Our Lead Counsellor
Darren holds a master’s in counselling and a bachelor’s in psychology, as well as a master trainer level certification in hypnotherapy. Before joining Direct, he ran a successful practice at the renowned Camden Medical Centre.
Darren is passionate about raising awareness on mental health care and has conducted talks for organisations including the Singapore Police Force, Institute of Mental Health, DBS Bank, United Overseas Bank, and many more. He also travels the island to give talks on the practical aspects of dealing with death. This series of talks is aptly titled Journey to the West. He believes that with a little nudge, everyone can be propelled in the right direction.
Taking his interest in psychology and counselling a step further, Darren wrote his first children’s book based on his practice in 2010. Entitled A Bowl Full of Ice Cream, his book was sold islandwide in bookstores such as Borders, MPH, Popular, and Kinokuniya. He has since gone on to author a couple more books on bereavement to help children and parents alike go through this tough time.
Music for Comfort
Driven by a deep understanding of the needs of grieving families, we partnered with The TENG Company to co-develop Music for Comfort. This album stands as the world’s first to employ monaural beats specifically for grief support in open environments like funeral wakes. Comprising 10 original tracks, the album was designed in collaboration with researchers from the Singapore Institute of Technology to align with the emotional stages of farewell.
While initially conceived for funerals, the album’s therapeutic benefits extend far beyond death care, offering a valuable resource for individuals navigating other forms of emotional loss, including divorce, illness, separation or personal transitions. Four of the 10 tracks is now available on Spotify, listen here.
