PROFILE
Yuka Aiga Tay, Counselling Psychologist / Marriage and Family Therapist
Yuka is an officially Licensed Psychologist in Japan, Licensed Psychotherapist / Marriage and Family Therapist in California, US, and Registered Counsellor (SAC) and Registered Practitioner (APACS). Full member of Singapore Psychological Society (SPS), Singapore Association for Counselling (SAC) and Association of Psychotherapists and Counsellors in Singapore (APACS).
適応障害
Adjustment Disorder
Dealing with primarily Japanese clients, Yuka specialises in sessions with clients facing adjustment disorders, being unused to a sudden change in environment or lifestyle. Adjustment disorders include stress and sadness resulting from trigger events such as a divorce, general life changes, health issues in yourself or a loved one, moving away from your home or financial issues. Patients may experience themselves reacting irrationally or excessively to minor life stressors. All symptoms of anxiety and depression in adjustment disorders occur within three months that the stressor has taken place and last no longer than six months after it has ended.
不安障害
Anxiety Disorder
Like depression, it is normal for everybody to feel anxious from time to time however, clinical anxiety which requires treatment involves more severe symptoms which interfere with daily activities. Common behaviours include fear to leave the house, cross the street or entering closed spaces which may seem irrational to other people.
Panic disorder
- The main symptom includes frequent panic attacks which are abrupt feelings of intense fear causing increased heartbeat, breathing difficulties and sweating for around 10 minutes
- Frequently appear in teens and young adults under the age of 25
- Often associated with major life changes such as marriage, college, giving birth
Social anxiety disorder
- Difficulties talking to new people or attending social gatherings
- Affects the patient’s ability to go to school, work or develop close relationships with anybody including their family and friends
- Symptoms include worrying intensely about social events days in advance, needing alcohol to overcome social events, feeling judged by everybody
- May be caused by experiences with bullying, family conflict, sexual abuse
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
- Feeling the need to complete simple tasks repeatedly with abnormal effort
- Needing to check things repeatedly for reassurance
- Feeling anxiety at unsymmetrical things
- Fear of physical contact
- Constant need to wash hands
- Spending an hour on repetitive thoughts, phrases or actions
- Mostly occurs before the age of 25
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Occurs after a being in or witnessing a traumatic experience
- Traumatic events often include natural disasters, deaths, sexual abuse or assault
- Symptoms include vivid flashbacks or memory loss on the particular event
- Inability to express personal emotions
- Bursts of anger exaggerated response to trivial things
- Negative thoughts towards yourself
- Insomnia
- Associated with panic attacks
うつ病
Depression
Depression can be mainly divided into two types being “regular” depression which everybody experiences when they feel under the weather or clinical depression which requires treatment. Clinical depression is regarded as a mood disorder which causes symptoms such as a sudden lack of interest in anything including actions that normally bring pleasure, a constant feeling of sadness and in serious cases, losing the motivation to carry on with simple daily activities. The common types of depression include
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Causes Changes in weight
- Insomnia
- Constant feelings of fatigue, guilt or worthlessness
- Lack of concentration
- Repetitive thoughts of death and suicide
- Bipolar Disorder
- Affects the patient’s sense of reality
- insomnia, lethargy
- Unexplained aches
- Loss of self-esteem
- Irritability and anxiety
- Sudden disorganization and indecisiveness
- Postpartum Depression
- Occurs in women who have recently given birth, causing hormonal shifts
- Constant sadness, confusion
- Hallucinations
- Atypical Depression
- Experiences signs of depression occasionally but still feel emotions of excitement and joy at a positive event
- Excessive eating or weight gain
- Excessive sleep
- Fatigue, weakness
- Sensitivity, overreactive responses
マインドフルネス認知療法
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is a type of psychotherapy which combines practices of mindfulness and cognitive therapy to treat different kinds of psychological distress. Mindfulness is a practice of Buddhism which involves practising breathing exercises and mindful meditation. By incorporating this into cognitive therapy which involves making the clients realise the relationship between their thoughts and feelings, it allows them to accept their negative emotions instead of avoiding them. Through accepting, clients can establish healthier coping mechanisms with negative thought patterns as the regular practice of meditation allows them to control their emotions better when feeling underwhelmed.
The programme is normally used to treat clients with stress, depression, anxiety or any repetitive thoughts or emotions and lasts up to 8 weeks. Most of the practice is done outside of class as the clients are recommended to self-direct the concepts that the therapist suggests to them and incorporate the mindfulness activities into their everyday lifestyle.
Yuka Aiga Tay, Japanese Speaking Counsellor, Marriage and Family Therapist in Singapore
相賀ゆか / シンガポール 在住 カウンセラー・結婚家族療法士