Private 1-to-1 Therapy with Kester

Kester Shekar-Tay (B.A., Dip. Counselling Psychology, Spec. Dip. Relationship & Marital Counselling) is an experienced therapist and relationship expert who helps men develop self-leadership, so they can show up with greater confidence and emotional strength.

Men come to Kester when they are:

• Battling anxiety, low mood or recurring negative emotions that have persisted for a long time. They may have tried various ways to distract themselves or even therapy, but still feel stuck in the same emotional state.
• