Psychological therapy can address a wide range of concerns.

These may include:

• Depression and persistent low mood
• Anxiety, worry, panic, and fears
• Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviours
• Trauma and post-traumatic stress
• Stress and burnout
• Relationship and interpersonal difficulties
• Addictive or problematic behaviours
• Emotional regulation difficulties
• Difficulties adjusting to significant life changes
• Self-esteem and patterns of self-criticism
• Difficulties associated with ADHD or autism
• Other emotional, behavioural, or psychological concerns

The difficulties people experience do not always fit neatly within a single diagnosis. Therapy therefore considers not only symptoms, but also the individual’s experiences, relationships, environment, coping strategies, strengths, and the factors that may be maintaining their difficulties.

1. Initial Consultation

Therapy begins with an initial consultation with your clinical psychologist.

The first session provides an opportunity to understand the concerns that brought you to therapy, how they are affecting your life, and what you would like to change.

Your psychologist may ask about your current difficulties, relevant life experiences, relationships, work or studies, physical and mental health, previous treatment, coping strategies, and other factors that may help develop an understanding of your situation.

You will also have the opportunity to ask questions and discuss what you would like to achieve through therapy.

Not every issue needs to be fully understood during the first appointment. Your psychologist will continue developing an understanding of your difficulties with you as therapy progresses.

2. Understanding Your Difficulties

An important part of psychological therapy involves developing a shared understanding of what may be contributing to your difficulties.

Your psychologist may work with you to identify relationships between your thoughts, emotions, behaviours, physical experiences, relationships, environment, and past experiences.

This process is sometimes referred to as psychological formulation.

Rather than simply assigning a diagnostic label, formulation helps answer questions such as:

What may have contributed to this difficulty?

What is keeping it going?

What strengths and resources are available?

What could we work on to create meaningful change?

This understanding helps guide the direction of therapy.

3. Establishing Therapy Goals

You and your psychologist will collaboratively identify goals for therapy.

Goals vary considerably between individuals and may include reducing psychological symptoms, responding differently to difficult thoughts or emotions, changing patterns of behaviour, improving relationships, developing healthier coping strategies, making important life changes, or improving overall functioning and quality of life.

Therapy goals can also change over time as your circumstances and understanding of your difficulties develop.

4. Psychological Intervention

Your psychologist will recommend therapeutic approaches based on your concerns, goals, clinical needs, and the available psychological evidence.

Depending on the individual, therapy may involve strategies drawn from approaches such as:

• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Behavioural Activation
• Exposure-based interventions
• Interpersonal approaches
• Motivational Interviewing
• Other evidence-based psychological interventions where appropriate

Different psychological difficulties may respond to different approaches. Your psychologist will therefore discuss the rationale for treatment and adapt the intervention according to your needs and progress.

Therapy may involve developing new skills, examining patterns of thinking and behaviour, approaching situations that have been avoided, changing unhelpful coping strategies, improving communication, increasing meaningful activities, or developing different ways of responding to difficult internal experiences.

5. Reviewing Progress

Therapy is an ongoing and collaborative process.

You and your psychologist will periodically review whether therapy is helping you move towards your goals.

This may involve discussing changes in symptoms, behaviour, relationships, functioning, or quality of life. Where useful, psychological questionnaires or other measures may also be used to monitor progress.

If an approach is not sufficiently helpful, your psychologist can reconsider the formulation and treatment plan with you.

Our clinical psychologists practise according to principles of evidence-based psychological practice.

This means that decisions about psychological treatment consider several sources of information, including the best available research evidence, clinical expertise, and the individual client’s characteristics, circumstances, preferences, and goals.

Therapy is therefore not a one-size-fits-all process.

Two people experiencing similar symptoms may have different histories, contributing factors, strengths, relationships, environments, and treatment goals. Psychological treatment should take these differences into account.

Our psychologists will also discuss other treatment options or recommend referral to another healthcare professional where a client’s needs fall outside the psychologist’s area of competency or where collaborative care would be beneficial.

Psychological therapies have been extensively studied and can be effective for a wide range of mental health and psychological difficulties.

However, therapy outcomes vary between individuals. Factors such as the nature and severity of the difficulties, treatment approach, therapeutic relationship, life circumstances, engagement with treatment, and other psychological or medical factors can influence progress.

