Our Doctors & Therapists

Our doctors and therapists have Masters degrees from top universities, years of experience and have presented research in USA and European conferences.

Dr Victor Kwok

Senior Consultant
PSYCHIATRIST

"CARE IS

to support my patients in their recovery journey so that they can live a life with purpose”.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Victor Kwok is a passionate medical doctor with 19 years of experience in psychological medicine. He is co-founder and Medical Director of Private Space Medical. Prior to that, he was the youngest founding Head of Psychiatry of a large 1,400-bed general hospital in Singapore. In this role, he hired and led a team of specialist doctors, set up the psychiatry ward, and established a special Mood & Anxiety Clinic to raise treatment standards. Dr. Kwok authored various hospital guidelines including on insomnia and alcohol addiction that were adopted by both Sengkang General Hospital and Singapore General Hospital.

With a compassion for people with eating disorders, he was awarded the Health Manpower Development Program Scholarship from the Ministry of Health to train with Professor James Lock at Stanford Hospital. He has a special interest in mindfulness-based therapy and ran resilience programs for doctors and nurses since the start of the pandemic. With his experience, he became the Co-Medical Lead for Peer Support Network for doctors in SingHealth. He was also part of SingHealth’s Joy At Work Taskforce to help transform the way hospitals care for patients.

Dr Victor is a strong educator that was popular with medical students. He received the Role Model award for teaching from the National University of Singapore. He was an adjunct Assistant Professor at both Lee Kong Chian Medical School and Duke-NUS Medical school.

As a kind and caring doctor, he received many service excellence awards including the ‘Singapore Health Quality Service Award” in both Star and Gold categories.

He advocates for patients and participated in a national-level ministry workgroup which trained people with psychological conditions to become healthcare workers. He is also the Chief Psychiatrist for a Singapore startup that provides support for people with psychological conditions.

Dr Victor is an ardent advocate for mental health and he actively gives talks to voluntary welfare organisations and corporations on mental resilience.

EXPERIENCE

Founding Head of Psychiatry, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Director, Early Intervention in Anxiety and Depression, Singapore General Hospital
Visiting Consultant to Singapore Armed Forces and to Child and Adolescent service, KK Hospital, Singapore
Assistant Professor, NUS-Duke Medical School, Singapore
Assistant Professor, Lee Kong Chian Medical School, Singapore

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), National University of Singapore
Masters in Medicine (Psychiatry), National University of Singapore
Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management and Leadership, Singapore Management University
HMDP Award, Stanford Hospital, USA

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Pharmacotherapy in Insomnia Disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2022.
MIMS Pharmacotherapy Guide to Insomnia. 2021 Edition.
A case series on the clinical profile of avoidant–restrictive food intake disorder in Singapore. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare. 2019
Malays and eating disorders in Singapore: A potential ethnic risk in a Southeast Asian Society. Journal of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. 2018
An Audit of Alcohol Detoxification in a Consultation-Liaison Setting. Addictive Disorders & Their Treatment. 2018
Internet and smartphone application usage in eating disorders: A descriptive study in Singapore. Asian Journal of Psychiatry. 2016
Comprehensive psychological intervention to improve outcome in functional gastrointestinal disorder: a cohort study. Singapore Medical Journal. 2015
Falls in a Psychiatric Unit. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare. 2010
Managing Insomnia in Depression and Anxiety. Medical Progress Journal. 2010
Assessing the quality of care for patients with first-episode psychosis. Singapore Medical Journal. 2006

EXPERIENCE

Founding Head of Psychiatry, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Director, Early Intervention in Anxiety and Depression, Singapore General Hospital
Visiting Consultant to Singapore Armed Forces and to Child and Adolescent service, KK Hospital, Singapore
Assistant Professor, NUS-Duke Medical School, Singapore
Assistant Professor, Lee Kong Chian Medical School, Singapore

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS), National University of Singapore
Masters in Medicine (Psychiatry), National University of Singapore
Graduate Diploma in Healthcare Management and Leadership, Singapore Management University
HMDP Award, Stanford Hospital, USA

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Dr Tay Kai Hong

Senior Consultant
PSYCHIATRIST

"CARE IS

to provide holistic, personalised and personal care to my patients, to help them achieve their full potential in life.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Tay Kai Hong is Medical Director and Founder of Private Space Medical. A psychiatrist with more than 12 years of clinical experience, he looked after patients with depression, anxiety, ADHD and a wide range of other psychological conditions when he was in public service. He established brain stimulation facilities in a general hospital to treat patients with severe mood disorders. He is also an expert in sleep disorders and spearheaded the development of sleep medicine services for Psychiatry. He has authored treatment guidelines and published research on insomnia.

