REBECCA LO-TAN
Rebecca Lo-Tan
Senior Therapist, Family and General Counselling
M.Sci. Family and Systemic Psychotherapy
Language: English
Profile
Rebecca looks forward to journey with clients in the therapeutic space that is safe and life-giving for healing and growth. She is an experienced family and couples therapist cum social worker who has worked in centres providing social work and counselling services in Singapore since 1995. The range of issues attended to includes couple relationship difficulties, grief and loss, anger, stress, trauma, anxiety, depression, parent-child and family relationship issues.
Specialisations
- Couple relationships
- Marriage preparation
- Family relationships
- Grief and Loss
- Emotional well-being
- Stress
- Anger
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Trauma-related issues
- Life-transition issues
- Attachment and Family-Of-Origin issues
Certifications and Accreditations
- Graduate Diploma in Clinical Supervision (2008), Counselling and Care Centre (Singapore)
- Master of Science in Family and Systemic Psychotherapy (2006), Counselling and Care Centre (Singapore), Institute of Family Therapy (London), and validated by Middlesex University (London)
- Bachelor of Social Work (1994), Curtin University of Technology (Western Australia)
- Registered Social Worker, Singapore Association of Social Workers
- Registered Counsellor- Master Clinical Member, and Recognised Clinical Supervisor, Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC)
- Prepare-Enrich Facilitator Accreditation (2006), Prepare/Enrich Life Innovations, Inc.
In-depth
Rebecca believes in holding life-giving space in counselling and therapy with respect for the uniqueness of each person. Therapeutic approaches are therefore adapted to fit each person, couple and family, creating space where each could tell their own stories, and be heard, not just by the therapist, but also by those who are important to them. In the process, opportunities are also created for each person to listen to themselves, foster greater self-understanding, kindness and compassion for self and other.
She has had training in social work and family and couples therapy and is mindful of attachment experiences and needs, trauma-informed approaches and taking a systemic and relational perspective in problems and problem-solving.
From 1995-1999, she worked at the Bukit Ho Swee Social Service Centre, where she was involved in the Family Learning Centre, an experimental project where low-income families facing multiple problems, were engaged in an intensive period of live-in family therapy. This piqued her interest in family therapy, and Rebecca subsequently trained in systemic family psychotherapy in 2005-2006 while working at New Life Community Services Centre where she provided social work and counselling services to the community and neighbouring primary schools.
From 2007-2021, she was at the Counselling and Care Centre where she was involved in counselling:
- Individuals to enhance mental and emotional well-being
- Couples with a range of issues such as marital conflicts, affairs, co-parenting after divorce, relationship difficulties and marriage preparation
- Families, including families with adult children, young children and youth. Issues presented included concerns about parents’ marriage, worries about behavioural issues of their children and relationship difficulties.
She also provided consultation services for counselling work to individual social workers and group consultations for social service agencies, hospitals, and tertiary institutions. Rebecca was also involved in training social workers and counsellors in courses and workshops related to family therapy, systemic practice and clinical supervision.
She also contributed to the following publications:
- 2021: Steven Soh, Sharon Sng, Rebecca Lo, Elijah Sim, Terence Tan, and Foo Soo Jen. (2021). Remembering Barry Mason. Context, 178, December 2021, p. 37-39.
- 2019: Sim, E., Sng, S. and Lo, R. (Eds). 2019. Weaving Compassion: Relational Understandings and Practices. Counselling and Care Centre: Singapore
- 2019: “Holding Compassionate Space in the Therapeutic Relationship” in Sim, E., Sng, S. and Lo, R. (Eds). 2019. Weaving Compassion: Relational Understandings and Practices. Counselling and Care Centre: Singapore (p. 208-225)
- 2017: Sim,T., Fang, X.Y., Chan, S., Loy, J.T.C., Sng, S., Lo, R., Chao, W.T. and Singh, R. (2017). Co-constructing family therapy in the Asian Chinese family diasporas of mainland China, Malaysia, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan. Journal of Family Therapy, 39 (2), p. 131–150. doi: 10.1111/1467-6427.12151
- 2014: “Isomorphism and Parallel Processes in Clinical Supervision: Informing Supervisory Intervention” in Lim, C. and Sim, E. (Eds). 2014. Clinical Supervision: Clinicians’ Perspectives and Practices: Towards Professionalising Counselling. Counselling and Care Centre: Singapore. (p. 36-58)
- 2014: “A-Z Key Ideas for Supervision: Reflections of a Supervisor-in-Training” in Lim, C. and Sim, E. (Eds). 2014. Clinical Supervision: Clinicians’ Perspectives and Practices: Towards Professionalising Counselling. Counselling and Care Centre: Singapore. (p. 186-192)
- 2010: “A Relational Perspective: The Young Person’s View on the Impact of Family and Peer Relationships on their Expression of Angry Feelings” in Tan, B.H. and Lim, C. (Eds). 2010. Journeys in Systemic Psychotherapy: Theory, Practice and Research. Armour Publishing Pte Ltd: Singapore. (p. 161-180)
Rebecca is an avid reader, and loves to take long walks on her day off.