Illustration of a counsellor and client talking in a welcoming counselling room.

Counselling at The Lion Mind: Our Approach, Fees and Professional Boundaries

Singapore

Aug 14 2023

Before beginning counselling, you should be able to understand how the service works. That includes what your first appointment involves, how fees are charged, whether online sessions are available and what support you can expect between appointments.

At The Lion Mind, operated by Lion Counselling Pte. Ltd., our counselling and psychotherapy practice is grounded in psychological knowledge and person-centred approaches. We bring professional therapeutic skills to the work while taking your experiences, preferences and circumstances seriously.

Our service arrangements support that way of working. Here, we explain the reasons behind them and what they mean for you.

Why Is the First Counselling Session Chargeable?

Your first counselling session is a professional appointment in which the therapeutic work begins.

During this intake session, your counsellor takes time to understand what brought you to counselling, how your concerns affect your life and what you hope to gain from support. You can also ask questions about the approach and discuss whether the service is suitable for your needs.

The fee covers the practitioner’s time and professional work, including listening carefully, exploring relevant information and beginning to identify a suitable direction.

A chargeable first session is our service arrangement. It does not mean that paying demonstrates greater commitment, or that services offering free introductory appointments are less professional. Different providers organise their services differently.

You are welcome to clarify practical matters before booking. An enquiry can help you understand the arrangements, while the counselling appointment provides time to explore your personal concerns properly.

For a fuller explanation, read what happens during your first counselling session.

What Are the Counselling Fees?

Our published fees for sessions with Mr James Chong are:

Session format	Fee	Duration
In-person counselling	SGD$200	Up to 50 minutes
Online counselling	SGD$250	Up to 50 minutes

Please refer to our current counselling information when booking for the latest fees and service arrangements.

If cost or scheduling affects your ability to attend, raise this when discussing the frequency of sessions. A plan needs to be realistic for your circumstances.

Do We Offer Online Counselling?

Yes. The Lion Mind offers online counselling as well as in-person sessions.

We encourage in-person attendance where practical, while recognising that travelling to the centre may not always be possible. Online sessions provide an additional option, including when continuity of care would otherwise be interrupted.

Choosing a format involves considering your preferences, privacy, practical circumstances and the suitability of the arrangement for your needs.

For online counselling, consider whether you have:

A private space where you can speak without being overheard.
A reliable internet connection and suitable device.
Time to participate without driving, working or managing other tasks.
An opportunity to discuss what happens if the connection is interrupted.

If you expect to attend from outside Singapore, check the arrangements with us before booking. Your location may affect whether an online session can be provided.

You can discuss the available formats with us rather than assume you must choose one permanently.

Are Text Messages and Emails the Same as Online Counselling?

An online counselling appointment involves dedicated session time with your practitioner. Exchanging messages or emails is a different form of communication.

A short message may leave important details unclear. There may also be a delay before it is read or answered. For these reasons, you should not assume that sending an enquiry begins a counselling session or provides immediate therapeutic support.

If there is something you would like your counsellor to know, ask how best to share it and whether it should be discussed during your appointment. Clarify any arrangements for communication between sessions directly with your practitioner.

This helps you understand what a communication channel is for and what response you can reasonably expect.

Why Don’t We Sell Therapy Packages?

We do not sell therapy packages or pressure clients to purchase additional sessions.

Counselling needs can become clearer as the work develops. You may begin with one concern and discover that another deserves attention. Your circumstances, priorities or available resources may also change.

Our approach allows you to discuss continuation in relation to what you need and whether the sessions are useful.

Your counsellor may recommend a frequency or period of support and explain the reasoning. You can ask questions, discuss practical constraints and consider the recommendation before deciding how to proceed.

The purpose is to support an informed decision about your care.

Why Isn’t There a Fixed Number of Sessions?

The number of sessions depends on what you are seeking help with, how long the difficulty has been present, its impact on your life and how the work progresses.

Someone navigating a particular decision may need a different arrangement from someone working through a longstanding pattern of anxiety, grief or relationship difficulties.

