Clinical Director / Co-founder
MAPACS(L4S), MSPS, PCMSAC, MCoun, BA(Psych), Spc Dip Career Counselling, P Dip Psychotherapy, Certified PFA, Registered Clinical Supervisor (APACS)
The Lion Mind
As a Clinical Director (Principal Counsellor) of The Lion Mind, James provides affordable counselling services to clients, presents public talks, and facilitates workshops. He also provides clinical directions for the organisation, and a nurturing environment for his junior clinicians to grow their clinical skills.
Clinical Knowledge & Skills
James has over 12 years of diverse experience spanning across multiple industries, including education, healthcare, mental health, non-profit organizations, and social services. As a strong believer in using evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP), he provides high-quality counselling services to his clients. His counselling techniques encompass a range of approaches, including Child-Centred Play Therapy (CCPT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT). Furthermore, he excels in providing career counselling, group counselling, psychiatric rehabilitation counselling, and delivering the 5Es of renal rehabilitation.
James works well with the working adults, young adults , millennials, NSFs, tertiary students, and youths (13 to 35 years old). He also provides personal therapy to students pursuing counselling postgraduate studies, and clinical supervision to mental health clinicians registered with APACS.
In addition to counselling, James is familiar with the various psychological assessments and tests. He has received formal education in administering and interpreting them. These include (but not exhaustive) the Behavior Assessment System for Children, Third Edition (BASC-3), the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2), the Roberts Apperception Test for Children: 2 (Roberts-2), the Children Apperception Test (CAT), the Thematic Apperception Test (TAT), the Tree-House-Person (THP) projective test, and the NEO Personality Inventory, Third Edition (NEO-PI-3). He is also exposed to diagnostic tests such as Conners Third Edition (Conners 3), and various intelligence tests such as the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scales, Fifth Edition (SB-5), the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale 4th Edition (WAIS-IV), the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children – Fifth Edition (WISC-V), the Wechsler Preschool & Primary Scale of Intelligence, Fourth Edition (WPPSI-IV), and the Raven’s Progressive Matrices Second Edition (Raven’s 2).
James also believes strongly in continuing education and life-long learning. To date, he has a Master in Counselling from Monash University, and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the National University of Singapore (NUS). His other professional qualifications include a Professional Diploma in Psychotherapy from The School of Positive Psychology, and a Specialist Diploma in Career Counselling from Republic Polytechnic. He is also a WSQ Certified HR Professional (Recruitment & Selection), a certified Advanced Care Planning (ACP) Facilitator, and a certified Psychological First Aider. He has also completed the course on CITI Good Clinical Practice Course (ID 34090), Social & Behavioral Research – Basic/Refresher (ID 34086), Suicide Intervention Skills Workshop by Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), ACA / APACS Professional Supervision Course, a Certificate in Teaching & Learning for Polytechnic Educators, and an Advance Certificate in Learning & Performance (ACLP).
Professional Membership
James has been a registered Level 4S Practitioner (membership no. A0084) with the Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors Singapore (APACS) since 2013. He has been a Full Member (membership no. FM019005C) with the Singapore Psychological Society (SPS) since 2019. He is also a registered supervisor with APACS since 2021. James has recently joined the Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC) as a Provisional Clinical Member (membership no. D0582).
James was an Affiliate member with the Australian Psychological Society (APS, 2013 to 2022) and was a registered member with the Australia Counselling Association (ACA) College of Supervisors (membership no. COSIRS0027, 2021 to 2023).
Other Experiences
James has served as the Honorary Treasurer and an Executive Committee (EXCO) member of APACS from February 2020 to February 2022. As a representative of APACS, James worked closely with other mental healthcare practitioners, and policymakers to shape the local mental healthcare scene. Through the APACS-HSEU-NTUC retainer clinic programme, James provides counselling to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and Jurong Community Hospital staff from 2020 to 2022.
In addition to his work with The Lion Mind, James is an Associate Lecturer with Republic Polytechnic. He facilitates healthcare and social services related modules such as ‘Advanced Integrated Care Planning’, ‘Biopsychosocial Aspects of Ageing’, ‘Communication & Health Coaching’, ‘ Social & Family Dynamics’, ‘Multidisciplinary & Multisectoral Care for Seniors’, ‘Advanced Integrated Care Planning’, and ‘Advanced Care Coordination & Navigation’.
James has presented in two oral presentations during the 5th Asia Pacific Rim International Psychotherapy and Counselling Conference 2017 in Singapore, and has published a peer-reviewed paper in the Australia Counselling Association (ACA)’s Counselling Australia Magazine.
Operations Director / Co-founder
MAPACS, GradCert Psychotherapeutic Approaches (CBT), BBA, Dip Mar Trnsp Mgt, Certified PFA
The Lion Mind
Weiren is the Co-founder and the Operations-In-Charge with The Lion Mind. He has extensive working experience in both logistics and business operations. As the Operations Director of the organisation, he provides directions for the operational aspects of the organisation, overseeing and ensuring smooth operations in the organisation. As the Co-founder, he represents the organisation when working with both the community partners and corporate partners in promoting mental wellness. He also plays a vital role in nurturing the growth of team members, maximizing their potentials.
On behalf of The Lion Mind, Weiren has co-presented in the Happiness Conference 2020 on the topic “Empathy Matters“, sharing and demonstrating the importance of having empathy. He had also presented on the topic “Transiting Healthily into the Workplace – Coping with Anxiety, Stress & Burnout” to Republic Polytechnic, School of Sports, Health & Leisure students on 14 July 2021.
Academic & Professional Qualifications
He has a Bachelor of Business Management from NHL University of Applied Sciences Netherlands, Maritime Institute Willem Barentsz (Netherlands), and a Diploma in Maritime Transportation Management from Singapore Polytechnic. He has completed an accredited course (ACA, APACS) on Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. He is also a certified Psychological First Aider.
Professional Membership
Weiren is an Ordinary member (membership no. A219) with the Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors Singapore (APACS).
Other Experiences
In addition, Weiren was a member of Appassionata Limited. He is committed to bringing chamber classical music to the masses through partnering with established musicians. He also aims to help provide the necessary platform for aspiring and professional musicians to showcase their talents in Singapore.
Weiren was an Executive Committee member of APACS, heading the Marketing & Publicity Sub-Committee from February 2020 to February 2022. His leading portfolio includes maintaining the official social media platform, and managing a team of content creators for the association’s e-magazine, The Gazette (issue 0 to 5).