Ms. Denise Tan

“…CPH felt homely. I was privileged to be a part of the OG gang in Lengkok Bahru, where the office felt ever so cosy and welcoming. I walked away with warm memories of having meaningful conversations and coffee walks with my colleagues at the time. ”

Could you please introduce yourself? What were you doing at CPH when you were there? 

Hello! I'm Denise and I was a Research Officer under the wings of our fatherly Dr Shin back in 2018! I was in a sub-team that evaluated the effectiveness of Positive Behavioural Support in Day Activity Centres for adults living with disabilities, which was a step towards evidenced-informed practice! My time consisted of liaising with the social service agency, planning and implementing PBS, data collection and data analysis.  

What are you doing now? Are you still practising as a psychologist? 

I'm currently working as a Clinical Psychologist in Care Corner's Youth Integrated Team, providing mental health assessments and psychological intervention to young people aged from 13 to 25 in the Northern part of Singapore. 

What is something about CPH that you kept with you? 

It was that CPH felt homely. I was privileged to be a part of the OG gang in Lengkok Bahru, where the office felt ever so cosy and welcoming. I walked away with warm memories of having meaningful conversations and coffee walks with my colleagues at the time. I also have particularly fond memories of our beloved office cat, Meowvis, who brought a smile to my face everytime I heard his meows echoing from the front door, requesting for us to open the door and give him snacks. I miss him very much (': 

Any advice or words of encouragement for CPH colleagues?  

While I'm no longer a part of CPH, I continue to be a comrade walking on this journey Singapore is taking towards improving our mental health landscape in the community. The work is admittedly challenging for various reasons, whether it is advocating for the unique strengths of a psychologist, navigating the ever-changing nature of systems, or simply sitting with the depths of our clients' pains. That said, it is worth it, every life matters. I encourage my fellow CPH friends to remember your "why" in choosing this work, and to really take good care of yourselves too!