CLEO VIRAY
CLEO VIRAY
Intern Counsellor
EDUCATION
Certified Play Therapist (Play Therapy International)
Masters in Counselling (Ongoing)
PROFESSIONAL STATEMENT
As a child, I wanted to reach adulthood as fast as I can believing that I can be in control of my
own life. When adulthood finally came, life became more daunting. Little had I known that
the childhood I was escaping from, remained, and set the tone of my adult life. It left me
feeling perplexed, defeated, and at times, hopeless. Just like many of us, there were days
that I would feel like a rebel without a cause while at times, lost and empty. Not knowing how
to come out from the pattern I have safely built around me for my own survival. The change
came so elusive that it left me feeling more hopeless and alone.
When I became a Certified Play Therapist in 2017, I had the amazing opportunity to work on
my own childhood traumas with support from a trusted and empathic professional, whom I
have learned from. Working with children and their families brought me a deeper
understanding of how crucial our early years are as they set the template for our future
belief systems. I have had the privilege to work at a non - government organization as well
as at a private mental health clinic with children coming from various socio – economic
background and worked on issues surrounding attachment and family relationships,
abandonment, abuse, anxiety, trauma, learning challenges and children with special needs.
Now with a desire to work with the adult population, I took my Masters in Counselling at
HELP University and expanded my knowledge and understanding of human behaviour.
I believe that a safe and trusting space is the cornerstone of counselling. In my sessions, I
value respect and safety where I will meet you where you are at your emotional and mental
state. We will work together to achieve the therapeutic goal for short term and long term
healing. I utilize the humanistic approach to hold your pain at your most vulnerable state
and journey with you as we make sense of those belief systems that no longer serve you and
reflect on healthier ones. I also work within the family systems framework to gain
understanding of the internal narratives we have of ourselves. Our journey will take us on
memories that still cause us so much pain and come to terms with them through acceptance
and healing.
I am Filipino and have resided in Malaysia for 15 years. I have worked at a private company in
sales and marketing for banks and financial institutions during my early years in Malaysia. As
I gained maturity and purpose, I took the bold move to change career direction to education
and mental health. Now, I am completing my master’s in counselling and am looking forward
to working with you.
English