Jean Tan, Clinical Psychologist
Education:
Masters of Psychology (Clinical), National University of Singapore
Masters of Arts (App Psychology, Counselling), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
BA, University of Melbourne, Australia (Economics and Psychology)
Master Practitioner in Solution Focused Brief Therapy
Award:
Scholarship, Health Manpower Development Plan (HMDP), IMH
Appointment
Associate Lecturer & Course Developer, SUSS
Jean is our clinic director, a mother of two and has a pet silkie hen. She has over two decades of clinical experience across public, private and local and international educational institutions. She has helped clients from all walks of life and diverse age groups in managing their complex mental health needs.
In parallel with her vocation, Jean has also been supporting a faith formation ministry in a local church. She also pays it forward by lecturing and developing courses for a local university, to develop the next generation of mental health professionals.
Honing Her Craft
Jean commenced her career as a School Psychologist for Special Schools in 2001. She provided educational psychological assessment of social-emotional and academic functioning, and interventions for children with learning, behavioural and interpersonal difficulties, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other developmental and psychiatric difficulties.
In keeping her calling to help troubled youth and adolescents, Jean worked for three years in a Family Service Centre, where she developed an appreciation for the importance of parent-child relationships, communication patterns and understanding problems in the context of family systems. Here, she helmed a highly rated school-based intervention pilot for youth-at-risk, which was subsequently rolled out to other schools.
In 2007, Jean joined the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) as a Psychologist, where she provided therapeutic interventions for major psychiatric conditions such as Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). She also provided assessment and therapy for youth offenders in forensic settings. In 2009, Jean received a MOH scholarship and obtained a Master of Clinical Psychology from the National University of Singapore (NUS). As a Clinical Psychologist, she was a key team member of a pioneering clinic for Adult ADHD, and was the lead psychologist for IMH’s satellite clinic.
Clinical Strengths
Jean’s therapeutic approach is eclectic, utilizing evidence-based psychotherapeutic models such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Mindfulness Based Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, Systemic Therapy, Solution Focused Brief Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing, to meet the individual needs of her clients. She believes in being open-minded and in a collaborative process, with the aim to help clients achieve independence through deep healing and meaningful coping strategies.
Jean’s strength largely lies in her ability to develop rapport with a broad range of clients and identify problems in thoughts and behavioural patterns, which are essential for diagnosing and managing mental health difficulties. She particularly enjoys interacting with youth and young adults, and in helping them navigate through their mental health issues and to appreciate life with all its challenges.
Services Offered
Assessment & Evaluation
Psycho-educational Evaluation
Clinical Psychological Evaluation
Counselling & Therapy
Psychotherapy for clinical disorders