Being Human

In this episode of Being Human, Dr. Chua Sook Ning speaks with Dr. Lindsay Sheehan and Santee Blakey from the Illinois Institute of Technology about Honest, Open, & Proud - a peer-led programme supporting people to make thoughtful decisions about mental health disclosure. Drawing on Lindsay’s work in counselling, rehabilitation science, and health disparities research, alongside Santee’s exper...

Dr. Chua Sook Ning sits down with Dr. Rayner Tan to explore the Honest, Open, Proud (HOP) initiative, a peer-led programme designed to support thoughtful decisions around disclosing stigmatised experiences. While the conversation begins with HOP in mind, it unfolds in a more personal and reflective direction. Dr. Rayner speaks candidly about his own experiences of openness, and the tensions that c...

In this episode of Being Human , Dr. Chua Sook Ning speaks with Dr. Rys Farthing, a policy expert whose work examines children’s rights in digital environments. Drawing on Rys’s research across academia and policy, including her work with the 5Rights Foundation and Fairplay, the conversation moves beyond screen-time debates to consider how technology, regulation, and power shape young people’s wel...

In this episode of Being Human, Dr. Chua Sook Ning speaks with Dr. Scott Miller, founder of the International Centre for Clinical Excellence and a leading voice in behavioural health services. They discuss the concept of deliberate practise in psychotherapy and its powerful role in improving therapeutic effectiveness. Scott shares insights from his extensive research, challenging the belief that e...

In this episode of Being Human, Dr. Chua Sook Ning is joined by Dr. Lou Cooper, Chair of the Australian Institute of Emotion Focused Therapy and host of the Emotion Focused Podcast . Navigating our emotional world is rarely straightforward. Lou shares how the way we respond to feelings – whether by suppressing, managing, or exploring them – is shaped not only by our personal histories, but also by...

In this episode of Being Human, counsellor and author Sandy Clarke speaks with psychotherapist and author Ben Yalom about Hour of the Heart , a book co-authored with his father, Dr. Irvin Yalom – renowned existential psychotherapist and professor emeritus of psychiatry at Stanford University. They discuss core themes from the book, including the transformative power of genuine therapist-client rel...

In this special episode of Being Human, we’re featuring a short talk by Dr. Eugene Tee, an emotions researcher, educator, and author. Originally delivered as a TEDx presentation aimed at Gen Z, this talk explores the power of character strengths – how recognising and cultivating the qualities within us can lead to a richer, more meaningful life. While the original context was for a younger audienc...

In this episode of Being Human, we welcome back Dr. John Wilson, who joins licensed counsellor and mindfulness author Sandy Clarke to explore how our understanding of grief and bereavement has evolved over time. From Freud’s early theories to the widely known – but often misunderstood – stages of grief, Dr. Wilson discusses how contemporary approaches in bereavement counselling offer more flexible...

In this episode of Being Human, Dr. Chua Sook Ning speaks with Dr. Jonathan Stea, clinical psychologist and adjunct assistant professor at the University of Calgary, about the growing influence of pseudoscience in mental health. They explore why people – regardless of intelligence – can be vulnerable to misleading health claims, the challenges of holding the wellness industry accountable, and how...

In this episode of Being Human, Dr. Chua Sook Ning welcomes Dr. Isabelle Ong, a licensed clinical mental health counselor and certified EMDR therapist. Dr. Ong shares her insights into Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, explaining its purpose, applications, and what clients can expect in the therapy room. She also shares her journey into EMDR and discusses its strengths...

Dr. Chua Sook Ning sits down with Subang Jaya State Assemblywoman Michelle Ng to discuss mental health campaign by Relate Malaysia and the Selangor State Government, shedding light on the critical yet often overlooked issue of women's mental health. Michelle shares her personal journey as a first-time mother, offering a candid look at the challenges many women face. The conversation explores t...

In this episode of the Being Human podcast, host Dr. Chua Sook Ning sits down with Dr. Joel Low, a clinical psychologist and current president of the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology. Joel shares his personal journey and the experiences that led him to pursue a career in clinical psychology, and provides insights into what it truly means to be a clinical psychologist, shedding light on the...

