Hi! My name is Twinkle. I have been working at St Andrews International School Bangkok as a High School Counsellor since 2017. I am originally from India, but have lived in Bangkok for most of my life. I studied at an international school here, and then went to pursue my undergraduate degree in Psychology at a joint programme between Chulalongkorn University and the University of Queensland, Australia.
I took a gap year before furthering my education, and interned as a Counsellor at St Andrews under Ms Amy Bonehill. I returned from the United States in 2017 with a Masters in Counselling and Mental Health Services from the University of Pennsylvania and started working at St Andrews as a full-time Counsellor. A little bit about me as an individual…
I love dancing, traveling, learning about different cultures, photography, and baking/cooking. I am fluent in English and Hindi, and can converse in Spanish and Thai as well. Growing up as a third-culture kid in an international school in Bangkok, I have experienced several similar issues the students here at St Andrews face, enabling me to empathise with them on a different level.
In counselling, I follow an eclectic approach -- a combination of several different techniques -- including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, and Psychodynamic Therapy. I also believe in using a holistic approach and incorporating various complementary and alternative therapies, such as yoga, mindfulness, and meditation.
Over the years, I have worked with young children, adolescents, and adults facing various mental health issues, including anxiety, depression, disordered eating, self-harm and suicide ideation, drug and sexual abuse, trauma, grief, and personality disorders. I also have experience working with individuals with different cognitive/developmental disorders, such as Autism, Down Syndrome, Obsessive Defiant Disorder, etc.
I am particularly interested in working with populations of trauma and abuse, and participate in several trainings every year to gain expertise in that field. When I first worked at St. Andrews as an intern, I absolutely loved it here.
I not only got to learn a lot in that one year, but found the aura of the workplace to be very welcoming and supportive. Additionally, the importance this school places on mental and emotional well-being was something I was hugely impressed by and appreciated. Having had such a lovely experience here, I decided to come back and continue working with students to help them cope with their struggles and achieve their goals. It’s a joy to be a part of such a great community! :)
If you have any concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. You can either email me or come visit me at the Counselling Centre.