Relate Malaysia

Relate Malaysia Our mission is to make sure every Malaysian enjoys good mental health as a fundamental human right. Unfortunately, their fears were often proven to be true.

Relate Malaysia was founded by Dr. Chua Sook Ning, a clinical psychologist born and bred in DJ in 2016. She started the organization when she realized how little mental health resources there were in Malaysia. There was little information on the mental health status in Malaysia, and the few reports that are available were unpublicized and untalked about. She also noticed that people were embarrass

ed and scared to talk about their mental health struggles. They were afraid of being stigmatized and discriminated against. People lost jobs and the support of friends and family members when they shared their mental health struggles. The final push to start an organization came when she was told that she should not run a public awareness campaign because people will become too aware of mental health and somehow that would worsen the mental health state in Malaysia. Dr. Chua realized that people are afraid of mental illness because of the lack of knowledge, and that the only way to change the status quo was to speak up. She said: "If we knew that 30% of people contracted the Zika virus in Malaysia, it would make the news. Even if there were not enough medication to treat the symptoms. But when 30% of people suffer a mental health condition, we are silent. How can that be?". With that, she established Relate Therapy, which is now known as Relate Malaysia. As a Clinical Psychologist, her initial focus was on raising public awareness that psychotherapy is an effective evidence-based treatment for mental illness. But from that initial focus, Relate Malaysia expanded its mission to:
1. Raising public awareness on mental health.
2. Developing effective and accessible mental health intervention and prevention programs.
3. Advocating for patients' rights in national and institutional policies. This organization is now supported by medical doctors, psychologists and psychiatrists. But most of all, it hopes to be a voice for patients and their caregivers, dispelling myths about mental illness, decreasing the stigma of mental illness and sharing their stories with the rest of Malaysia. Find out more about Dr. Chua here:
https://www.facebook.com/Dr-Chua-Sook-Ning-1670443749915905/

Last week, Relate Malaysia had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Lou Cooper in Kuala Lumpur for four days of Emotion Focused T...
11/06/2026

Last week, Relate Malaysia had the pleasure of hosting Dr. Lou Cooper in Kuala Lumpur for four days of Emotion Focused Therapy training.

Lou trained our first cohort of EFT Level 3 trainees, followed by a two-day workshop on EFT for Trauma attended by more than 20 mental health professionals. These were the first in-person workshops under the Malaysian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy (MIEFT), led by Relate Malaysia.

As Lead Trainer with the Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy and host of the Emotion Focused Podcast, Dr. Lou brought a wealth of clinical experience, shaped by working alongside the late Dr. Melissa Harte and training with Prof. Leslie Greenberg.

Dr. Chua Sook Ning, founder of Relate Malaysia, said:

“Having Lou with us in Kuala Lumpur was a real privilege. Across the four days of training, therapists had the opportunity to strengthen their EFT practice in ways that are clinically rich, practical, and relevant to the complex emotional struggles clients bring into therapy.

“These workshops also mark an important step for MIEFT and for the development of EFT training in Malaysia. Relate Malaysia has been involved in bringing EFT training to local therapists through our previous collaborations with Prof. Leslie Greenberg and Prof. Jeanne Watson, and it’s been meaningful to continue that work and connection with Lou.

“We’re grateful for Lou’s generosity, expertise, and care throughout the training, and we look forward to developing more EFT workshops and certification pathways for therapists in Malaysia and beyond over the coming year.”

09/06/2026

In this episode of Being Human, Dr. Chua Sook Ning sits down with Dr. Rayner Tan to talk about the challenges of navigating openness and identity in the face of stigma 💬🌿

Inspired by the Honest, Open, Proud initiative, they discuss their lived experience and the care involved in deciding what to share, when to share it, and what disclosure might cost.

Listen to the full conversation: https://ow.ly/LW4050Z3Mnh

[𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘] “𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧, 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡, 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗗” (𝗛𝗢𝗣) 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝟭❤️ Do you have lived experience of mental illness?❤️ Would you like ...
08/06/2026

[𝗢𝗡𝗟𝗜𝗡𝗘 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘] “𝗛𝗢𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗧, 𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗡, 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗨𝗗” (𝗛𝗢𝗣) 𝗦𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝟭

❤️ Do you have lived experience of mental illness?
❤️ Would you like to learn safe and empowering ways to talk about your experiences – on your own terms?

For the 1st time in Malaysia, our office via S**A DUN Kampung Tunku, Relate Malaysia, and Awareness Against Su***de AWAS Malaysia will be piloting 𝗛𝗢𝗣 (𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘁, 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱), a group programme that seeks to 𝗿𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗺𝗮 and 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 in deciding if, when, and how to share their stories.

