Abstract of talk
Lauren turns six this year and is expected to attend elementary school. Her parents dropped her off on the first day of school with a breeze. It wasn’t until the third day when Lauren would start to complain of aches and pains in the morning, refusing to go to school. Even when her parents managed to persuade her to go to school, she would come home with temper tantrums which sometimes escalates to aggressive behaviours. This has never happened when Lauren attended pre-school. A case such as this is a common experience faced by many parents when their child transitions to the school-age stage. I focus on the link between emotional regulation and childhood anxiety during major transitions in a child’s life. The talk is also aims to highlight the importance of emotional intelligence as part of child development as well as guidelines to manage intense emotions to reduce symptoms of anxiety.
Speaker profile
Sybella Ng graduated with a Masters degree in Developmental Psychology from Columbia University and has since obtained a Graduate Certificate in Family Therapy. Before returning to Malaysia in 2013, she completed her practical training at a psychiatric facility in Oklahoma as well as an internship as research assistant at New York University, where she accumulated a wide range of skills that are valuable in developing impactful prevention and intervention programs. In 2016 and for three subsequent years, Sybella partnered with a local NGO to deliver parenting seminars and parents support group at a child care center in Seri Kembangan, where parents gained knowledge on current issues with raising children. She also coordinated mental health awareness sessions, alongside trained and licensed clinical psychologists and counselors, where the community learned about various mental illnesses, coping skills to enhance resilience as well as intervention options for treatment purposes. With a strong passion for building stronger communities through psychology and versatile skills from her diverse experiences, Sybella collaborates with renowned local and international psychologists and educators to destigmatize current issues on mental health care.
