Hi, I am Wai Leng, and I am clinical psychologist with over nineteen years of clinical experience working in both public mental health inpatient unit, community mental health services, Karitane residential unit, family care centre (child and family health), Jade House (long term therapy for perinatal mood disorders), and private practices. I also have overseas experience working in child protection services.
Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Specialist
I am passionate about the area of Perinatal and Infant Mental Health (i.e. adjustment, anxiety and depression during the antenatal and postnatal period, parent infant relationship and parenting) and have extensive skills and experience in this area. I have joined many parents in their journey in managing the losses in relation to pregnancies or birth trauma, adjustment to parenthood, and impact of arrival of newborn on parents’ relationship with other children, as well as the impact of parental postnatal depression on the family. I am also interested in parent infant therapy and psychodynamic therapy.
Child Advocate and Parenting Coach
I enjoy working with families and children and have helped many families experiencing challenges in helping and managing their children’s emotional vulnerabilities. These can include: impact of parental separation/divorce, anxiety, depression, impact of bullying, self-harm, suicidal ideation, adjustment to arrival of siblings, etc. I believe in helping parents to improve their relationships with their children and improve family’s resilience and capacity in managing future challenges.
Trauma Specialist
I have extensive experience working with individuals (adults, young children and adolescents) with significant past traumas (varying from single traumatic incidents and complex trauma). I have a passionate interest in working with individuals with childhood traumas, relational traumas and challenges with emotional dysregulation.
Supervision
I am an approved supervisor by the Psychology Board (AHPRA) and appreciate learning from the supervision experience. I have significant interest in providing supervision in areas specifically related to perinatal and infant mental health, trauma, and child and family work. I am available to provide supervision to clinical psychology registrars and keen to support them in their journey to learn and gain further experience.
HOW I HELP
I strongly believe in establishing a safe and creative space in my work with individuals and the effectiveness of connection in relationships. I strive to build trust as well as have an upright and open discussion that can facilitate in effective treatment for every individual. I use various therapeutic models such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Schema Therapy, Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT), Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Psychodynamic Therapy, as well as Parent-infant therapy.
MORE ABOUT ME
You can find me searching for every opportunity to improve to be a more effective therapist. I strive to learn from mistakes which enhance my growth. I enjoy spending some of my downtime by myself immersing in TV dramas and enjoying interactions with family and friends.