The first consultation is usually up to two hours (SGD 600). For children and adolescents, I usually meet with the parents first, then with the young person, and then with the family together, the format depends on age and presenting concern. For adults, the first session is one-to-one unless otherwise discussed.

The goal of this session is not to begin treatment. It is for me to understand your situation and for you to decide whether I am someone you want to work with. You should leave the first consultation having already learned something real about yourself, even if we decide at the end of it that I am not the right ongoing clinician. By the end, I will give you my honest clinical impression and my recommendation, which may be therapy with me, assessment first, referral elsewhere, or something else entirely.

4. Assessment (when indicated)

For complex presentations, particularly suspected ADHD, autism, learning differences, or diagnostic uncertainty, I may recommend a formal psychological assessment before beginning therapy. A proper assessment is an investment, but it often prevents months or years of treatment aimed at the wrong target. You can read more on the psychological assessment page.

5. Treatment

Therapy sessions are variable but structured, sixty to ninety minutes, depending on what the work needs that day. Pro-rated at SGD 300 per hour: 60 min = SGD 300 90 min = SGD 450. I stagger thirty minutes between clients, partly so I can write notes and catch my breath, and partly so you never run into the person before or after you. Sessions are weekly at the start of treatment, with frequency tapering as progress allows. For most of the concerns I treat, the relevant evidence base supports time-limited, structured approaches, typically 12 to 20 sessions for anxiety and depression, longer for OCD or complex presentations. I will give you an honest estimate at the start, and I will revise it openly if the picture changes.

6. Discharge

Good therapy should end. When we have met your treatment goals, we will taper to booster sessions and then to discharge, with clear guidance on what to watch for and when to return if needed. Discharge is not abandonment, it is the intended outcome of effective treatment.

What I charge, and why

My fees are listed in full on the fees page. Payment is due before each session, so we both arrive ready to use the hour for the work, not for logistics. I do not hide pricing behind a consultation call, and I do not discount depth of training to compete on price. Here is my reasoning:

• You are paying for training, not time. A PhD, internship year, postdoctoral fellowship, and a decade of clinical work across hospital and outpatient settings inform every clinical judgment I make. The hour in the room is the smallest part of what you receive.
• I keep a small caseload on purpose. I limit the number of active clients so that each one receives careful thinking between sessions, case formulation, review of the latest literature where needed, and genuine preparation. This is not possible at high volume.
• I do not accept insurance panels. Insurance relationships impose structural constraints on treatment length, documentation, and diagnostic coding that I am not willing to make on behalf of my clients. You will receive a detailed receipt that can be submitted to your insurer for possible reimbursement.
• Pro bono work is part of the practice. I reserve a portion of my caseload for reduced-fee and pro bono work, particularly for families who cannot otherwise access specialised care. This is not foregrounded because it is not a marketing feature, it is part of how I think about the profession.

My commitments to you

• I will tell you the truth. If I do not think therapy will help, I will say so. If I think you need a different kind of care than I provide, I will say so. If progress stalls, I will name it rather than ride it out.
• I will practise within the evidence base. I use treatment approaches with strong empirical support for the concerns I treat. I do not freelance with unvalidated techniques.
• I will protect your confidentiality. Clinical records are held securely and disclosed only with your written consent or when required by law.
• I will keep my credentials current. Continuing education, peer consultation, and literature review are ongoing commitments, not boxes to check.
• I will respect your time. Sessions start on time and end on time. Billing is itemised and transparent.

What I will not do

• I do not practise outside my scope. I refer out for concerns I am not the right clinician for, including psychiatric medication management, substance use, eating disorders, and forensic evaluations.
• I do not offer unvalidated treatments. I do not provide therapies with weak or contested evidence bases, regardless of how popular they may be. I am happy to explain my reasoning if you ask about a specific approach.
• I do not extend treatment for the sake of revenue. When clinical progress indicates we are done, we are done.
• I do not write evaluations to order. Assessments are conducted independently and reported honestly, even when the result is not what a family or referrer hoped for.

Who I am probably not the right fit for

In the interest of honesty:

• If you are looking for open-ended supportive counselling without defined goals. That is a legitimate approach, but it is not how I work. Other clinicians do this well.
• If you need a clinician who also prescribes medication. I am a psychologist, not a psychiatrist. For concerns where medication is likely to be part of treatment, I work in collaboration with psychiatrists and will help coordinate care.
• If you need the lowest available fee. I respect that constraint completely. There are excellent clinicians in Singapore working at lower fee points, and I will gladly provide referrals.
• If you are looking for a clinician to validate a pre-decided narrative. My job is to offer honest clinical reasoning, which sometimes means respectfully disagreeing with what a client or family was hoping to hear.

If this sounds like the right fit

The next step is a consultation. It is not a commitment to treatment, it is a structured conversation to determine whether I am the right clinician for your situation, and for you to decide the same.

Dr. Ong Mian Li, PhD · Lightfull Psychology Practice · Singapore