About Us

Principal Counsellor

Professional Registrations

• Clinical Member & Registered Counsellor, Singapore Association for Counselling
• Full Member, Singapore Psychological Society

Academic & Professional Qualifications

• Master in Counselling, Monash University
• Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), National University of Singapore
• Specialist Diploma in Career Counselling, Republic Polytechnic
• Professional Diploma in Psychotherapy, The School of Positive Psychology
• WSQ Certified HR Professional (Recruitment & Selection), Human Capital (Singapore)
• WSQ Advance Certificate in Learning and Performance (ACLP), Institute of Adult Learning (IAL) Singapore.

Counselling Approaches

• Career Counselling
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
• Solution-focused Brief Therapy
• Motivational Interviewing
• Oh Cards Exploration
• Person-centred Therapy
• Personal Therapy

Client Profile: NSF, NS regular, young adults, working adults, tertiary students, educators, and male population

James supports individuals experiencing a range of mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and borderline personality disorder (BPD).

He also works with trauma, adjustment issues, anger management, addiction, sleep problems, social anxiety, stress and burnout, exam-related stress, and National Service (NS)-related issues. Additionally, James provides personal therapy for mental health trainees.

The Lion Mind

As the Principal Counsellor of The Lion Mind, James provides counselling and psychotherapy services to clients. He also facilitates public talks, webinars, workshops, and seminars. Through the collaboration with Healthway Medical, he provides Total Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) talks to workers in the construction industry.

James adopts a person-centred approach, integrating expressive and experiential methods to support clients in their healing journey. He creates a safe, affirming, and non-judgemental space for clients to explore personal challenges and emotional growth.

Clinical Knowledge & Skills

James brings over 15 years of diverse experience across sectors such as education, healthcare, mental health, non-profit organisations, and social services.

A strong advocate for evidence-based psychological practices, James delivers high-quality counselling and psychotherapy tailored to his clients’ unique needs. He is proficient in a range of therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT).

His clinical expertise spans addiction counselling, career counselling, and psychiatric rehabilitation. In addition, he is trained in facilitating OH Cards exploration to support creative expression and personal insight.

Beyond therapy, James is also well-versed in psychological testing and assessment. He has received formal education in the administration, scoring, and interpretation of various psychological tools.

Other Experiences

James has served as the Honorary Treasurer and an Executive Committee (EXCO) member of APACS from February 2020 to February 2022. As a representative of APACS, James worked closely with other mental healthcare practitioners, and policymakers to shape the local mental healthcare scene. Through the APACS-HSEU-NTUC retainer clinic programme, James provides counselling to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital staff from 2020 to 2022.

In addition to his work with The Lion Mind, James is an Associate Lecturer with Republic Polytechnic, School of Sports & Health. He facilitates healthcare-related modules. To date, he has taught the following modules with Republic Polytechnic - 'Advanced Integrated Care Planning', 'Advanced Care Coordination & Navigation', ‘Biopsychosocial Aspects of Ageing’, ‘Communication & Health Coaching’, ‘Healthcare Operations Management’, ‘ Social & Family Dynamics’, 'Sociology of Health and Social Care', and ‘Multidisciplinary & Multisectoral Care for Seniors’.

James has presented in two oral presentations during the 5^th Asia Pacific Rim International Psychotherapy and Counselling Conference 2017 in Singapore, and has published a peer-reviewed paper in the Australia Counselling Association (ACA)’s Counselling Australia Magazine.

Affiliations

Book a Counselling Session

James offers both in-person ($200) and online ($250) counselling sessions. He is first-time client-friendly and LGBT+ affirmative. Sessions are conducted in English. To book a counselling session with James, visit here.

James believes in walking alongside his clients as they navigate life’s challenges, with empathy, respect, and curiosity.