Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her)

💁🏻‍♀️ CBC (Chinese born Canadian) #AAPIpsychologist
🧠 Chartered Counselling Psychologist
📍Dublin, Ireland

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

not my therapist catching me mentioning my mother at the very last second of my session and "bookmarking" it for next week 🙃

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

Also just an FYI that I say Principal because I'm the most senior psychologist in my org. Using HSE language to help clarify. We have Lead Psychologists which would be considered Senior Psychs in the HSE.

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

In case it matters to anyone, I've been issued a Critical Skills Employment Permit for the first time 🎉 I still don't know why Psychologists aren't considered critical skills & only now that I'm in a Principal role that this has been granted. Flawed system.

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

I thought moving to daytime hours would be the biggest adjustment for my new job but turns out it's actually figuring out what to eat every day because I'm no longer in an office that provides me food. Still happy to be fully work from home right now though.

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

I'm starting a new role on Wednesday with my company. It's always tough setting boundaries when you're ramping up so I've preemptively deleted my email & Slack on my phone. I want to avoid burning out from the get go and this is the best way for me right now.

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

Normalize therapists taking their own mental health days!! We are under enormous pressure every day and it is really challenging to support someone else when we are not well ourselves. This needs to be talked about more.

[Ari B, LCSW🌻 @JustAriSpeaking]

Cancelling clients for the day because I can’t show up today. Emotionally, mentally, and physically I’m fucked up

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

It is just another indication to me that I am the "other" and that I don't belong here. I am going to take this as a reminder that even though people may still see me as the "other", I am very much allowed to be here and be #VeryAsian.

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

An older gentleman approached me while I was waiting for the bus today to ask me if I was struggling with the cold in Ireland. As I responded and he heard my accent, he then asked where I was from. When I said Canada, he proceeded to say my parents must be from HK.

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

It's disheartening for something like this to happen now especially as tomorrow is the Lunar New Year - one of the biggest Asian holidays. I feel like I'm not allowed to be offended because he wasn't hostile but, it is challenging to always be asked, 'Where are you from?"

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

For real. The HSE model for recruitment significantly delays posts being taken up, especially in rural Ireland. Interviews are based solely on capacity to memorize manuals & policies which says nothing about competency to practice. Fix the issue!! #PanelNotFit

[Psychological Society of Ireland @PsychSocIreland]

The PSI HSCP Panel Recruitment Survey is now available here - https://t.co/oqoP3kKaZH. PSI & our HSCP colleagues are calling on the HSE & Government to commit to an urgent review and reform of this system without delay #panelnotfit #MyPSI @IACP_ie @IASW_IRL

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

@DeptJusticeIRL Still awaiting my IRP card after confirmation email received on Nov 15. Working #undocumented is very stressful. Please work on your processing times!

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

Funny how we keep pushing for equitable funding for Couns & Ed psychs to close the gap AND we shout #PanelNotFit every bloody day but NOTHING EVER CHANGES. The #HSE could solve wait-list problems very easily if they fixed these issues 🙄 https://t.co/KWaGZBuuuq

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

Humour is one of the most sophisticated defense mechanisms - something I learned during my doctorate & if that ain't the truth then I don't know what is 🥲🥲🥲 Great example below.

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

As a psych with many tattoos + a facial piercing, I truly appreciate this investigation 🙏🏼 I feared clients wouldn't approach me in early days but, I've had many the opposite experience - esp amongst young people. Great to see perception is changing!!

[Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @Lexi_M_Z]

So excited to finally share our paper on tattooed mental health professionals/psychologists out in @APA_Journals Professional Psychology today! @shannahdutrisac #MentalHealth #PsychTwitter #tattoos

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

Had an interview my first day of annual leave and now I can't stop thinking about what happens to my team if I get it, what it will really entail, what I'll do if I don't get it... Can I just rest & relax please, brain? 😭

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

@psychpolis Unfortunately his lab is on my CV as I was a research assistant to one of his doctoral candidates during undergrad. Have thought many times about removing the experience which means 2 years research experience gone down the drain... but he doesn't represent us we'll anymore 😬

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

Had a (tiring) but, great two days with Googlers in our coaching sessions this week. Nearing the end of our work together and many have expressed appreciation for the safe space for self reflection, the guidance, and the psych skills provided. I'm so thankful for this job ✨

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

@PsychSocIreland can we lobby for Psychologists (Clin, Couns, and Ed) to be placed on Critical Skills Occupation list? Huge shortage + qualifications and experience should surely be enough. Would make it much easier for employers and candidates! https://t.co/0r7f1bONah

[Dr. Mitch Teo (she/her) @drmitchteo]

One of the greatest things you can hear from a client as a therapist is that they feel you provide them a safe space. Never underestimate the power of validation and non-judgment. Even if we can't solve an issue together in the moment, the space to speak freely matters so much.