About

"Have You Felt Like Your Inner Voice Was Silenced"?

The very question I needed someone to ask me at 18 years old, before my life went downhill.

Have You Ever Found Yourself...

Sitting in therapy, holding back crucial parts of your story, afraid of being judged?
Having your experiences treated like problems to be "fixed" instead of understood?
Having to constantly defend and justify how you feel?
Being pressured to follow specific techniques that don't feel right for you?
Sensing therapy isn't helping, but trying to convince yourself it's "just part of the process"?

You're not alone. What's heartbreaking is that many people discover reaching out for help can leave them feeling worse than before.

Here's the truth: The problem isn't you.

It's a system that tries to squeeze unique human experiences into rigid boxes, treating your story like a chapter being rewritten without your full informed consent.

That's why my work – whether through therapy, speaking, or training – focuses on one core mission: helping you break free from these boxes and reclaim your voice.

I Have Been There

This isn't just my story. This is about what happens when the system meant to help becomes the very thing that silences you.

At 18, exhausted after seven sleepless nights, I walked into Singapore's psychiatric hospital. All I wanted was help sleeping after my family doctor declined to prescribe sleeping pills.

One misunderstood question during assessment changed everything.

"Do you hear voices?"

In my sleep-deprived, distressed state, thinking of my teacher's harsh words echoing in my thoughts, I said, "Yes."

(I didn't know then that they were asking about something else entirely – that this simple question about my teacher's words replaying in my mind would be interpreted so differently because of the view that they hold.)

That "yes" changed the course of my life:

A "schizophrenia" diagnosis
Hospitalization
Two years of unnecessary antipsychotic medication
The humiliation of proving I'd taken pills by opening my mouth
Basic freedoms stripped away – even my phone access

The cruel irony? After just two nights in the hospital, I got what I came for — sleep. The nurses even noticed, asking "You look ok, why are you here?"

But by then, the wheels were already turning. At discharge, they handed me a diagnosis I didn't even understand. I chose to be transparent about this label in my applications, facing rejection as a result.

While I was officially discharged after two years, it was only years later when my request for memo for applications revealed a striking reality: the same experiences that once earned me a serious psychiatric diagnosis were now described as "nervous breakdown because of school stress," with my national electronic health record showing "no mental illness." Guess what I was told? "Diagnoses change." While relieved, I felt confused, upset and angry. My story hadn't changed — but its meaning had.

Have you ever had your experiences dismissed by the very people meant to help you understand them?

When Therapy Becomes Another Box

Seeking to understand and reconcile with this experience, I turned to therapy for the first time. But what I found next shattered my trust even further:

A veteran therapist who didn't believe my psychiatric trauma, telling me I should "lower my expectations" rather than exploring why I tied my self-worth to academic achievement. She kept suggesting I challenge my thoughts, saying "this is what I do" (ironically, I would later be awarded two bond-free scholarships and graduate with First Class Honours)

Constant warnings about relapse, telling me that I had a 50% chance of relapse when I reach menopause, even as I thrived

She shared stories of other clients and her connections, including a professor who declined seeking help due to stigma concerns – while interesting to hear, I couldn't see how these helped address my own struggles

Scared by this experience, with another veteran therapist, I only spoke about school stress. Yet she deflected by blaming my mother and mumbling about her own mother-daughter issues during sessions

The hardest part? I had silenced my own voice.

Deep down, when I first received the diagnosis at 18, I knew something was wrong, but I brushed off that inner voice. I didn't speak up. I was not sure. I felt afraid.

This is why I created Therapy Without Boxes.

Because you deserve to be the author of your own story. Not defined by a diagnosis*. Not confined by others' theories. Not limited by society's expectations.

(While diagnoses can be useful tools when they serve individuals' long-term wellbeing, they shouldn't become boxes that confine your story or limit your possibilities.)*

This Is Why Your Story Matters to Me

Through my journey, I discovered my mission: helping those silenced by mental health

services reclaim their voice and trust their inner wisdom again.

If you've ever:

Held back your true thoughts in therapy, afraid to be fully honest
Found yourself doubting your own feelings and reactions
Known something wasn't right but felt too scared to speak up
Didn't feel heard even after sharing your struggles
Tried different approaches but keep finding yourself stuck

I understand. Not just as a professional, but as someone who's been there.

