Interview with Expat Living Singapore: Trauma, Grief, and Loss Expert Sally Mounir

Life is a rich tapestry of the good, the bad and the in-between. Sometimes traumatic events can set your life off-balance and lead to bad mental health. And ignoring negative experiences will only exacerbate feelings of grief and loss. Sally Mounir is a psychotherapist passionate about helping people work through trauma, grief and loss, to return to a happier place. We sat down with Sally to hear more about her process.

Tell us about yourself and your journey

I'm a psychotherapist based in Singapore, with a focus on supporting clients from diverse backgrounds who feel unheard and afraid of judgement. Over the past 31 years I've lived in eight different countries, which has given me a unique perspective on human behavior and mindsets.

My journey into the world of psychotherapy was not a planned path. It started with my own personal struggle with anxiety a few years back when I was living in Jakarta. Through group art therapy, I experienced firsthand the transformative power of therapy and realized how much I missed working with people. When I moved to Singapore, I sought out similar therapy services and found the diplomas offered by The School of Positive Psychology.

I believe that everyone can get better, and that psychotherapy can be a tool to help a person unleash their potential and regain control of their lives. I'm what my colleagues lovingly refer to as an "accidental therapist".

Trauma and grief in young adults and adults is your specialty — why did you decide to focus on this issue?

Trauma can be life-changing, both in big and small ways, and everyone reacts to it differently. There are two kinds of traumas:

Small "t" trauma refers to the cumulative events that are distressing or damaging to an individual's emotional health, such as divorce, bullying, or incidents that affect a person emotionally depending on their sensitivity to an event. These experiences may not be life-threatening, but they can still have a significant impact on an individual's mental and emotional well-being.

Big "T" trauma refers to severe or life-threatening events, such as physical or sexual abuse, natural disasters, combat and more. These experiences can have a profound and lasting impact on an individual's mental health, causing conditions such as PTSD or complex trauma. This can result in defensive behavior and a fundamentally different outlook on life.

Grief, on the other hand, can stem from a variety of sources, from losing a loved one to something as simple as relocating. But it can last a long time and often manifests itself as depression or even suicidal thoughts. The person loses their flair for life. Many mistakenly use the term "depression" to describe all forms of sadness, but true depression is a serious condition that requires time and care to heal.