Ms. Yvonne Heng
Senior Educational Psychologist &
Senior Manager
Psychological Services Division
Finding purpose in the little things
After graduating with a degree in psychology, Yvonne joined the Autism Resource Centre. At the time, she remembers feeling somewhat lost about where her career might eventually take her. Yet she considers herself blessed to have landed somewhere that gave her purpose.
One particular moment remains vivid.
Yvonne had been helping a five-year-old boy master something most people would barely think twice about: putting on his own shoes. It took time, patience and effort, not only from Yvonne, but from the child and his parents as well. Then, one day, he did it. By himself. As Yvonne looked up, she saw his mother in tears.
In that moment, the task stopped being about shoes.
It became a glimpse of progress and possibility. It was proof that even the smallest milestones can carry enormous meaning for a family. As Yvonne recalled the moment, her face lit with a proud smile.
The experience left a deep impression on Yvonne and strengthened her interest in educational psychology and special education.
She later moved into a hospital environment, working with the Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health (REACH) team. There, she supported children and adolescents, including students with additional needs attending mainstream schools.
She was comfortable there. Happy, even.
Then a former colleague invited her to join the Community Psychology Hub (CPH).
Stepping outside what was comfortable
Moving to CPH meant deliberately pushing herself beyond what she already knew.
CPH’s Psychological Services Division was unfamiliar territory for Yvonne. Trained as an Educational Psychologist, she joined a team supporting the Strengthening Families Programme (FAM). Much of the work here was more clinical in nature with a focus on divorce, acrimonious family relationships, parent-child conflict, and other complex interpersonal issues including infidelity.
She remembers the transition as equal parts anxiety and excitement.
The learning curve was steep. It required her not only to broaden her psychological practice, but also to become comfortable sitting with situations that were often more emotionally charged and unpredictable than what she had previously encountered.
Early on, the emotional intensity of family work sometimes followed Yvonne beyond the session. Navigating difficult family dynamics was one challenge. Receiving critical feedback from the very clients she hoped to support was another, and it could be difficult not to take those words personally.
Over time, she learnt to sit with such feedback more thoughtfully by recognising what she could learn from it, understanding the dynamics involved, and accepting what remained outside her control.
Yet much of her work remains firmly grounded in the community.
For Yvonne, good psychology cannot happen at a distance. Community psychologists need to remain connected to the realities of the people they support. Being “on the ground” allows her to see not only the issue presented in a session, but the systems and circumstances surrounding it.
“People do not always fit neatly into what you expect of them.”
Over time, she has learned that being a good psychologist sometimes means knowing when to plan, and when to simply go with the flow.
Having a safety net to grow
For all the anxieties that she had, much of it was eased by knowing she did not have to navigate those challenges alone.
She described CPH’s structured training and supervision as giving her a sense of protection when taking on increasingly challenging work.
Now as a Senior Educational Psychologist, she also reflects on the supervision process itself, what she describes as “meta-supervision”, thinking critically about how she supports others and how she herself is supervised. Seeing the psychologists she supports grow in confidence and expertise has become one aspect of the role that keeps her motivated.
In a way, their development also challenges her to keep developing herself. Learning then moves both ways: from supervisor to supervisee and, often, back again.
Feeling supported beyond the work
That sense of support is also something Yvonne experiences more broadly at CPH.
She describes the workplace as understanding and compassionate where colleagues can easily share differing perspectives and feel genuinely heard.
During one particularly difficult period in her personal life, colleagues went beyond simply checking in on her. Even colleagues beyond her own team helped with practical needs, including buying groceries.
“Clearly, from early on, you could feel the love!”
That instinct to meet people where they are extends beyond work. Through a church ministry, Yvonne also spends time supporting neurodivergent adults using songs (she plays the guitar and the drums!) and concrete activities to make aspects of faith more accessible and meaningful.
Whether professionally or personally, understanding people where they are remains a recurring part of her life.
Growing into herself
Working in CPH has also been a journey of self-discovery.
Through challenging cases, leadership, and the experience of both giving and receiving support, Yvonne has learned more about herself: her strengths, her limitations, and the kind of psychologist and person she wants to become.
Yvonne jokes that working at CPH can sometimes feel like “having an Express Pass at Disneyland”. For her, it simply captures how much fun and fulfilment she has found in being part of the organisation.
That enjoyment is matched by something deeper. Through different seasons of life, both good and difficult, Yvonne has felt surrounded by people willing to support her, journey alongside her, and give her room to grow.
“I don’t feel alone when I go through life while working in CPH. It feels like CPH is consistently journeying with me.”
Looking back, Yvonne feels that journey has helped her become a more authentic version of herself. And for those still considering whether to begin their own journey at CPH, Yvonne barely hesitated:
“What are you waiting for?! Stop considering and join CPH!”