Ms Siti Mariam
PRINCIPAL Therapist
"CARE IS
providing a safe space where clients can feel they matter, while facilitating their ability to cope and gain mastery over their stressors and challenges.”
BIOGRAPHY
Even as a young child, Siti knew she wanted to be in the helping profession. She had friends who had been abandoned and abused, and really empathised with them.
Siti started her career as a social worker in the community before joining the healthcare sector where she spent most of her professional career. Her extensive experience included working with individuals, couples and families, supporting them through challenges associated with having chronic diseases, cancer, medical trauma, terminal care, end-of-life issues and bereavement. Part of this experience also include supporting survivors of sexual assault, abuse, and people struggling with mental health difficulties.
In Sengkang General Hospital, Siti set up and led her team of Medical Social Workers to provide psycho-emotional support to patients and their family at the Emergency Department and Intensive
Care Unit. She formed and delivered peer support and staff counselling service and was part of various internal and external workgroups to promote mental health and wellness for staff.
Being passionate about nurturing and empowering others, Siti is active in providing training and clinical supervision in areas such as breaking bad news, grief and loss, crisis and trauma, counselling and attending skills, managing difficult situations, Fundamentals in Clinical Education, WHO Psychological First Aid and self-care. She was part of the team that established the Advance Care Planning service in the hospital and trained numerous healthcare staff to be facilitators to conduct conversations with patients and families on their end-of-life healthcare choices.
Supporting others with medical trauma and end-of-life issues is Siti’s passion. She strongly believes in the importance of mental wellness at the workplace and integrates expressive arts as part of the healing process in her therapeutic approach.
EXPERIENCE
- Adjunct Tutor, Social Work Department, National University of Singapore
- Principal Medical Social Worker, Sengkang General Hospital
- Senior Medical Social Worker, Singapore General Hospital
- Senior Executive Officer, Muslim Converts’ Association of Singapore
- Social Worker, Pertapis Children’s Home
- Member, Big Love Multi-Disciplinary Team
- Board of Director, AMP Singapore
- Board of Director, Kidz Meadow CLG
- Member, Both Sides Now Resource Panel
- Member, Singapore Association for Social workers (SASW) Training & Professional Development Workgroup
- Member, Singapore Association for Social workers (SASW) Crisis Response Team Workgroup
EDUCATION & AWARDS
- Master of Arts in Art Therapy, LASALLE College of the Arts
- Master of Grief and Palliative Care Counselling, HMDP Award, University of Adelaide
- Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences (Social Work and Psychology), National University of Singapore
- Diploma in Counselling Practice, Counselling and Care Centre, Singapore
- Diploma in Clinical Supervision, HMDP Award, Counselling and Care Centre, Singapore
- Service with a Heart Award, Singapore General Hospital
- You Sparkle! Award (Silver), Sengkang General Hospital
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
- English, Bahasa Melayu
EXPERIENCE
- Adjunct Tutor, Social Work Department, National University of Singapore
- Principal Medical Social Worker, Sengkang General Hospital
- Senior Medical Social Worker, Singapore General Hospital
- Senior Executive Officer, Muslim Converts’ Association of Singapore
- Social Worker, Pertapis Children’s Home
- Member, Big Love Multi-Disciplinary Team
- Board of Director, AMP Singapore
- Board of Director, Kidz Meadow CLG
- Member, Both Sides Now Resource Panel
- Member, Singapore Association for Social workers (SASW) Training & Professional Development Workgroup
- Member, Singapore Association for Social workers (SASW) Crisis Response Team Workgroup
EDUCATION & AWARDS
- Master of Arts in Art Therapy, LASALLE College of the Arts
- Master of Grief and Palliative Care Counselling, HMDP Award, University of Adelaide
- Bachelor of Arts and Social Sciences (Social Work and Psychology), National University of Singapore
- Diploma in Counselling Practice, Counselling and Care Centre, Singapore
- Diploma in Clinical Supervision, HMDP Award, Counselling and Care Centre, Singapore
- Service with a Heart Award, Singapore General Hospital
- You Sparkle! Award (Silver), Sengkang General Hospital
LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY
- English, Bahasa Melayu
SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS
- Does Healthcare Matter? A Study on Perceptions Among The Low Income Elderly On Their Management Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Treatment. 2007.
- A Systematic Review of the Impact of Prognostic Awareness of Advanced Cancer on Psychological Distress. 2012
- A Quantitative and Qualitative Study to Identify Factors Influencing the Uptake of Advance Care Planning (ACP) by Physicians as Part of their Clinical Practice, 2020
- A Systematic Review of the Impact of Prognostic Awareness of Advanced Cancer on Psychological Distress. SingHealth Duke-NUS Scientific Congress, 2014. Poster Presentation.