As Director of Mental Resilience and member of the SingHealth Mental Wellness Steering committee, Dr Tay developed programs to build resilience and prevent burnout in healthcare professionals. He gave regular mental health talks to new doctors, nurses, grassroots leaders and the public.

As Site Director for the National Psychiatry Residency Program, Dr Tay oversaw specialist training of doctors training to be psychiatrists and sat on the selection committee to interview candidates applying to the specialist program. He has taught and mentored many batches of psychiatry residents, guiding them in their medical training and exams. As Clinical Asst. Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School, Dr Tay is a passionate educator and received excellent feedback for his teaching. He was awarded teaching awards by NUS and NHG.

Dr Tay strives to go the extra mile for every patient. His kind and caring demeanour won over many of his patients. Their feedback and nominations led to him clinching the Star Award for the Singapore Health Quality Service Awards, and Gold Award in the hospital’s clinical service and patient experience awards ceremony.

Dr Tay hopes to combine the best practices from years of experience to deliver holistic and personalized care, grounded in scientific evidence and delivered in a patient-centric manner. Skilled in the use of medications and psychological therapy, Dr Tay believes in respecting the patient’s choice when it comes to treatment.

Dr Tay’s clinical interests include youth mental health, sleep disorders, mood/anxiety disorders and developmental disorders such as ADHD, autism and intellectual disability. He has published research on insomnia, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, neuro-stimulation, and presented his research at both local and international conferences.

During his National Service, Dr Tay was in-charge of the Psychological Medicine Inpatient Centre, a specialized unit of the SAF Psychological Care Centre. He assessed, managed and determined the PES status of National Servicemen who experienced stress, anxiety and depression.

As Founder of Private Space Medical, Dr Tay hopes to bring his vision of healthcare “Positive Change, Purposeful Lives” to fruition, by delivering high-quality, scientific, holistic and personalised care to every patient he sees.

EXPERIENCE

Lead Psychiatrist for Sleep Medicine Psychiatry, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Lead Psychiatrist for Neuro-stimulation Service, Sengkang General Hospital
Site Director, National Psychiatry Residency Program, Singapore
Chairman, Residency Program Evaluation Committee (Psychiatry)
Clinical Assistant Professor, NUS-Duke Medical School, Singapore
Director, Mental Resilience Program, SKH Department of Psychiatry
Medical Officer-In-Charge, Psychological Medicine Inpatient Service, Singapore Armed Forces
Visiting Consultant, University Health Centre, National University of Singapore

EDUCATION

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

AWARDS

Singapore Health Quality Service Award (Star) (Singapore Ministry of Health, 2022)
Long Service Award (Singapore Ministry of Health, 2021)
You Sparkle! Award (Gold) (Sengkeng General Hospital, 2021)
NUS Young Educator Teaching Award (National University of Singapore, 2018)
NHG Teaching Award (National Healthcare Group, 2017)
IMH Quality Day Gold Award (Institute of Mental Health, 2015)
Service with a Heart Award (Singapore General Hospital, 2013)

EXPERIENCE

Lead Psychiatrist for Sleep Medicine Psychiatry, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Lead Psychiatrist for Neuro-stimulation Service, Sengkang General Hospital
Site Director, National Psychiatry Residency Program, Singapore
Chairman, Residency Program Evaluation Committee (Psychiatry)
Clinical Assistant Professor, NUS-Duke Medical School, Singapore
Director, Mental Resilience Program, SKH Department of Psychiatry
Medical Officer-In-Charge, Psychological Medicine Inpatient Service, Singapore Armed Forces
Visiting Consultant, University Health Centre, National University of Singapore

EDUCATION

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

MIMS Pharmacotherapy Guide to Insomnia. 2021 Edition.
Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Pharmacotherapy in Insomnia Disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2022.
Lithium treatment for unipolar major depressive disorder: Systematic review. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2019.
Reducing transfers of psychiatric inpatients to emergency rooms of general hospitals in Singapore: a clinical practice improvement project. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice, 2016.
Neurocognitive Functioning and Quality of Life in Patients with and without Deficit Syndrome of Schizophrenia. Psychiatry Research, 2018.
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome in an afebrile patient on second generation antipsychotics. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2020.
Electroconvulsive Therapy after Recurrent Myocardial Infarction in a Catatonia Patient. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 2020.
Lithium-induced symptomatic second-degree heart block: A case report. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2021.

