This has been a shit year - yes, let’s call it what it is.
Nevertheless, we have had the pleasure of collaborating with a number of like-minded teams who care about our community and creating a psychologically-minded space for thinking and deeper reflection. Let us not succumb to the dread and anxiety of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, but band together so that we can cope better and stand together against this common foe - our collective fear and paranoia.
Remember, we are always better together. Here’s a collection of our webinars this year, put together during some of the worst parts of the Circuit Breaker lockdown, extension, and Phase 2.
Apr 15, 2020
TPP x PAS CPD Watchparty Introduction - Going online in a time of COVID19
In collaboration with the Psychoanalytic Association of Singapore (PAS; https://psychoanalysis.sg), we have put together a series of four meetings, to air a 4-part workshop series by the American Psychoanalytic Association (APsaA). The series gives guidelines for switching to online therapy and analysis, the scope and probable problems of this mass crisis over time, and what to think about in teaching and supervising online.
Feb 26, 2020
Get a slice of life in Health Matters on #channelnewsasia CNA938Live radio show with DJ Daniel Martin @danielmartin938
Our TPP Director, Dr. Shawn Ee, was invited to comment on the current issues related to anxiety in pandemics, its impact on healthcare workers and the COVID-19 crisis in a LIVE Interview. The interview was on air 26/2/2020 at 4.10pm. #covid19 #coronavirus
Missed the LIVE broadcast on CNA938Live? Get the full scoop here.
May 28, 2020
Various allied health services, including Psychology, reclassified as ESSENTIAL
“Dr Shawn Ee, director of The Psychology Practice, told ST that the move was welcomed and also a relief for him and his team of seven.
They had on Friday received an exemption to continue their services, but Tuesday’s announcement assured them that they would be able to continue during the extended circuit breaker.
A tele-consulting setting can be disorienting for a client, said Dr Ee, who is also a psychoanalytic therapist. He noted that for some people, it may be difficult for them to feel safe even when they are physically at a centre. So, doing a consultation through video conferencing can be even harder for them.
“We felt that we were unable to do our jobs properly to support our clients in the way we know how, though at the same time respecting the possibility and risk of community transmission,” said Dr Ee.
“For our clients, hearing that we are now essential sort of feels like their needs are being respected as well. Many of them have reported being more depressed and anxious during this period, especially after the circuit breaker was extended.”
Dr Ee said his practice would continue to evaluate if the health risks of face-to-face consultations outweigh the benefits to clients before proceeding.
April 29, 2020
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has recategorised allied health services such as psychology and social work that are conducted outside public healthcare institutions as essential services.
Dr Shawn Ee, director of private psychology clinic The Psych Practice, also supported the move for face-to-face consultations and said that his clinic will also reopen on Wednesday.
“While we completely understand the need to control the virus from spreading, some personalities do not do very well through teleconsultations and may feel uncomfortable with it.”
He added that a few patients had chosen to discontinue therapy through video-conferencing calls after psychology services were listed as non-essential, but decided to resume after the Government said that the circuit breaker would be extended until June 1.
May 10, 2020
Fraudsters impersonated my Instagram account: The rise of COVID-19 scams
Dr Shawn Ee, director of The Psychology Practice says such scams are effective as they contain an element of truth. "These scams call to mind familiar and relevant social concerns in unsuspecting individuals, such as flouting pandemic transmission precautions, which can realistically lead to hefty fines," says Dr Ee, who is also a clinical psychologist and psychoanalytic therapist. He adds that people tend to trust credible, knowledgeable experts such as Singapore's government officials.” #coronavirusscams #SGunited
Fight the Cabin Fever: Here are some ways to manage the Stay Home Stress! #covid19 #coronavirus #SGunited
May 18, 2020
Fight the Cabin Fever - Ways to Manage Stay Home Stress
Self-isolation is typically associated with the loss of “freedom” and agency – where one perceives that he has lost his sense of control. Without planning, one can start to feel overwhelmed by the change and disruption to routines and lose sight of the fact that there are actually things that are within their control.
Jun 6, 2020
Adventure at home: Travel lovers climb ‘mountains’, go ‘camping’ while stuck indoors - Let’s hear from Dr Shawn Ee
Just as our minds are able to help us “build castles in the sky” and revel in our own fantasies, the capacity to create elaborate storylines and scenarios are a significant part of our set of psychological developmental milestones - it is through play that we learn to express and communicate our thoughts, feelings and desires from an early age.
