Thong Shu Yi

Ms. Thong Shu Yi obtained her Masters in Clinical Psychology from HELP University. Prior to that, Shu Yi had worked in retail, event management, as well as interned at Sunway Hospital paediatric clinic and tutored at Monash University.

During her two years postgraduate training, Shu Yi was placed at Ting’s Psychiatric Clinic and Klinik Pakar John Tan where she conducted individual therapy for patients with mental health illnesses. It was at the latter that she also conducted group therapy for adults struggling with social occupational functioning. In addition, Shu Yi also facilitated group therapy to assist adults with special needs at Malaysian Care, as part of their job coach program.

After completing her studies, Shu Yi worked at Centre for Psychological and Counselling Services (CPCS) at HELP University for 2 years. At CPCS, she worked closely with young adults struggling with relationship challenges, mood and anxiety disorders, as well as issues with self-esteem and self-development. She was also actively involved in conducting workshops on relationships and emotional management skills and leading events on campus to help promote mental health awareness.

Through her work, Shu Yi gained deeper appreciation for vulnerability and perseverance. For Shu Yi, meaning in life serves as a buffer to life’s adversities – she believes that therapy is a meaning-making journey that fosters healing and growth through self-discovery and empowerment.

As such, she regularly incorporates humanistic and person-centered therapy model in her work. Her approach focuses on cultivating individuals’ courage and vulnerability by creating a therapeutic environment that emphasizes genuineness, acceptance and respect. Through her experiences of engaging with her own stories of struggles, Shu Yi believes such experience helps her to better connect and effectively empower others who have struggled.

At present, apart from her work with Growing Space, Shu Yi is also serving as a clinical psychologist at The Red Clinic where she works closely with individuals and couples within the LGBTQ community as well as individuals struggling with self-discovery, living with HIV or addiction-related issues.