10,000 hours and more

With 13 years of experience in the industry and a James Cook University doctorate in Clinical Psychology, clinical psychologist Janice Tan is sharing her knowledge with others

By Michelle Chin

June 13, 2019

If writer Malcolm Gladwell’s 10,000-hour rule offers a guide to achieving success in any field, Dr Janice Tan can be considered an expert in the field of psychology.

She has had 13 years of experience in clinical psychology. That included 1,500 hours of supervised training she received while pursuing a Doctor of Psychology (Clinical Psychology) at the Singapore campus of James Cook University (JCU).

The full-time, four-year doctorate is an Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC) accredited postgraduate programme. Its three main components are academic coursework, supervised practica and a research thesis.

Although all three elements were important in helping Dr Tan become an effective clinical psychologist, the extensive supervised practica gave her the opportunity to apply what she learnt in the classroom in the real world.

The training was conducted at JCU Singapore Psychology Clinic and external clinical settings.

During her training, she conducted psychological assessments such as intelligence quotient (IQ) assessments, personality assessments, risk assessments and therapy for clients using different intervention methods.

In 2012, she obtained her doctorate, meeting one of the criteria for becoming a Registered Psychologist with the Singapore Register of Psychologists.

Six years after Dr Tan received her doctorate, the Registered Psychologist started her own consultancy and practice in 2018. It offers clinical supervision for psychologists, among other services.

Dr Tan, who is married, says: “I am at a stage in my career where I hope to give back to the psychology profession by making training and clinical supervision accessible to psychologists, as well as individuals who are working in related fields such as mental health, social work and counselling.”

Prior to setting up her own business, Dr Tan has 12 years of experience working as a clinical psychologist in the public service. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Theatre Studies from the National University of Singapore (NUS) with an honours in Theatre Studies.

She worked as a full-time counsellor at NUS for two years before going overseas in 2005 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) in Psychology at the University of Melbourne.

Dr Tan says: “Being a counsellor at NUS gave me the opportunity to work with people in a therapeutic capacity, to help facilitate and support them in overcoming challenges and difficulties and to make meaningful changes to their lives.

“This was something that was very personally meaningful to me and was what made me decide to pursue psychology in the long run,” adds the 40-year-old.

How does an experienced psychologist like herself maintain good mental health?

For Dr Tan, good mental health is intertwined with physical health: She stays active by going for swims and doing pole fitness.

“As a yoga instructor, I also do yoga regularly. In addition, spending quality time with family and friends, enjoying a good meal and having quiet time to myself are just some ways that I engage in self-care,” she says.