Please do find out more about me to find courage within you to embark on your journey for healing with me.
"People SHOULD be doubted. Many people misunderstand this concept. Doubting people is just a part of getting to know them. What many people call 'trust' is really just giving up on trying to understand others, and that very act is far worse than doubting."
Akiyama Shinichi, Liar Game
My Story
Welcome to my private practice, my full name is Yap Wei Li.
Preferred to be called as JT.
So why JT, you may ask to yourself.
My answer is simple yet possibly profound and deep if given the chance to think about.
My family would allow each and every of my sibling to choose our own English name.
There was however, a silent catch that the name has to start with J, followed by how my father was James, and my mother was Joyce.
Trying to keep the family name going in a different way I guess.
With that, I originally chose Justin as my own name as there was a time there was a boy Blue Power Ranger named Justin that could transform from a boy to a man when morphing into a ranger.
I was both mesmerized by his ability to grow quickly and myself having the intention to assist others as well, I wanted to be like him and chose his name.
Over the years however, I noticed how Justins were a dime a dozen and I wanted to create my own brand to be easily remembered by elders as well as young ones (the simple reason).
Coincidentally, there was a location called Jetty in Penang that was a harbor for ships to stop and restock in the past, and now being the location where the Penang Ferry stops at.
Inspired by how the Jeti harbor was able to support seafarers come rain or shine, I took away the us and in from the name Justin and ended up with JT, matching the pronunciation of the Jeti Harbor.
My Intention as a Professional
Over the years of growing up in a challenging neighbourhood in Penang, I have witnessed first-hand the hardships others may have had to go through to survive.
I have noticed as well how myself being in a state of consistent unrest, stress, anxiety, and fear of expectations has burdened myself to excel in a specific way, only to end up rebelling and resenting external factors to feel better.
Unfortunately, the truth is that not everyone has access to a supportive environment, and the supportive environment I had then was a safe mind space to think and discuss or to speak with friends that are healthily straightforward.
Therefore, I now attempt to emulate the space I had experience in my past with my friends into my current practice to create the safe supportive space for my clients. Integrating the my experience with more professional, safe space while obtaining legal support to maintain privacy and confidentiality, for self-exploration of my clients, to embark on their transformative journey.
I treasure the process and honour the chance to be able to work with my clients.
Treating my clients with genuineness without disrespecting their rights and values in life, in the session I may challenge softly to facilitate change.
At the same time, I consistently have my best wishes for my client's wellbeing and self-growth.
My Counselling Philosophy and Therapeutic Approach
I strongly believe that in life the healthiest thing to achieve is a state of balance.
It is however the hardest to achieve a balance between what the heart wants and what the brain thinks is important and helpful.
My attempt at doing a balance is therefore by a state of integration using the philosophy of Gestalt approach.
Applying knowledge of psychological theories, integrating with the therapeutic techniques I have learnt and sharpened over my years of practice, I will develop an intervention method personalized for you.
My approach would be focused on exploring your inner workings to foster your flexibility while fostering your adaptability to be able to work with your external factors. At the same time building your self-compassion and acceptance rather than self-resentment or shaming.
Hopefully through such a way we can develop a healthier outlook on your life experience.
From time to time, I learnt an array of ideas from different sources. My father used to believe one can learn a lot of knowledge from reading books.
Now, I believe I can learn a lot of knowledge about life and understanding from the books, workshops, talks related to psychotherapy, YouTube, anime, podcasts, and even games.
Sometimes in session I may use topics of pop-culture as analogies to better my understanding of what you are going through, and even creatively adapt ways to adjust with your uncomfortable conditions.
My Credentials & Experience
I have worked with an array of conditions that my clients have faced ranging from challenges such as anxiety, depression, addiction, past trauma including bullying or familial abuse, chronic relationship issues, and individual dissatisfaction to find flexibility to change.
I have worked with clients facing significant anxiety about their accomplishments in life over the past 6 years and successfully had the chance to witness positive growth and increased functionality and self-love of my clients.
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Licensed Practicing Counsellor of Board of Counsellors Malaysia
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Certificate for Supervision of Malaysian Counsellors (Level 2)
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Provisional Clinical Member of Singapore Association for Counselling
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Masters of Counselling Psychology (University Malaysia Sabah)
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Bachelors of Psychology (HELP University)
I'd love to be doubted so we can build trust before starting your therapeutic journey
