Hey There! My name is Desieree Makalew.

PSYCHOLOGIST、PSYCHOTHERAPIST

It’s nice to meet you.

If you only have 3 minutes on this page, let me start with the brief:
* I work with adult clients, both individual (neurotypical and neurodivergent) and couple
* I’m passionate about journeying with my client on their way to being resilient and enhancing their quality of life
* My focus is on the intersection between Trauma and Neurodivergence and adapting Trauma-Informed treatment
* My approach is Strength-Resilience based, Trauma Informed Psychotherapy

…..and if you have more than 3 minutes…..

This page used to be started with my degrees and credentials, but I find it ironic because it seems distant. I want this page to show who I am and how I work with my clients.
I want this page to help you make a decision if you want to journey with me, not just because of the list of things that I’ve studied and done, but also because of who I am, as a person.

PS: I did list those degrees and credentials at the end, for those interested :)

“Nanakorobi yaoki (七転び八起き) -
“fall seven times, stand up eight” ”

— Japanese proverb

The first question that you might have is…..What has inspired me to do this?

My keen interest in performance started way back when I was around 9 years old, playing competitive tennis under the supervision of my coach and my late father. Back then, not knowing the importance of mental strength and resilience, I gave up easily. Moreover, growing up in a critical environment turned me to be highly self-critical.

Fast forward to adult life, my working experiences in high-pressure and result-oriented financial and commodity industries deepen my understanding of the importance of being able to regulate my emotion, manage my “critical part” and have mental strength and resiliency, not to mention maintaining my well-being.
Did I mention how the pressure affected my relationship as well?

Looking back, those are my teacher that brought me to be who and where I am today. Your roadmap is uniquely yours, it is different from mine, but I want you to know that I’ve been there and fought my way to where I am today.

The next question, probably, how do I reach here?

This strong interest and passion RE:Ignite the drive within me and brought me to learn counselling and psychotherapy. I must confess that I often overthink, as the saying, “Analyse until paralyze”. It took time for me to learn to give more voice to my heart and create a balance between my head and heart. I’m glad and honoured to pass on the knowledge, so you don’t have to spend too much time being in being in the unproductive cycle of thoughts, feeling, and behaviour, as I did.

After completing my Master’s degree in Psychology, I become intensely curious and drawn to developmental trauma and emotional regulation. I come to understand (as well as supported by research) that with better emotion regulation skills, we can have a better quality relationship, better-coping skills against day-to-day stressors, and improve our performance (Gross, 2006; Dingle et al., 2016, Millgram et al., 2019). This has become my motivation to further pursue research on Emotional Regulation as a PhD student. I work effectively with people who want to bring themselves to the next level and are willing to make some changes.

Last but not least…..Do I know what I am doing?

I have been journeying with my individual clients since 2015, helping them to find clarity and RE:Ignite the fire within to have a more fulfilled life. I started working with couple clients since 2018 to help them improve their communication and have a better understanding of their relationship.

I am a full member of the Singapore Psychological Society (SPS), Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC), Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors Singapore (APACS), and a graduate member of the British Psychological Society (BPS).

I am conversant in English and Bahasa Indonesia and can speak some Japanese and Mandarin. In my own time, I enjoyed spending time with my loved ones, exercising, and knitting :) You will also see me “camp” at a library and read random books! I love sports….tennis, F1, soccer, name it and you get it :)

The studying and working experiences in France, Japan and Indonesia, before settling down in Singapore have also taught me how culture influences the meaning of life and how to navigate our life. These valuable experiences also taught me how to respect differences in my clients.
We are unique individuals in our way.

PhD Candidate, Applied Psychology – Focusing on Emotional Regulation
Certified Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP 1 & 2)
ADHD - Certified Clinical Services Provider ((ADHD-CCSP)
Certified Autism Spectrum Disorder Clinical Specialist (ASDCS)
Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1, 2, & 3 Clinical Training
IFS Informed Therapist - IFS Circle – IFS Institute
Trained in CBT and DBT
Trained in Sports & Performance Psychology

Conversation

”Money build or break your relationship?”
Sounds familiar?
Find out more tips for better money conversations through my conversation on Teatime Tuesday with Phillips Securities Pte Ltd on Couples’s Guide to Financial Harmony. -