📅 𝟭𝟴 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲, 𝟮𝟱 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲, 𝟮 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝟯𝟬 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 (𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆), 𝟴:𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺 - 𝟭𝟬:𝟯𝟬𝗽𝗺
Sessions will be conducted online via Zoom. Participants' identities will be kept confidential.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻?
You may be eligible if you:
- 18 years old and above
- Have lived experience of mental illness
- Are interested in learning about self disclosure and stigma reduction
- Able to attend all 4 online sessions and are comfortable participating in group discussions

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁?
- Learn practical tools of talking about mental health safely
- Connect with others who share similar experiences in a safe, respectful environment
- Contribute to research aimed at reducing stigma

📝 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿
Visit https://tinyurl.com/KGT-RelateHOP or scan the QR code to fill the form.

A refundable RM50 deposit is required to confirm your participation. This amount will be returned in full upon completion of all 4 sessions. Please pay to 𝗣𝗘𝗝𝗔𝗕𝗔𝗧 𝗔𝗛𝗟𝗜 𝗗𝗘𝗪𝗔𝗡 𝗡𝗘𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗜 𝗦𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗚𝗢𝗥 𝗞𝗔𝗪𝗔𝗦𝗔𝗡 𝗞𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗨𝗡𝗞𝗨 (𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝟯𝟮𝟭𝟭𝟱𝟭𝟭𝟭𝟭𝟱).

Free cancellation and full return of deposit is available upon informing Agnes (+60 17-266 3052; email: [email protected]) before 16 June, 5pm.

04/06/2026

It's a common challenge all therapists face... What do we do when clients seem to go off on tangents and we find it hard to regain the focus in session?😵‍💫

Dr. Chua shares some of her thoughts on this question, and reminds us to keep in mind not only the client's perspective, but also how we're reacting to challenges when they arise in the room 💚

Check out more questions from therapists and Dr. Chua's responses: https://relate.com.my/therapist-corner

From all of us at Relate Malaysia, we extend our warm wishes to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the occasion of...
01/06/2026

From all of us at Relate Malaysia, we extend our warm wishes to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on the occasion of His Majesty’s birthday.

Whenever we feel uncertain, lost, or unsure what to do next, we can feel a panicked sense of needing to rush toward "doi...
28/05/2026

Whenever we feel uncertain, lost, or unsure what to do next, we can feel a panicked sense of needing to rush toward "doing something".

Much of the time, this creates a loop of panic or anxiety, since the faster we try to find a solution, the harder it becomes to know where to begin.

If you ever find your head in a bit of a spin, one of the most helpful things you can do is pause for a moment. It can feel counterintuitive, but slowing down allows your thoughts to settle, which gives you a bit more mental space to decide what's the next one step you need to take.

Did you know…? There’s such a thing as “healthy” narcissism🤯We tend to see narcissism as toxic or harmful, but there’s a...
26/05/2026

Did you know…? There’s such a thing as “healthy” narcissism🤯

We tend to see narcissism as toxic or harmful, but there’s an everyday version most of us experience without realising it.

A steady sense of self-worth allows us to pursue goals, uphold boundaries, and find joy without taking advantage of others 🙌❤️

Being able to appreciate and believe in ourselves is often overlooked; it helps us follow through on what matters and stay steady through tough times 💪

19/05/2026

You're about to graduate as a clinical psychologist and...now what?

Deciding on your next career step can feel like a big decision, and it's common for people to wonder what path is the right fit for them🤔

In this episode of our ClinPsychJourney series, Khay - who is a clinical psychologist with varied experience - shares four considerations inspired by her own journey, to help you think about how your next chapter might unfold 🙌💚

That critical voice in your head isn’t as insightful as it sounds. It repeats the same lines, and we’ve learned to buy i...
14/05/2026

That critical voice in your head isn’t as insightful as it sounds. It repeats the same lines, and we’ve learned to buy into its old and tired messages😴

We might shrug off compliments or downplay our accomplishments, but instead of driving us to “do better”, we usually end up feeling weighed down and miserable.

Our latest blog post explores how we can deal with this, and why self-appreciation – even just a little at a time – can loosen the grip of the inner critic🙌🫶

Read it here: https://relate.com.my/boring-reality-of-self-criticism/

12/05/2026

When clients feel overwhelmed by a sudden life change, such as the death of a loved one, it can be difficult to know how best to support them in the session.

Do we stay with the client’s distress, or try a specific intervention we think might help?

Responding in these moments can feel uncertain for therapists at any stage of their career. Here, Dr. Chua Sook Ning shares her thoughts on how we can support clients going through a difficult time.

For more of Dr. Chua's thoughts on therapists' questions, check out: https://relate.com.my/therapist-corner/

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