We can discuss an initial direction without treating it as a guaranteed timetable. Session frequency can also be reviewed as your needs change.

Having a flexible plan should still involve a clear sense of purpose. You can ask:

What are we working on at the moment?
How does this relate to the concerns I brought to counselling?
What changes should we pay attention to?
When should we review the approach or frequency?
What options are available if I am not finding the sessions useful?

These conversations help keep counselling responsive and collaborative.

How Do We Personalise Counselling?

At The Lion Mind, person-centred approaches guide how we understand and work with you.

This means considering your lived experience, priorities, strengths and circumstances alongside professional therapeutic knowledge. You should have a voice in the focus and pace of your sessions.

We use case formulation to guide the work. A formulation is a working understanding of your difficulties, what may contribute to them, what keeps certain patterns going and what support may be useful.

For example, two people may both describe feeling burnt out. One may be struggling with excessive responsibilities and guilt about setting limits. Another may be dealing with conflict at work, disrupted sleep and uncertainty about leaving a job. Their sessions may need different priorities.

Our use of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy is informed by this individual understanding. Reflection, emotional processing, practical strategies and an agreed Action Plan may be introduced where they fit the person and the concern.

Structured therapeutic methods can be valuable. Personalising counselling means applying them thoughtfully and reviewing how they are working for you.

Does This Mean We Do Not Offer Programmes or Workshops?

Individual counselling and educational workshops serve different purposes.

The Lion Mind offers workshops with defined learning aims and content. A structured curriculum can help participants understand a topic or develop particular skills.

Individual counselling is organised around the person seeking support. We do not assume that everyone presenting with a similar concern should follow an identical sequence of sessions.

A workshop can provide learning opportunities, but attending one does not automatically provide individual counselling or establish what care a participant may need.

Why Isn’t Our Counselling Service Available 24 Hours a Day?

The Lion Mind provides counselling through scheduled appointments. It is not a 24-hour crisis service.

Dedicated appointment times allow your practitioner to give proper attention to the session. Outside those appointments, they may be working with other clients or unavailable to respond.

This boundary is about the service we can reliably provide. It does not mean that distress outside session hours is unimportant or that you should manage every difficulty alone.

If you are concerned about how you will cope between appointments, raise this during counselling. You can discuss useful coping steps, other sources of support and what to do if your needs become more urgent.

Do not rely on an email, message or future counselling appointment for an immediate safety concern.

If you may act on thoughts of harming yourself or someone else, or cannot stay safe, seek immediate emergency assistance or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.

For suicide-related distress or crisis support, Samaritans of Singapore provides a 24-hour hotline at 1767.

Will My Counsellor Tell Me What to Do?

Your counsellor’s role is to help you understand your situation and make informed decisions.

That involves active professional work. Your counsellor may ask focused questions, help you recognise a recurring pattern, explain a psychological concept or work with you on a practical response.

For example, if you are considering leaving a job, counselling may help you explore the pressure you are experiencing, your priorities, the options available and the consequences you are weighing.

The decision remains yours. Your counsellor contributes therapeutic understanding while respecting that you live with the circumstances and outcomes of that choice.

What If I Disagree or Feel Counselling Is Not Helping?

You can raise concerns about the approach, pace or direction of sessions.

It may help to say:

“I would like more practical guidance.”
“I need more time to talk about what happened.”
“I do not understand how this exercise relates to my concern.”
“I am not noticing a change, and I would like us to review the plan.”

Feedback gives your counsellor information that may otherwise be missed. You can discuss adjustments, review expectations or consider whether different or additional support would be appropriate.

Our FAQ explains how to raise concerns about fit, progress and your experience of the service.

Starting Counselling with Clear Expectations

Understanding the arrangements allows you to begin counselling with fewer uncertainties.

You should know what you are paying for, how sessions are organised, what communication is available and how to raise questions. You should also have room to discuss whether the support continues to fit your needs.

If you are looking for counselling or psychotherapy in Singapore, an intake session with a suitably trained counsellor is a practical place to begin. You can explain what has been happening and explore a suitable direction together.

Book a counselling appointment with The Lion Mind.