For this reason, we do not assume that one therapeutic approach will work equally well for everyone.

Your psychologist will work collaboratively with you to select an appropriate treatment approach and review your progress throughout therapy.

There is no predetermined number of sessions that is appropriate for everyone.

The duration of therapy depends on factors such as the nature and complexity of the concerns, how long the difficulties have been present, treatment goals, progress, life circumstances, and the type of psychological intervention being provided.

Some people seek therapy for a specific concern and find that a relatively brief period of treatment is sufficient. Others may benefit from longer-term work where difficulties are longstanding, involve several areas of life, or require more extensive intervention.

Sessions are commonly scheduled weekly or fortnightly, particularly during active treatment, although the frequency may change according to clinical needs and progress.

Your psychologist may recommend a particular frequency based on the treatment plan, but decisions regarding the continuation and eventual completion of therapy are discussed collaboratively.

The relationship between a client and psychologist is an important part of psychological therapy.

Therapy should provide an environment where you can discuss difficult experiences without judgment while also working actively towards meaningful goals.

Your psychologist may ask questions, provide observations, introduce different perspectives, teach psychological strategies, or encourage you to experiment with different ways of responding to difficulties.

This means that therapy may sometimes involve discussing challenging topics or working on changes that initially feel uncomfortable.

At the same time, treatment should remain collaborative. You are encouraged to discuss concerns about the therapeutic process, provide feedback about what is or is not helpful, and ask questions about the rationale for treatment.

Qualified Clinical Psychologist:
RM290 per session

Trainee Clinical Psychologist:
RM70 per session

Our trainee clinical psychologists are completing supervised postgraduate clinical psychology training. Their clinical work is conducted under the supervision of qualified clinical psychologists.

Four-Session Package

A package of four sessions is available at RM990 for clients who have already established a positive working relationship with their therapist and would like to commit to continuing therapy.

The package is subject to the following conditions:

1. The four sessions must be completed within six months from the date of purchase.
2. Unused sessions expire after this period.
3. Payment for the package is non-refundable and non-transferable.

Fees last updated: September 2026.

No.

Many people seek psychological therapy without having a formal mental health diagnosis.

Your psychologist will first work with you to understand the difficulties you are experiencing and how they are affecting your life. Where diagnostic clarification is clinically relevant, this can be discussed as part of your assessment and treatment.

Information discussed during psychological therapy is treated as confidential and handled according to applicable professional, ethical, and legal requirements.

There are, however, circumstances in which confidentiality may be limited, including situations involving significant concerns about safety or where disclosure is otherwise required by law.

Your psychologist will explain confidentiality and its limitations as part of the informed consent process before or at the beginning of therapy.

A good therapeutic relationship is important, and different psychologists may have different areas of expertise, therapeutic approaches, and interpersonal styles.

If you have concerns about how therapy is progressing, we encourage you to discuss these with your psychologist where you feel comfortable doing so.

If you believe another psychologist may be a better fit, you may also contact our team to discuss available options.

Yes.

Psychological therapy and medication may sometimes be used together depending on the individual’s condition and treatment needs.

Clinical psychologists at People Psychological Solutions do not prescribe medication. Where medication assessment or management may be beneficial, your psychologist may recommend consultation with a psychiatrist or another appropriately qualified medical practitioner.

Where appropriate and with your consent, psychological and medical treatment may also be coordinated as part of collaborative care.

A brief clinical letter may be requested following an initial consultation at an additional fee of RM100.

The letter may provide brief information regarding the client’s presenting concerns and current mental health functioning based on information obtained during the consultation.

This letter does not constitute a comprehensive psychological assessment or full psychological report and does not provide the same scope of evaluation, testing, diagnostic clarification, or recommendations that may be included following a comprehensive psychological assessment.

Letters are provided for appropriate clinical or administrative purposes only and are not provided for legal or forensic use.

No.

People Psychological Solutions does not provide psychological assessment, therapy, psychological documentation, professional opinions, or testimony for legal or forensic purposes.

This includes services intended for use in court proceedings, litigation, criminal matters, custody disputes, medico-legal claims, compensation proceedings, or other legal or forensic contexts.

If psychological services are being sought for a legal or forensic purpose, we recommend consulting a suitably qualified professional who specifically provides forensic psychological services.