Dr Ashwin Chee

Senior Consultant
Psychiatrist

"CARE IS

To treat a person as a whole, the sum of their past experiences and relationships, and to guide them through their recovery.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Ashwin Chee is a Psychiatrist and medical doctor with over 15 years of experience in psychological medicine. He graduated from National University of Ireland as a medical doctor, completed his training as a specialist in Singapore and obtained the Master of Medicine (Psychiatry) from National University of Singapore. He is a kind, gentle and caring doctor who is well-regarded in this field.

Dr Chee worked from 2004-2020 at many general hospitals in Singapore. These include National University Hospital, Institute of Mental Health and Singapore General Hospital. He helped set up the psychiatry department in Sengkang General Hospital (SKH). As Chairman for Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings involving psychiatrists, psychologists, medical social workers and nurses, he oversaw clinical care. He also chaired training programs in the department. As Senior Consultant, he mentored junior specialists in clinical care.

In the LINK Program for the huge North-East region of Singapore, where patients were jointly managed by specialists in the hospital and family doctors in the community, he was the Psychiatry Lead for the mental wellness component. In this role, he helped people with mental health conditions transit back to the community where they continued to receive psychological care by their family doctors. He also trained family doctors in mental health conditions.

He has a passion for teaching and he was appointed clinical tutor for medical students at National University of Singapore and Duke-NUS Medical School.

Dr Chee has a special interest in helping people with First-Episode Psychosis. He spent many years helping youths with this condition when he was part of Singapore’s Early Psychosis Intervention Program (EPIP). He is an expert in Depression and Anxiety, and he was part of the clinical team in the Mood and Anxiety Clinic at SKH. In recognition of his kind and caring demeanour, he was nominated for the Service with a Heart Award (Gold) 2022 in Singapore Health Services. He hopes to continue to guide people through their recovery journey by taking into account their preferences and recommending the appropriate evidence-based treatment.

EXPERIENCE

Senior Consultant, Mood and Anxiety Clinic, Sengkang General Hospital
Clinical Assistant Professor, NUS-Duke Medical School, Singapore
Consultant, Early Psychosis Intervention Program, Institute of Mental Health
Lead Psychiatrist, LINK Program, Sengkang General Hospital

EDUCATION

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

EXPERIENCE

Senior Consultant, Mood and Anxiety Clinic, Sengkang General Hospital
Clinical Assistant Professor, NUS-Duke Medical School, Singapore
Consultant, Early Psychosis Intervention Program, Institute of Mental Health
Lead Psychiatrist, LINK Program, Sengkang General Hospital

EDUCATION

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

Systematic Review of Clinical Practice Guidelines for Pharmacotherapy in Insomnia Disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Practice, 2022.
Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome in an Afebrile Patient on Second Generation Antipsychotics. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 2020.
A case series on the clinical profile of avoidant-restrictive food intake disorder in Singapore. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare, 2019.
Short term effectiveness of haloperidol vs risperidone in first-episode schizophrenia. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare, 2016.

Ms Siew Choo Ting

Principal Psychologist

"CARE IS

to provide timely & accessible service to clients, help them make sense of their circumstances, & get them back on their feet during difficult times”.

BIOGRAPHY

Choo Ting started her journey to become a Clinical Psychologist, intent on creating a safe space for individuals to share their unique stories. She hopes to walk alongside them as they make sense of their present challenges and their own existence.

In the Australia and Singapore public healthcare systems, Choo Ting worked with patients of all ages. She has seen clients who are as young as 7, and as old as 90. She adopts various treatment modalities including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Schema Therapy and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy to help her clients. In particular, she has strong interests and expertise in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Mindfulness-based Therapies.

With almost a decade of clinical experience, she believes in tailoring her therapy approach to individual clients, based on their unique stories and needs.

In Sengkang General Hospital, she helped set up the peer support and staff counselling program and advocated for the psychological wellbeing of healthcare workers. She also co-led a SingHealth initiative to empower clinicians to pursue value-driven care, with emphasis on measurement of patient reported outcomes to promote effective care.

Choo Ting has supervised psychologists and postgraduate students. She advocates for psychological wellness and has conducted talks, trainings and forums for healthcare workers and members of the public.

