children psychologist

Hi mummy! I'm in the mental health industry :) I am unable to share specific contacts but I can walk you through the process of finding a professional! It largely depends on your preference for costs and waiting times! For subsidised public mental health service, you must go to polyclinic first and then at the appointment you request for a referral to IMH Child Guidance Clinic. Initial assessment will usually be done by a psychiatrist (doctor who is mental health-trained) and if they determine that therapy / psychological assessment / diagnosis is needed then they will refer you to a IMH therapist / psychologist for treatment. Do note however that public mental health service waiting times are quite long (can take up to months), and a lot of the professionals can be a little burnt out so you might or might not get along well with them! For private, you can simply google and then just book an appointment with any of the clinics and can choose your therapist - though, I have to caution you that private mental health services are quite costly (ranging $250-400 for each session / per hour). Frequency of treatment typically starts out weekly before it weans off into fortnightly / monthly, so you can imagine how that might all add up! And last option would be community services - these are services provided by your local family service centres (e.g. Feiyue, Touch, Allkin etc). For these, you can google "Family Service Centre locator" and put in your postal code for nearest centre, then you can put in an enquiry directly with the centre or go to their website to see if they have any relevant services. Prices range from $0 to low $100 typically! Lastly, this is unsolicited advice so mummy you can take it with a pinch of salt if you don't find it helpful - it will be important not to label your child until they are properly assessed as this oftentimes also change the way you respond and interact with them. Many a times, children can just be having behavioural challenges (without any diagnoses), or could be alternative diagnosis that may not be what you've listed! Last thing we want is for children to be labelled inappropriately as there are a lot of implications for their future. Keep an open mind, focus on sharing more about the behaviours you are observing to the professional, and this will help the professional to make the assessment in a more effective and non-judgmental manner. Also wanted to reassure that it's great that you're already looking for further support for your little one 🤍 hope this helps!

i would head to the polyclinic & get referral 1st due to financial constraints... wishing u & ur child well 🙏💕

,

,