Hello! My name is Sze Jin and I’m a Registered Clinical Psychologist and Registered Supervisor in Singapore. My story might be a little different from many of you living in Singapore. I was born in London, grew up in Singapore, went to Malaysia for my Undergraduate, came back to work in Singapore for a year, went to U.S.A for my Masters, and returned here in 2017. Living in different parts of the world has humbled me and helped me learn about people from all walks of life and backgrounds. Growing up in Singapore, I am privileged. I fall into the majority race here, and come from a middle-class family, I had all my physiological and safety needs met.

When I was in school, I was never the top student. I was always a very average student. I had always prided myself on having a study(work)-life balance. I never wanted to be someone who worked throughout the nights or studied 24/7. I wanted to be someone who could play hard but yet do decent in school. I was lucky, I achieved that. However, even for an average person, I had average people problems, I was bullied in school, I was fat shamed, I was looked down upon, and things at home weren’t always bright and right. My environment was one where I had to grow up quick, I had to be independent, and I had to learn to take care of myself. When I left for Malaysia, I was all alone, it was very scary at first. I did not have anyone I could really rely on. My relatives there, weren’t people who I could count on to feel safe. I felt like I was not very good at making friends, I had a lot of self-hate and had created ways for people to dislike me, and for me to dislike myself. I was also in a not so good relationship. A friend asked me then whether I had depression. At that time, I was in denial and did not want to even acknowledge him at all.

When I went to America, I was alone again. This time, to study my Masters. I did not fit in with my classmates and I had a hard time adjusting to the culture. However, because of what I was studying, I decided that I needed to go for therapy to understand what’s it like being on the other end of the couch. Therapy isn’t always perfect because there’s another person on the other end of the couch who is a variable. This made me want to be the best therapist I could for my client, but yet, it helped me recognise my limitations because I am human too. When I started being a therapist, I knew that I needed to do 1 thing, I needed to be genuine, truly care, and listen to the other person on the other side. Working in America helped me a lot because I had kind bosses and kind supervisors. I had support that I never had before. I felt like I could be a good therapist as long as I remained humble and keep learning. Coming back to Singapore, I did not get any of that. I could not find a job as a therapist and I was repeatedly criticised by various bosses, and even my relatives. This drove me to want to do something different. I wanted to create a working environment where my therapist and staff can feel safe. If people working with me feel safe, I know they will do the best for their clients too. This is why I started A Kind Place.

I wanted to create a safe space for all. A safe space for the people who work with me, and a safe space for people who are receiving therapy. In addition, I wanted to be able to serve the masses, not just the rich, or the poor. Hence, therapy prices range from $50 – $280 depending on who the therapist is. Therapy is like dating, hence, I have asked all my therapists to provide a FREE 15-minutes consultation so that all of you can get a chance to get to know the therapist and see if they are the right fit. I’ve been to therapy and searched for the “right” therapist knowing it’s not easy. Hence, I want to give all of you the opportunity to find the right fit without needing to pay extra cash. Your mental health is our priority.

A Kind Place currently serves people from Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan, India and Philippines. We have a team of internationally trained therapist who are all open-minded, accepting, and kind.

My eventual goal for A Kind Place will be a self-reliant community, where people can come together and experience life together. Where we will have a myriad of wellness activities to take care of your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness.

Thank you for reading my story and welcome to A Kind Place. I hope you find what you are looking for.