Dr Derek Zheng CPsychol AFBPsS 郑成德 博士

Doctor in Educational Psychology in Professional Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology, DEdPsy (London, United Kingdom) – not a medical or dental qualification

Senior Psychologist, Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic | The British Psychological Society Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow (UK) | The Health and Care Professions Council Practitioner Psychologist (UK) | Singapore Psychological Society Registered Psychologist

Dr Derek Zheng is a Senior Psychologist who has over 10 years of experience working with children and young persons (CYPs) up to 25 years old and their families/caregivers.

He completed his doctoral training in Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology at University College London (United Kingdom, UK) under a scholarship from the National Council of Social Service (Singapore). Dr Derek is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow with the British Psychological Society (UK). He is also registered with The Health and Care Professions Council (UK) as a Practitioner Psychologist and the Singapore Psychological Society as a Registered Psychologist.

Through the use of applied psychology and evidence-based best practices, Dr Derek works with CYPs and their parents/caregivers to assess and/or better manage a wide range of special educational needs (e.g., Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Mild Intellectual Disability (Mild ID), Specific Learning Disabilities such as Dyslexia/Dyscalculia, etc.), mental wellness concerns (e.g., anger management, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, obsessive-compulsive symptoms, school bullying, trauma symptoms, etc.) and therapeutic needs that might influence the healthy development and well-being of CYPs.

Currently, Dr Derek is the Head of Therapeutic Services and Senior Psychologist in a social service agency delivering psychological assessments, therapeutic services and providing clinical casework consultation for professional staff members working with vulnerable CYPs who have experienced trauma, abuse and/or neglect. He has received additional professional training and clinical supervision to administer trauma-related psychological assessments and to deliver trauma-focused psychological interventions. Dr Derek leads the clinical casework management for these complex cases, working closely with key stakeholders to promote better therapeutic outcomes.

He has several years of experience working in a few special education (SPED) schools in Singapore. In his previous role, he was the Team Lead of a multi-disciplinary team of allied health professionals in a SPED school. Dr Derek provided consultations, conducted psychological assessments, delivered individualised psychological interventions and led the casework management/Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) of high-needs pupils in the SPED school.

During his placements for the Educational, Child and Adolescent Psychology doctoral course, Dr Derek worked as a Doctoral Trainee Educational Psychologist (EP) with a London Local Authority (UK) in various schools from early years to post-secondary educational settings, including pupil referral units (PRUs) – an alternative educational provision for pupils with higher psychosocial needs. He also served as a Doctoral Trainee EP for a few primary schools and secondary schools with Singapore’s Ministry of Education Psychological Services Branch (MOE-PSB).

In his private practice at Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic, Dr Derek continues to embrace a CYP-centred approach to elicit the voice of the CYP and gain deeper and more meaningful insights in the learning and/or psychosocial difficulties that they have experienced. Dr Derek also works closely with their parents/caregivers to help them better understand their child’s learning and/or psychosocial difficulties and collaborates through consultations to better manage their child’s concerns.

Dr Derek uses a repertoire of evidence-based psychological approaches in his individualised therapeutic work with CYPs, such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT), Eye Movement Densensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Personal Construct Psychology (PCP), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), projective drawings, etc.

Dr Derek uses ‘gold-standard’ standardised psychological tools to assess^ the following:

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) symptoms
• Adaptive Behaviour (i.e., communication skills, daily living skills and socialisation skills)
• Anxiety Symptoms
• Depressive Symptoms
• Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms
• Trauma Symptoms
• Specific Learning Difficulties (e.g., Dyslexia – English, Dyscalculia – Mathematics, etc.)
• Visual-Motor Difficulties (e.g., Visual-Motor Integration, Visual Perception, Motor Coordination, Handwriting Speed, etc.)

Dr Derek Zheng is available for appointments on Fridays and Saturdays.

^Note: For formal medical-psychiatric diagnoses such as ADHD, ASD, Mood Disorders (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder, Dysthymia, Anxiety Disorder, etc.), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), etc., medical memo and/or medication, a follow-up consultation with Adelphi Psych Medicine Clinic Psychiatrist Dr John Bosco Lee is required after completion of the psychological assessment/report (separate psychiatrist fees applies).