In this enlightening episode, Dr Chuan Sook Ning and Dr Frederick Philippe explore the intricate ways our memories shape our current reality and mental health. They also discuss how the accumulation of past events influences our perceptions, functioning, and overall well-being. Dr Philippe shares his insights the process of encoding and reconstructing memories, highlighting the importance of satis...

In this fascinating episode of Being Human, Dr. Chua hosts author and therapist, Jon Frederickson, to discuss the process of therapy and the challenges we face in relating to ourselves and others. Jon teaches, practices and supervises in Intensive Short Term Dynamic Psychotherapy and is an international author of several books including 'Co-creating Change', 'The Lies We Tell Ourselves', and 'Heal...

Grief is something we'll all come to experience at different stages in life, whether it be coping with the death of a loved one, or any significant loss such as the end of a marriage, the death of a pet, being made redundant, and so on. And yet, despite the universality of grief, it's a topic of conversation that's often avoided as we prefer to look on the "bright side" of th...

We often hear about the importance of mental health literacy and how it can improve our ability to take care of our mental health...but what does it mean, exactly? Exploring this question, licensed counsellor and author, Sandy Clarke, is joined by Prof. Alvin Ng of Sunway University to get his thoughts on the importance of mental health literacy. Alvin is Associate Dean for Sunway's School of...

In this episode of Being Human, mindfulness author and Star columnist Sandy Clarke discusses the concept of acceptance with Ajahn Brahmali - a Buddhist monk from Bodhinyana monastery, Perth. They discuss why acceptance can be difficult to work toward and how to overcome the obstacles that get in our way. Ajahn Brahmali also shares his thoughts on the value of self-compassion as part of acceptance,...

As 'Being Human' marks its 50th episode, Dr. Chua Sook Ning invited the podcast's first ever guest, Prof. Jeanne Watson, for this special episode. Jeanne is a professor at the University of Toronto and was a co-developer of Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) alongside Profs. Leslie Greenberg and Robert Elliott. In recent years, she has been a supervisor and mentor to Dr. Chua who received s...

From an award-winning music star, to radio announcer and TV host, Sarimah Ibrahim's journey is nothing short of inspiring. In this episode of Being Human, she joins Dr. Chua Sook Ning and opens up about her life and struggles with peripartum depression - a crucial issue in women's mental health in Malaysia. A passionate mental health advocate, Sarimah shares her personal experiences, shedd...

In this episode of Being Human, Dr. Chua Sook Ning hosts Dr. Laura Dietz - a a leading expert in Family Based Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for depressed preadolescents aged 8-12 years. They discuss what makes IPT effective in treating mental health problems in young people, and how it can also help to enable families to improve communication and strengthen their bonds. For more information on...

Would you say you lived life in pursuit of existential perfection? Are you the kind of person who might dwell and ruminate on mistakes made in the past as proof that you're a bad or unworthy person? If these questions stir something deep inside, then this enlightening podcast episode is for you! Dr. Chua Sook Ning hosts Dr. Robert Leahy - psychologist and author whose book, If Only...Finding F...

In this episode of the Being Human podcast, Dr. Chua Sook Ning sits down with Syed Saddiq, a prominent Malaysian politician and the founding member of the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA). As a young and dynamic leader, Saddiq has been actively involved in youth empowerment and has a deep passion for addressing the mental health struggles faced by young people in Malaysia. Dr. Chua and...

With a goal to be "the busiest man in showbusiness", Keanu Azman is a media maverick with a tireless drive and passion for learning about people, events, and just about everything else he encounters. On the one hand, many in Malaysia will know Keanu as the suave, charming and energetic media personality he is. On the other hand, in this episode of Being Human, he joins Dr. Chua Sook Ning...

Emotional pain is something we all experience, but why is it so hard to sit with our feelings? This episode of Being Human examines the transformative power of core emotional pain with Dr. Ladislav Timulak, a renowned expert and Professor in Counselling Psychology at Trinity College Dublin. Hosted by Dr. Chua Sook Ning, she and Dr. Timulak explore the messages our emotions send us, and how we can...

What do we do when a storm comes our way? In this episode of Being Human, mental health counsellor and mindfulness author Sandy Clarke sat down with Dr. Ray Owen, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and author of 'Facing the Storm', a powerful guide to coping with life's toughest challenges. Together, they explore the difficult but important questions we all face: how can we navigate pain...