Celebrating 20 Years of Supporting
Singapore’s Expatriate and Local Communities

When TCP was founded in 2006, Singapore had very few group private practices. Most therapists worked independently, and there were limited options for people seeking culturally informed counselling and psychological support in Singapore.

As a returnee myself, I remembered how difficult it was to find meaningful support while living overseas. I once sought help from someone who described themselves as a “cross-cultural” psychologist, but the experience highlighted how little true understanding there often was around the emotional realities of expatriate life, relocation, cultural adjustment, identity, transition, and belonging.

My co-founder Judith Jamieson and I wanted to create a practice that was deeply client-centered, professional, ethical, and genuinely informed by the realities of cross-cultural living.

We saw a real need within both the expatriate community and local professionals in Singapore for thoughtful, experienced counselling and psychological support for expatriates, couples, families, and professionals in Singapore. Over time, that vision grew into a diverse team of psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, coaches, sex therapists, and marriage & family therapists committed to helping people feel understood, respected, and emotionally safe, wherever they come from.

Many of the clients we had already been supporting chose to continue their journey with us, which gave us the confidence to build something of our own. In the early years, TCP grew almost entirely through word of mouth, and even today, personal referrals remain one of our strongest sources of connection — something we see as a reflection of the trust clients place in the work we do.

Over the years, we were fortunate to have many skilled and dedicated therapists join the practice. Through their expertise and shared commitment to client care, TCP gradually expanded to offer a broader and more comprehensive range of counselling and mental health services, including Parent Coaching and parenting support, Cogmed Working Memory Training, Theraplay, Somatic-Based Therapy, and Intensive Outpatient Programs, among others.

I’m not sure I would give my younger self advice so much as reassurance. In the beginning, there were many uncertainties — building a practice, supporting clients well, managing a team, and navigating growth. Looking back, I think I would simply say: stay focused on the quality of the work and the relationships you build. Over time, those matter more than rapid growth or external recognition.

We started with one psychologist, one counsellor, and one administrator. Over the years, the team naturally evolved, especially within an expatriate community where therapists and families often move between countries and different stages of life.

At different point in TCP’s journey, we have grown to a team of 13 therapists, while during the height of COVID, there were moments when I was the only psychologist seeing clients in person. Those experiences reflected both the growth of the practice and the challenges we navigated along the way.

Today, TCP has grown into a team of 11 therapists with diverse cultural, multilingual, and professional backgrounds. Throughout the years, we have been intentional about growing carefully and bringing in therapists who align not only clinically, but also in the way they approach people, relationships, and care.

Alongside supporting clients, we have also had the privilege of mentoring and training many interns and younger therapists over the years. Some have gone on to build careers and practices of their own, while other clinics have entrusted us with helping supervise and train their developing therapists as well.

I think there was never really a doubt in my mind that the work itself made a meaningful difference in people’s lives. That has always been the core motivation behind doing this work.

From a business perspective, reaching the point where the practice became sustainable was certainly significant. But over the years, there were also difficult periods where we had to rebuild parts of the practice and start again in many ways.

Looking back, what stayed constant was the trust clients continued to place in us and the belief that thoughtful, ethical, and compassionate care genuinely matters in people’s lives.

At the heart of TCP has always been the desire to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives, one person and one family at a time.

• I am proud not only of the diversity and experience within the team, but also of the growth and continuity that has developed over the years.

One especially meaningful example is Anne, who first joined TCP as an intern and has since grown into a leadership role as Assistant Director. Seeing that kind of development within the practice is deeply rewarding.

It gives me confidence that TCP is not just built around one person, but is something that can continue to grow and evolve through the next generation of therapists and leaders within the practice.