…..founded by Jessica Lamb,
2012
Our Approach
At Relationship Matters our aim is simple, we want to empower you to create meaningful connections with the people in your life.
At the core of our approach is the belief that successful relationships are based on mutual trust and respect, curiosity to seek to know and understand each other better and a commitment to working hard to improve.
We apply these principles in our working relationships with clients and professional partners across Singapore and in doing so provide diverse and high quality counselling, mediation, workshops and team building services.
Julie Ryan
Julie Ryan has resided and worked in Asia for 25 years and the UK for 2 years. She is a Provisional Member of the Singapore Association of Counsellors and an Associate Member of the Australian Association of Family Therapy (AAFT).
Julie holds a Masters degree in Guidance and Counselling from James Cook University, Singapore. She specializes in Family Systemic Therapy and is currently completing a Masters in Family Systemic Therapy (MFST) and is developing her relationship counselling skills in Gottman Method Couples Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT).
Julie completed an undergraduate Bachelor of Arts degree at the Auckland University (AU), New Zealand and holds Post Graduate Diplomas in both Education (AU) and Business (Edith Cowen University, West Australia. She has worked with children and adolescents for many years in school settings within New Zealand, UK, Indonesia and Singapore.
Julie has two adult children who work and reside in Australia.
She is passionate about helping families uncover the potential in themselves and their relationships and using this awareness to engage, connect and move forward successfully.
Julie's clinical hours are Thursdays, 6.00pm onwards and Saturdays, from10.00am –6.00pm, by appointment only.
Jean XM Chen
Jean is Director at Relationship Matters and has been a psychotherapist for more than 12 years, working extensively with couples, adults and families with parenting issues.
Jean XM Chen is a lecturer at a local university who teaches couple therapy to counsellors in a Masters in Counselling programme. She is also a master clinical member with the Singapore Association of Counselling (SAC), recognized clinical supervisor with SAC, certified EFT therapist with the International Centre for Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (ICEEFT) and trained in Gottman Couples therapy. She contributes to many magazines and onlines articles such as TODAY, Her World, Women’s Weekly, Cleo etc on family life and is sometimes known as Mrs Jean Shashi. She also provides training to other professionals in the field such as private practitioners, social workers and counsellors in couple therapy.
Other than her Masters in Counselling, she has also been trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy, Systemic Therapy, Satir, Expressive Arts Therapy, Bowen Family Systems Theory, Prepare Enrich premarital counselling, Play Therapy, Crisis Intervention and Clinical Supervision.
She is married to a man of a different ethnicity and has three children.
Jean's clinical hours are Monday to Fridays 8.00am-1pm and Saturdays 8am - 5pm, by appointment only
Jonathan Siew
Jonathan has been practicing as a Counsellor and Psychotherapist for over 20 years, journeying with couples who face relationship distress and individuals battling mental health issues. Prior to this, he served as the Centre Head of one of the most established counselling centers and is currently a registered Counsellor of SA.
Fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese, Jonathan is well prepared to support couples and individuals from a variety of backgrounds. He has been married to a Hong Kong expat for the past 22 years and has built a loving family with a 15-year-old son, living in Singapore for the past 2 decades. With his plethora of experience, Jonathan can cater to both local and expat couples.
Jonathan is well accredited and has a holistic education background – he holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree (Major in Psychology), a Master’s Degree in Social Science (Counselling), Graduate Diploma in Psychotherapy and a Graduate Certification in Clinical Supervision. Additionally, Jonathan is trained in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT), sensorimotor psychotherapy, interpersonal process in psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, psychodrama, and trauma treatment.
Well-recognized as an expert in the community, Jonathan is often invited to share his insights on Capital 958FM and the Channel 8 news. He is also an adjunct lecturer of a Master’s Degree in Counselling at a local institution, as he is passionate about educating others on topics related to mental wellbeing, couple relationship and parenting. Jonathan believes in empowering couples and individuals toward a purpose, meaning, and wholeness, no matter their struggles.
Jonathan’s clinical hours are Mondays and Fridays from 10.00am – 10.00pm, and Saturdays from 9.00am–5.00pm, by appointment only.
Cheng Ping
Cheng Ping is a counsellor who enjoys deep listening. She is married for around 30 years with 3 children with her oldest in adulthood and two teenagers.
