Here’s How My First Family Counselling In Singapore Went
Families naturally go through rough patches. Husbands and wives can disagree, and brothers and sisters can get under each other’s skin, causing them to say hurtful things they could never undo. But even though conflicts and bickerings are typical or even expected in every household, witnessing, hearing, and experiencing these disputes is traumatising—so upsetting that my kin and I had to undergo a few family counselling sessions in Singapore.
Deciding To Get Family Counselling Services
Admittedly, I was hesitant to get family counselling services since our country’s residents still stigmatise mental health concerns and treatments. I was afraid of what other people would think if my mum, dad, brother, and I had to undergo counselling to resolve our differences, find closure, and forgive each other. Many people still think that families should only discuss and clear up these issues at home—and I was afraid of what they would believe after learning that we had to seek professional help to iron out our disputes.
But after careful thinking, I realised that I should not care about what others will think of us for doing our best to fix our broken relationships. I should not worry about what strangers think about our choice to get help from an expert who can assist my family and me settle our differences. Instead, I should be proud of our decision to find family service centres in Singapore and ask them to help us resolve our conflict.
With that thought in mind, I asked my parents and brother to join me for a family counselling session to address our disagreements. They were hesitant at first and had the same concerns as mine, but I talked them into prioritising our relationship over what our nosy neighbours or judgy relatives would think. Thankfully, they agreed to participate in a counselling session.
What Happened On Our First Family Counselling Session?
My family and I received our counselling from PPIS, a family service centre in Singapore. I learned about them from a close friend who has received divorce counselling from their facility—which has helped her learn how to move forward after filing for marriage dissolution.
Admittedly, I thought our initial family counselling session would start and end with heated arguments. I didn’t believe we would resolve anything on our first day at the centre, but our counsellor wisely guided us through our talk therapy to keep my mum from declaring war against my brother and me.
Moreover, I was amazed at how our family counselling facilitator steered our discussion about our differences. She asked numerous questions about ourselves and our thoughts and feelings about each other, but she never forced us to give her an answer if we felt uncomfortable. Thanks to her expertise, I voiced my emotions comfortably.
Additionally, our counsellor had a background in women empowerment in Singapore—which helped her recognise the patriarchal issues troubling our home and fueling some of my concerns. She still has a lot of problems to uncover and help us resolve, but our intake session has already lifted some weight off my shoulders. My family seem to also feel better after receiving talk therapy since they are looking forward to our future visits to the PPIS centre.
If you are considering undergoing family counselling in Singapore, I highly recommend PPIS and their services that are slowly mending my kin’s relationship. Check out their website to learn more about their counselling solutions.
