Catherine Toh (PhD)

PhD research project: A longitudinal phenomenological study exploring trainee counsellors’ hindering self-awareness and the impact on counselling self-efficacy during counsellor training.

Catherine Mui-Hua is a registered member of the Singapore Association of Counselling and Australian Counselling Association. Additionally, she is a registered practitioner with the Singapore Transactional Analysis Association and a certified practitioner with the William Glasser Institute.

Catherine is a school counsellor and a volunteer at a hospice. Additionally, she volunteers with the Covid-19 hotline in her community. She is an advocate of mental health and social outreach.

Amidst the pandemic, Catherine aims to explore how trainee counsellors make sense of their hindering self-awareness (HSA) experiences or when self-awareness becomes overwhelming for trainee counsellors to manage during counsellor training. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of HSA on trainee counsellors' self-efficacy in counselling and supervisory working alliance. The findings will be used to make recommendations to counselling institutions and supervisors on how to better support trainee counsellors during their novice voyage.