About Thalia
A little about me.
Meet Thalia
Therapy starts with being able to be yourself.
Originally from Malaysia, I understand the desire to belong, the pressure to fit in, and the complexities of balancing family, identity and your own sense of self.
Calling two places home can bring a sense of belonging, but also a sense of loss for the parts of ourselves and our lives we leave behind. These experiences inform the way I sit with clients, particularly those navigating their own cultural identity, belonging and relationships.
We may experience loss, sadness, joy, excitement or fear in completely different circumstances, but to feel is something we all share. While our stories are unique, the experience of feeling is universal. To feel is what makes us human. To me, therapy is a space to make room for that complexity of being human — a space where you can explore what you’re feeling and begin to make sense of the experiences that have shaped you. Some room to bloom.
My journey
Why counselling?
My own experience of therapy was part of what drew me towards this profession.
I initially went to therapy after experiencing heartbreak. At the time, I had come to understand myself through the lens of being ‘anxiously attached’, but through therapy, I began to see that the ways we relate to ourselves and others often have much deeper roots. I started to understand how our early experiences, relationships and the environments we grow up in can shape the beliefs we carry about ourselves and the ways we navigate relationships.
Learning more about myself and my own story has been a process that has, at times, been challenging – but ultimately deeply empowering and freeing. It is this experience that inspired me to become a counsellor – to offer others the kind of space where they can slow down, understand themselves more deeply, and feel supported as they find their own way forward.
Experience
A range of experience.
My clinical and professional experience has included working with adults and young people across different settings.
Counselling
Adult Counselling
In the two years during and after my MSc counselling qualification, I worked with adults from local mental health and substance abuse charities. I had the privilege of sitting alongside clients working through a range of emotional struggles.
Age Groups
Young People
Since qualifying, I have had the experience of supporting young people aged 13-25. This has built my understanding of how to interact with and form a therapeutic relationship with different age groups. I’m currently undertaking the Level 5 Child Counselling Skills for Adult Counsellors with Place2Be.
Development
Ongoing Training
Therapy is an immensely vast field, and as a counsellor I’m always seeking to learn more. For me, this consists of ongoing CPD and supervision. I’m currently studying the Polyvagal Theory to understand different nervous system states.
How I got here
My path into counselling.
My route into counselling wasn’t a straight line. The experiences, questions and changes along the way have all shaped the way I work with people today.
01
Childhood
I have always been curious about people and what shapes the way we behave. I wondered why we respond to situations so differently, what sits beneath these behaviours, and how our experiences shape the way we see ourselves and the world around us.
02
Moving countries young
At 16, I moved from Malaysia to England. It taught me how much change can ask of us – learning to adapt, find my place and, in many ways, understand what it means to belong. It also gave me an early understanding of the smaller forms of loss and grief. Where is home? Is that a question with an absolute answer?
03
A foundation at Imperial
My curiosity about human beings led me to study Biology at Imperial College London. Studying evolution and neuroscience, I began to understand the foundations of what makes us human. Life in the lab was not for me, but this background shapes how I think about the relationship between our minds, bodies, experiences and environment.
04
My own journey of therapy
Through my own therapy, I saw how strongly our upbringing determines our views, relationships and experiences. Therapy taught me to become more curious and less judgemental towards myself. I began to see how behaviours that seem frustrating or irrational can make much more sense when we understand what sits underneath them.
05
Counselling
This journey eventually led me to completing my MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy. For me, counselling brought together my curiosity about human behaviour with my desire to work closely with people. Through my work, I have seen how powerful a genuine therapeutic relationship can be when someone feels heard, understood and accepted.
MBACP
Registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy.
A little more
Things I’m reading and thinking about.
Reading
Explore what I’m reading.
Books and ideas I’ve found interesting, useful or thought-provoking.
Journal
Read my latest journal entries.
Thoughts, reflections and things I’m exploring around therapy and wellbeing.