She is married for around 30 years with 3 children with her oldest in adulthood and two teenagers. She feels that motherhood has taught her (and is still teaching her) how to live well, love deeply and cherish the little moments in daily life. Some of the most memorable years of her life are the years she lived in the UK and US with her husband and kids as they have helped her to appreciate beauty in diversity.
In the National University of Singapore, she obtained her Honours Degree in Social Science. Subsequently, she obtained her Masters in Advanced Counselling from the Swinburne University of Technology.
In terms of approaches, Cheng Ping specialises in Narrative Therapy and Family Therapy. She is currently developing her skills in Gottman Couple Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapy (EFT). She works extensively with children, youths, couples, individuals and families with parenting issues. She has also volunteered her counselling services with several organisations, including the Samaritans of Singapore, The Helping Hand, and nursing homes. Prior to becoming a counsellor, she worked for many years in the public sector in the field of learning and development.
Cheng Ping’s clinical hours are Mon, Wed, Sat 10am - 4.30pm, Tues 10am - 10pm, Thurs 6.30pm - 10pm
Mok Sin Lai
Mok Sin Lai is a trained psychotherapist who has 6 years of counselling experience working with both couples and individuals and holds a Masters in Counselling.
She stayed in the UK for 2 years while doing her degree and understands the elements of life away from home. She is married with four children and has experienced being both a stay-at-home-mum as well as a working mother. She has extensive knowledge and experience in working with couples who are going through extra-marital issues and communication issues. She has helped many couples rebuild their relationships and identified roadblocks in good communication. She is developing her counselling skills in Gottman Couple Therapy and Emotionally-Focused Couple Therapy.
Prior to her career switch, she worked as a chemical engineer for more than 7 years with a manufacturing company. She changed her career as she is passionate about helping couples build deeper emotional connection and hopes to help individuals who are hurting.
She has 6 years of counselling experience working with both couples and individuals. She is an accredited facilitator for premarital couple courses and personality analysis tools like Taylor-Johnson Temperament Analysis (TJTA) and Prepare Enrich. Sin Lai is also an accredited Home Study Assessor by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) as part of the adoption process in Singapore.
Sin Lai’s clinical hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays 6.30pm - 9.30pm, Saturdays 9am - 12nn, by appointment only.
Brian Lim
Brian is a family therapist and counsellor who uses current evidence based approaches to working with individuals, couples, parents, and families. Family and Systemic Therapy works with the understanding that the context of an individual’s, couple’s, or family’s distress, both past and present, is linked with their personal relationships, especially within their families. Participating in this therapy we work on repairing relationships and creating a safe space for intimate personal conversations.
Brian is a professional member of the Australian Association of Family Therapy, and a sought after certified parenting educator for toddlers to teenagers in Common Sense Parenting and Triple P. Brian has a Graduate Certificate in Family and Systemic Therapy, a Graduate Diploma of Social Science (Professional Counselling), and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Organizational Communications. He is currently completing a Masters in Family and Systemic Therapy.
Brian has lived abroad in the US for five years. He is married with two children, and has been working with children, youth, young adults, parents, and families since 1993 in areas of coordinating, training, coaching, teaching, counselling, and therapeutic positions with various community organizations in Singapore, United States, and Australia.
Brian works with individuals, couples, parents, and families with different ethnic, cultural and religious orientations.
As a consultant, Brian works with companies on systemic relationships in organizational leadership and team engagement, and is an Engage and Grow consultant.
Brian's clinical hours are Mondays and Wednesdays 7.30pm - 9.30pm, Saturdays 9am - 12nn by appointment only.
Justin Ng
Justin Ng is a qualified psychotherapist that specializes in interaction patterns between couples and families. He is experienced and equipped with skills in assisting others to tap into their emotions and strengths to build better communication style.
Justin Ng (RSW) is a registered member of the Singapore Association of Social Workers. He holds a Bachelor of Social Work and has extensive counselling experience with both couples and individuals. He is equipped with certification in Experiential Relationships Counselling, Play of Life - 3d simulation therapy, Reality therapy and practise certificate in Management of Family Violence endorsed by the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). Justin has also furthered his professional training in Emotion-Focused Therapy and Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy.
Justin is also a National Institute of Education (Singapore) trained art educator and a practicing artist. In the artworks that he does, he believes that the subtle nuances of daily living will sometimes give us cues to deeper meaning in our life. Justin has volunteer experiences with SPCA, Yellow Ribbon and Art galleries.
Justin's clinical hours are Wednesdays 12nn -8.00pm, by appointment only.
