Not necessarily. Professional counselling and psychology are different but complementary disciplines.

A psychology degree can provide additional grounding in behaviour, emotion, cognition, development and psychological research. At The Lion Mind, its counsellors and psychotherapists hold both psychology degrees and postgraduate counselling qualifications.

Does having more qualifications make someone a better counsellor?

Not automatically.

Relevant qualifications matter, but so do experience, ethical practice, professional judgement, communication skills and the therapeutic relationship. Look at the relevance and depth of someone’s training rather than simply counting certificates.

Is CBT the best type of counselling?

Not necessarily.

CBT has strong research support for many psychological concerns, and some clients appreciate its structured and practical approach. Other clients may engage better with supportive, person-centred, experiential or integrative counselling.

Some clients may also find less researched or non-evidence-based supportive interventions personally useful. For example, an experiential or projective tool may help someone express something they struggle to put into words, while sound-based support may help another person settle before discussing a difficult experience.

These methods should not be presented as proven treatments when the evidence does not support such a claim. However, a supportive tool does not need to be a standalone treatment to be meaningful to a particular client.

The important questions are whether the approach is suitable, ethically used, clearly explained and helpful to you.

Should I choose a male or female counsellor?

Choose the person with whom you believe you are more likely to speak comfortably and honestly.

Some clients have a gender preference because of personal experiences, culture or the nature of the issue they want to discuss. That preference is valid.

Training, competence and therapeutic fit still matter regardless of gender.

What if the counsellor is not a good fit?

Tell them what is not working.

Sometimes the issue can be addressed by changing the pace, structure or way the sessions are conducted. If the fit remains unsuitable, choosing another counsellor is reasonable.

Changing counsellors does not mean that counselling has failed.

Should I choose the cheapest counsellor?

Not necessarily.

Cost is important, but it should be considered alongside professional training, registration, experience, session length, approach and fit.

The cheapest option is not automatically the best value. The most expensive counsellor is not automatically the best either.

Is private counselling better than subsidised counselling?

Not automatically. Both can provide valuable support.

Private counselling may particularly suit clients who value choosing their clinician, continuity, scheduling flexibility, privacy and access to a particular therapeutic style.

Subsidised and community services remain important options when affordability is a major consideration.

Can counselling cure my problem?

Counselling can support recovery and meaningful change, but it should not be understood as a guaranteed cure.

For some clients, counselling or psychotherapy forms part of treatment. For others, the main goals may be emotional support, coping, greater understanding, improved functioning, maintenance or prevention of further deterioration.

Counselling supports you in working through the problem. It does not promise to make every difficulty disappear.

Final Thoughts

Choosing a counsellor does not have to mean finding the person with the longest biography or the highest fee.

Start with professional training and registration. Look at the counsellor’s experience and the way they work. Think about whether their approach sounds like something you could engage with. Make sure the fees and practical arrangements are clear.

Then meet them.

The first session often tells you something that no professional profile can tell you: whether you can actually sit with this person and begin talking honestly.

Qualifications matter because they provide a professional foundation. Experience matters because counselling skills develop through practice. Therapeutic approaches matter because different clients respond differently. Evidence matters because clinicians should understand what is supported by research and what is not.

But counselling also involves a human relationship.

You do not need someone who promises to fix or cure you.

You need someone who is properly trained, willing to understand you, able to provide professional psycho-emotional support, honest about the limits of what counselling can do, and capable of walking alongside you while you work towards a meaningful way forward.

References

1. Ministry of Health Singapore. (2026). Regulatory Framework for and Quality Assurance of Counselling Services.
2. Ministry of Health Singapore. (2026). Regulatory Framework and Consumer Safeguards for Psychology and Counselling Services Under Mandatory Psychologist Registration.

Disclaimer

This article provides general information about choosing counselling support in Singapore. Professional registration requirements, services and regulatory arrangements may change over time. Please check with the relevant professional organisation for the latest information.

Counselling provides professional psycho-emotional support and does not guarantee a particular outcome, cure or resolution. If you are experiencing an immediate mental health crisis or are unable to keep yourself or another person safe, seek urgent assistance through an appropriate emergency or crisis service.

How Much Does Counselling Cost in Singapore? A Practical Guide to Fees, Session Length, and Value

 

What Happens in Your First Counselling Session? A Step-by-Step Guide for Clients in Singapore

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