Group Psychotherapy in Singapore

A part of a series of interviews and written commentaries prepared by Dr. Lian-Ya (Katrina) Wong, this essay concerns the use of group psychotherapy in Singapore. With the strong emphasis in many Asian cultures and with the strong sense of community and collective responsibility in Singapore, one might think that group psychotherapy would be accepted as a mode of treating the distress and dysfunction of human life. Is this so? Dr. Wong interviews Dr. Richard Lim, an experienced individual and group psychotherapy (as well as executive coach and organizational consultant). working in Singapore and other Southeast Asian countries.

In general, culture plays a part in determining the relationship of therapy. For example, it determines the relationship of a group dynamics. In Singapore and Asia countries, participants are normally quiet and often see the facilitator as a leader and wait for instructions and group meetings are normally carried out in classroom style more psycho education.

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Dr. Richard Lim

Dr. Lim serves as the Senior Consultant Psychologist with TASE—a center providing clinical and consulting services (located in Singapore and Jakarta Indonesia). His organizational consultancy and training specialty is in the application of the science of focus, thinking, communication and team leadership for the achievement of excellence. Dr. Lim provides leadership development work with very diverse organizations. In more than 15 years of leadership performance consultancy,

Richard Lim has worked with leaders and senior executives from multi-national companies like Microsoft, Coca Cola (Indonesia), JP Morgan, and SIA; international agencies like The Salvation Army, YMCA, Outward Bounds and World Vision; and numerous government organizations and community institutions. He is also an active contributor to the development of staff and research at the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and BINUS. Richard has served as President of the Psychotherapy Association of Singapore.