Pearlyn Yap, Practicum Counsellor
Pronouns: she / her
Hi! I’m Pearlyn. I am a Counsellor in-training and a certified Practitioner in Equine-Assisted Intervention (EAI).
I have been working with young persons since 2012, and my passion is in empowering my clients to find competence and value, and to support them in healing from distress, fear and pain.
In my 6 years of dedicated experience partnering horses in therapeutic programmes, I support vulnerable children, adolescents, their caregivers, as well as persons with neurodiverse (i.e. ASD, ADHD, intellectual disabilities) and mental health conditions in enhancing social-emotional competencies. I currently also counsel adolescents in a voluntary children’s home.
Sessions with me are collaborative in nature – I take a humanistic and trauma-informed approach, prioritise strength-finding, and adapt play therapy (i.e. LEGO, expressive arts, etc.) and mindfulness based on the unique needs of my clients.
It is my commitment to offer a safe space for my clients to feel accepted and respected.
Age groups
Children
Adolescents
Adults
Areas of focus
Anxiety
Depression
Self-esteem
Stress and burnout
Anger management
Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Self-esteem
- Stress and burnout
- Anger management
- Behavioural, emotional and social difficulties
English
I have a special needs cat called Tobi; he is paralysed waist-down due to a trauma. Despite his disability, he scoots around faster than I could ever run, and enjoys playing at any time of the day!
“One of my favourite quotes is by Carl R. Rogers — “People are just as wonderful as sunsets if you let them be. When I look at a sunset, I don’t find myself saying, “Soften the orange a bit on the right hand corner.” I don’t try to control a sunset. I watch with awe as it unfolds.”
Professional Credentials
Credentials and Additional Training
- Master of Counselling, Flinders University, Australia (Graduating in 2024)
- Graduate Diploma in Counselling, Swinburne University of Technology (Australia)
- Bachelor of Arts, National University of Singapore
- Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist Individual (CCTSI), Trauma Institute International
- Certified Equine-Assisted Intervention Practitioner, Equine Experiential Education Association (E3A, USA)
- Diploma in Equine Psychology, Centre of Excellence
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy Professional Training, by Dr Joel Yang (Social Service Institute)
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), by Adj. A/Prof Angie Chew (Brahm Centre)
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), by Adj. A/Prof Angie Chew (Brahm Centre)
- Engaging Reluctant Adolescents Using Motivational Interviewing/Approaches, Social Service Institute
- Understanding Children with Special Needs, Social Service Institute
- APCATS Modular Training in Geriatric Psychiatry: Understanding & Screening for Depression and Dementia, Institute of Mental Health
- Understanding Dementia – A Counselling Support Perspective, Executive Counselling and Training Academy
- Certified Advanced Psychological First Aid, and Training of Trainers, Singapore Red Cross
- Using LEGO® in Play Therapy, West Coast Institute USA
- Basic Training in Gestalt Play Therapy, West Coast Institute USA
- Treating Clients with OCD with ACT and Exposure Response/Ritual Prevention, by Daniel J. Moram
- Suicide Intervention Skills Workshop (SISW), Samaritans of Singapore (SOS)
Professional Experience
- Certified Practitioner in Equine-Assisted Intervention (EAI) with over 5 years of hands-on experience designing and conducting programmes and workshops for vulnerable children, adolescents, youth, caregivers, adults and seniors (i.e. behavioural challenges, special needs and/or mental health conditions).
- Group work facilitating the development of life skills, such as self-awareness, emotional regulation, stress management, relationship-building, and self-care.
- Volunteer befriender to provide vulnerable seniors with social and emotional support.