Jun 29, 2020
SINGAPORE: Pandemic diaries - Letters, videos and illustrated poetry from migrant workers. What’s the point of this?
“Dr Shawn Ee, director of The Psychology Practice, says expressing negative emotions offers a form of catharsis. It is a way to cope with grief, or loss of reality, that can arise from the unlikely circumstances.”
"Being able to rant at or communicate about Covid-19 allows people to retrieve some sense of control in an uncertain situation," says Dr Ee, who is also a clinical psychologist and psychoanalytic therapist.
Why ignoring or sending your angry child to his room might not be the solution.
Jun 30, 2020
Helping a Child With Anger
Consider how these tips might be especially appropriate for your situation in these uncertain times. If anything, these unpleasant behavioural displays could signal distress and anxiety about what they are experiencing. Remember, healthy emotional development requires an ongoing process of gentle, nourishing containment, which helps the child feel safe and settled. Always choose kindness over the use of fear and threats - hang in there and you'll be rewarded with their trust and confidence in your parenting abilities.
Don't miss this interesting quarterly installment of the homegrown magazine, the Singapore Psychologist, by the Singapore Psychological Society (SPS). This time, they've drawn the lens on ANXIETY.
Jul 4, 2020
"Anxiety: What Lies Beneath? A Psychoanalytic Perspective on treatment-resistant anxiety presentations" (p. 50)
By our director, Dr. Shawn Ee MAPS., MSPS., who is also president of the Psychoanalytic Association of Singapore (PAS). Gratitude to the SPS editorial team for the hard work compiling these articles, making it a satisfying read just shy of 100 pages! Do SHARE the magazine around so that we can pass on this massive piece of work onto someone who may need some assistance.
Learn to identify anxiety and lend a helping hand.
Jul 23, 2020
Consider this: is it anger or is it anxiety?
Often, anxiety can be the underlying reason why individuals appear to be angry. Dr Shawn Ee helps readers identify anxiety in an angry person, and lend a helping hand to offer assurance and comfort in such situations.
Feeling a major case of FOMO? Missed out on catching us live? No worries, as you can catch the recorded telecast at the link below. Big shoutout to The Therapy Platform for hosting this live broadcast and allowing us to share our views, and Raygacy for your candor and positivity in this world we live in. For mental health!
Sep 18, 2020
Connecting the Dots: with Sarah Poh, Rayson Choo and Dr Shawn Ee
Live broadcasting the second episode: Managing Interpersonal Boundaries of our podcast series CONNECTING THE DOTS! With host Sarah, co-host Rayson and our guest speaker Shawn, we will be examining the impacts on interpersonal boundaries brought about by Covid-19. More specifically, we will be delving into how social distancing affects people differently, analysing the relation between cabin fever and the experience of being a latchkey child and also providing tips on how to ease anxiety and paranoia.
Make space to be present with yourself with TPP Clinical Psychologist Ms Lynn Tan.
Sep 20, 2020
Webinar Series: STAYING CONNECTED AT A SAFE DISTANCE
Make space to be present with yourself. Join us for an afternoon of heartfelt conversations on mental wellness during this pandemic crisis.
In collaboration with the community leaders and members of SustainableSG Collective.
Sep 27, 2020
Changing Mindsets in the Face of the Climate Crisis, with Clinical Psychologists Ms Lynn Tan and Dr Shawn Ee
Let’s rally together as a community bent on creating psychological awareness of our Climate Crisis. We will have to learn what gets in the way of our fragmented approach towards understanding what we can do as a concerted whole, the politics, the cultural ills of our context, our unconscious disavowal of truths, the problem of social divide (e.g., of hierarchy and privilege), big business, and how we can make big change with little tweaks on an individual/societal level. We will have to adapt our views to include the notion that we require an organised, concerted effort as a community. Let’s team up, planeteers!
Learn tips on how to inject motivation to keep fit and healthy to combat that mental fuzz.
Nov 4, 2020
Find the Motivation - Strategies to coax yourself and others to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Where do you derive your motivation today?
Missed the LIVE broadcast this evening? Not to worry, here’s the link to the recorded webinar, courtesy of our friends at CoAssets Group
Nov 13, 2020
Pandemic’s impact on our mental well being and workspace
Join us LIVE on our CoAssets Group Facebook page as Dr Shawn Ee, a practicing clinical psychologist as we look into the pandemic’s impact on mental health.
This webinar is Jointly organised by CoAssets Group, Fitivate, and The Psychology Practice.