When your inner knowing has been questioned or dismissed, it becomes harder to

trust yourself. But that wisdom isn't gone — it's just waiting to be heard again.

The Real Path Forward

Through my journey — and later, working across Singapore's mental health system — I discovered something crucial:

Real transformation isn't about finding the right technique or getting a diagnosis

(though sometimes we need one for practical purposes), or following someone else's healing blueprint.

It's about reconnecting with your inner wisdom — the very thing many of us learn to silence.

Today, my relationship with life's challenges looks completely different:

Instead of trying to "manage" distress with physical activities and coping techniques, I've learned how to be with it
I always endeavour to meet my experiences with curiosity and interest rather than trying to fix or get rid of them
I trust my inner knowing much more often rather than reaching for external solutions (of course, it is ok to seek others' inputs, where relevant and helpful)

It's about reclaiming your power to write your own story and live your truth.

From Boxes to Breakthroughs: Lessons That Shaped My Being

That single misinterpreted question — one that confined me within a diagnosis for years and experienced stigma — taught me something crucial about 'mental health'. While the medicalization of human distress dominates our mental health landscape — influenced by the globalization of American psychiatric framework — it represents just one way of understanding human experiences.

Your distress can be made sense through other lenses — whether trauma-informed, spiritual, or cultural. What matters most is your complete story — how your experiences align with your upbringing, your circumstances, your reality. Not something 'abnormal'.

What Makes Our Work Together Different

Here, you won't find:

Your experiences being dismissed or squeezed into predetermined boxes
Quick fixes that ignore your unique story
Sessions that feel like going through a textbook or protocol
Being told what you "should" do with your life

Instead, you'll discover:

Space to share your whole story — including the messy, confusing parts
Understanding that honors your unique experiences
Freedom to explore what truly matters to you
Support in finding your own authentic way forward.

My Professional Foundation

Life has a way of surprising us. After a series of harmful experiences in the mental health system, I became a service avoider. Psychology chose me, with two bond-free scholarships, and my passion for self-improvement became my path forward when I was too afraid to seek help again. With the steadfast support of a few key individuals who came into my life at pivotal moments, I found the strength to carry on through the years, gradually turning my life around one step at a time.

As I transitioned from patient to professional, I encountered new ways of being silenced — from being asked to censor my story in a peer support program to facing pushback for suggesting clients deserved complete information. These experiences of professional oppression strengthened my resolve to create not just something different, but something truly life-giving — an approach guided not just by textbooks and theories, but by an intimate understanding of how the mental health system can both help and harm.

In spite of my reservations, I found myself inexplicably drawn to this work. Even as I grappled with my own skepticism, an inner voice persistently called me toward this path. Looking back, my journey took an unexpected turn when I secured the coveted internship at the same hospital where my story began, becoming their first official intern in one of the teams — a reminder of how our deepest traumas can lead us to unexpected places.

I became determined to build a space where people could reclaim their voices, reconnect with their inner wisdom, and find the freedom to write their own stories.

My work brings together:

Deep personal understanding of healing and growth beyond traditional approaches
7 years working across Singapore's mental health system (hospitals, community intervention team, GP clinics) and private practice
Master's in Counselling & First Class Honours in Psychology
Lee Kuan Yew Scholarship for Upgrading (STEP) Award and Nanyang Scholarship
Post-graduate Certificate in Systemic Thinking and Approaches

But credentials are just part of the story. What truly shapes my work is the combination of academic knowledge, professional training and experience, as well as deep personal understanding of what helps — and what hurts — when seeking support.

Ready to Write Your Own Story?

If you're looking for support that:

Truly hears your whole story, not just 'symptoms'
Honors your wisdom, not just textbook solutions
Moves at your pace, not a predetermined timeline
Supports your choices, not someone else's agenda

The first step is simple: a free, confidential 15-minute conversation to explore what matters to you, in a space that honors your complete experience — no boxes, no pressure.

Let's Talk

"True healing and growth happen when we're seen, understood, and supported in finding our own way forward."

— Roxanne Koh, Founder of Therapy Without Boxes

Got a question or want to work together?

Follow Me

(+65) 8583 5934 | roxanne@therapywithoutboxes.com