Above all, she values taking a dynamic and collaborative approach with clients. She hopes to empower them while journeying with them through their struggles, whether it is depression, anxiety, interpersonal difficulties, or life losses and transitions. She believes that a strong rapport and genuine connection with her clients will facilitate deep reflection and true recovery.

MEMBERSHIp / EXPERIENCE

Registered Psychologist, Singapore Psychological Association
Senior Psychologist, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Psychologist, Psychology Services (Adolescence Team), KK Hospital, Singapore
Co-Lead, SingHealth Group Allied Health Patient Outcomes Workstream
Committee Member, Peer Support and Staff Counselling programme, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Member, OCD Network, Singapore
Registered Supervisor, Singapore Psychological Society

EDUCATION & AWARDS

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

MEMBERSHIP & EXPERIENCE

Registered Psychologist, Singapore Psychological Society
Senior Psychologist, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Psychologist, Psychology Services (Adolescence Team), KK Hospital, Singapore
Co-Lead, SingHealth Group Allied Health Patient Outcomes Workstream
Committee Member, Peer Support and Staff Counselling programme, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Member, OCD Network, Singapore
Registered Supervisor, Singapore Psychological Society

EDUCATION & AWARDS

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Dr. Farah Idu Jion

Principal Psychologist

"CARE IS

journeying with clients through their difficult times, helping them acknowledge their struggles with compassion, and empowering them with the skills to pick up and carry on”.

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Farah is a clinical psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist with over 10 years of experience in the field. Having lived in Singapore and Australia, Dr. Farah enjoys working with persons from diverse backgrounds. She believes in a person-centred approach to therapy, and respects the individual’s history, cultural and beliefs systems. She believes that effective therapy requires building trust and working collaboratively in the healing journey.

Dr. Farah’s clinical interests include anxiety, depression, sleep, chronic pain, stress, adjustment to role-transitions (e.g. NS, motherhood, retirement, empty-nest) or to health conditions (e.g. chronic conditions, unexpected diagnosis), trauma, and grief. Dr. Farah is trained in several treatment modalities including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Schema Therapy and Motivational Interviewing. Dr Farah works best with persons above 15 years old for individual therapy.

As a clinical neuropsychologist, Dr Farah has experience in neuropsychology assessment & rehabilitation across the lifespan (6 to 90 years old) for acquired brain injury (TBI, Stroke, Tumour), neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, IQ), neurodegenerative disorders (Dementia, Parkinson’s, MS) and mental capacity. She also provides cognitive rehabilitation and psycho-emotional services to support return-to-school or return-to-work efforts.

Dr Farah enjoys sharing her knowledge and experience. She is currently lecturing at a public university in Singapore. While at SKH, she was the lead clinical neuropsychologist and she provided clinical supervision to staff and students for assessment and therapy. She also developed and delivered mental health training workshops to Singhealth staff, and for members of the public.

EXPERIENCE

Member, Australian Psychological Society (APS) | Registered Psychologist, Singapore Psychological Society (SPS)
Senior Psychologist, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Changi General Hospital & KK Hospital, Singapore
Provisional Psychologist, Queensland Health, Australia (Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital & Princess Alexandra Hospital)

EDUCATION /AWARDS

Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Queensland, Australia
Joseph Sleight Bursary Award for Postgraduate Research in Psychological Medicine
Healthcare Graduate Study Award by Ministry of Health, Singapore
Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Psychology, National University of Singapore

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

PUBLIC OUTREACH

Talk: “What is ADHD?” for voluntary welfare organisation “Unlocking ADHD” (2022)

Article: “How to Handle Grief After Losing A Loved One”. (2021)”

Talk: “Strategies for Effective Memory” at Sengkang Library in (2019)

EXPERIENCE

Member, Australian Psychological Society (APS) | Registered Psychologist, Singapore Psychological Society (SPS)
Senior Psychologist, Sengkang General Hospital, Singapore
Clinical Neuropsychologist, Changi General Hospital & KK Hospital, Singapore
Provisional Psychologist, Queensland Health, Australia (Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital & Princess Alexandra Hospital)

EDUCATION & AWARDS

Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology and Clinical Neuropsychology, University of Queensland, Australia
Joseph Sleight Bursary Award for Postgraduate Research in Psychological Medicine
Healthcare Graduate Study Award by Ministry of Health, Singapore
Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honours) in Psychology, National University of Singapore

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Ms. Justine Xue

SENIOR PSYCHOLOGIST

"CARE IS

being present with clients through their challenges to support them in identifying both their strengths and choices to improve psychological well-being.”

