Dr. Roy Chan

Therapists >

Dr. Roy Chan

I am a doctoral level clinical psychologist holding UK (HCPC), HK (HKADCP) and Singapore (SRP) registrations, a member of the American Psychological Association (APA). I am also the founder of Cloaks and Mirrors; a clinic that I created based on my experiences working with the local and international community in both Singapore and Hong Kong.

Cloaks because what people cannot face, they keep cloaked in their unconscious. Hidden, yet so omnipresent in its influence. Mirrors represent the metaphorical mirrors that I hold in session to help my clients see their blind spots. It also alludes to Foulke’s concept of the hall of mirrors, whereby we see reflections of our selves in others. Taken together, Cloaks and Mirrors encapsulates the experience of psychodynamic psychotherapy which I practice.

Apart from working with the subconscious and my special interest in love, sex and relationships; I have regular speaking engagements. I have spoken at corporates like Goldman Sachs, and Absolute Boutique Fitness; and conferences like the Asia Pacific Autism Conference, and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Conference.

Never stopping my psychodynamic training and receiving clinical supervision, I am part of the pioneering batch for group analysis in Singapore.

Profession

Clinical Psychologist

Specialities

ANXIETY AND PANIC DISORDERS
DEPRESSION
GENERAL RELATIONSHIP CHALLENGES (FAMILY, FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS)
LGBTQIA+
TRAUMA AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
PERSONAL GROWTH AND SELF-ESTEEM
PERSONALITY DISORDERS
ADHD/ADD AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER
ADDICTION AND SUBSTANCE MISUSE
LIFE TRANSITIONS
MARRIAGE AND PARTNERSHIPS
DOMESTIC ABUSE AND VIOLENCE
PARENTING
GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH
WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH (PREGNANCY, INFERTILITY AND POST-PARTUM)
MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH
GRIEF AND LOSS
RACE AND ETHNICITY
CHRONIC ILLNESS, PAIN AND SLEEP DISORDERS
EATING DISORDERS AND BODY IMAGE
SEX AND INTIMACY
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
SELF-HARM AND SUICIDAL FEELINGS
BIPOLAR DISORDER
SCHIZOPHRENIA & PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS
IMPOSTER SYNDROME
GASLIGHTING
HARASSMENT AT WORK
WORKPLACE POLITICS
HALLUCINATIONS

Finances

Training

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) in Clinical Psychology (California School of Professional Psychology)

What kinds of treatment or therapy do you provide?

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
Group Therapy
Couple Therapy

What language can you conduct the session in?

English and Cantonese

What is the greatest reward in being a counsellor for the queer community?

When my clients feel comfortable with telling me their story without the fear of being judged. That conversation, that connection, is reward in itself.

What is the greatest challenge in being a counsellor for the queer community?

Providing psychoeducation and debunking stereotypes that the public may have about the community.

What was your path to becoming a therapist?

A deep love for psychology from a young age as I felt that there is always more under the surface. This led me to do my bachelor’s in psychology and my doctorate in clinical psychology. During my doctoral studies, I was intrigued by what is unknown, the subconscious and the unconscious, so I received further training on it and focused my therapeutic style on psychodynamic psychotherapy. This is my journey of becoming a clinical psychologist who practices psychodynamic psychotherapy.

What are you most excited about within the evolving mental health landscape?

That people are seeing mental health as less of a problem to be fixed, but more of ongoing wellness. So as to maintain their level of functioning and to find the strength to deal with new challenges.

What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?

Constantly going for local and international training courses on psychodynamic psychotherapy. Some of the trainings that I have attended include schema therapy for mood, anxiety, trauma, and personality disorders, transformative chair work, intensive short term psychodynamic psychotherapy, and the core conflictual relational theme method. Reading journals like Monitor on Psychology to keep abreast with the latest developments in the field. Reading peer-reviewed articles and doing my own research when I am writing articles, planning talks, or speaking at conferences.

What advice would you give to someone who is hesitant to try therapy?

Take your time. It is like deciding whether to dip your toes into the water. If you choose to sit beside the pool thinking about it, it’s ok. One day when you are ready, you will jump right in, on your own accord.

What kind of training have you had in working with the LGBTQ population?

My doctoral training at the California School of Professional Psychology where the focus has been on working with people with diverse needs, along with continued ongoing clinical supervision with my Californian registered ex-professor has not just prepared me but informed me of the latest developments in working with the queer/LGBTQIA+ population.

What should someone know about working with you?

I work with the conscious, subconscious and unconscious worlds. So your only job in therapy is to tell your story, without bothering about making it coherent for me. My job is to listen to your different voices, make sense of it, and draw the connections. In our work together, we will move between old and new material depending on what is most poignant for the moment. I will always be respectful and you always have the option of not talking about something, if you are not ready to.

How do your own core values shape your approach to therapy?

A deep respect and appreciation for diverse experiences allows me to sit back and explore the stories that my clients tell me. As we make meaning of their experiences together.

Therapists >

Dr. Roy Chan

Dr. Roy Chan

Profession

Specialities

Finances

Training

What kinds of treatment or therapy do you provide?

What language can you conduct the session in?

What is the greatest reward in being a counsellor for the queer community?

What is the greatest challenge in being a counsellor for the queer community?

What was your path to becoming a therapist?

What are you most excited about within the evolving mental health landscape?

What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?

What advice would you give to someone who is hesitant to try therapy?

What kind of training have you had in working with the LGBTQ population?

What should someone know about working with you?

How do your own core values shape your approach to therapy?

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