BIOGRAPHY

Justine is a registered psychologist in Australia and Singapore with extensive experience working with children and adolescents, both in public healthcare and community-based settings. Through positive behaviour and parenting support, she empowered families of preschool children with disabilities at the Community Psychology Hub. During her time as a psychologist at KK Women’s and Children’s hospital, Justine provided inpatient and outpatient care to children and adolescents with a range of conditions such as tics, ADHD, anxiety, mood disorders, OCD, deliberate self-harm and psychosomatic concerns. As part of the multidisciplinary dermatology team specialising in supporting young people cope with atopic dermatitis and trichotillomania, Justine recognized the profound impact of these conditions on the development of self-esteem and identity. She worked closely with families and schools to create a more accepting and validating environment to facilitate engagement and change.

Justine has expertise in evidence-based cognitive behaviour therapy, schema therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy and mindfulness-based techniques. She has advocated for the role of psychology by being involved in service development initiatives, research and giving talks to healthcare professionals and the public. She is also currently providing therapy to adults as a volunteer with a non-profit organisation.

Justine strives to use an open, curious, flexible and collaborative approach in her work with clients. She believes in helping clients to be comfortable with the therapy process. Personally, Justine continues to learn to embrace changes and challenges which enables empathy and support for clients to develop compassion towards themselves.

MEMBERSHIp / EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION & AWARDS

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

PUBLIC OUTREACH

Talk: “Multidisciplinary care of the severe atopic dermatitis patient” (2022)

Talk: “Building psychological resilience” (2021)

Talk: “Helping patients cope with vascular anomalies” (2021)

MEMBERSHIP & EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION & AWARDS

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Dr Beron Tan

Senior Psychologist

"CARE IS

to focus on the needs of the person in front of me in a non-judgemental, gentle & comforting way. I hope to feel & connect with my client’s emotions.”

BIOGRAPHY

Dr Beron Tan is a clinical psychologist with rich experience in helping children, teenagers, and adults. He received his clinical training in Perth, Western Australia notably at the Drug & Alcohol Youth Service, and Royal Perth Hospital (adult psychiatry). He graduated with a Master of Clinical Psychology and PhD (Psychology) from Australia. In recognition of his outstanding academic performance, he was awarded the prestigious Australian Psychological Society Prize. Beron was also the recipient of the competitive ECU International Postgraduate Research Scholarship (Australia) for his outstanding research on improving cognition in individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.

In his last role, he worked as a clinical psychologist and research lead at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. His clinical expertise and warm and gentle personality led to numerous compliments from his patients and their families. In 2019, he was awarded KK Hospital service award in recognition of his excellent patient service. With a passion for helping individuals with chronic illnesses and their families, he led a team at KKH in establishing a first-of-its-kind evidence-based psychosocial support program for childhood cancer in Singapore. As a strong advocate for evidence-based practice, he authored gold-standard psychosocial care protocols for youth with cancer and their adult caregivers, which were adopted by KK Hospital. Beron was also frequently invited to review research articles by international journals.

In his previous role at KKH, his leadership led to academic publications in reputable journals, and clinical and research awards. Beron was instrumental in obtaining substantial funding to support clinical, research and education efforts in improving the standards of psychosocial care for individuals and families struggling with childhood cancers in Singapore.

Among other clinical skills, Beron is particularly fond of practising interpersonal psychotherapy, schema therapy, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing in his clinical work. His mottos in therapy are to provide unconditional positive regard and to give his utmost in every single moment of his time with his patients. He believes that a single moment of an appropriate gesture (e.g. a smile and eye contact) can make a difference to the lives of others.

In promoting youth mental health, Beron currently conducts mental health programs for tertiary students in Singapore. Furthermore, he is a mentor to undergraduate psychology students in Australia.

EXPERIENCE

Registered Psychologist, Psychology Board of Australia
Member, Australian Psychological Society
Clinical Psychologist, Psychology Service (General Paediatrics and Paediatric Oncology), KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore
Provisional Psychologist, Department of Psychiatry (Adult), Royal Perth Hospital, Western Australia
Provisional Psychologist, Drug and Alcohol Youth Services, Western Australia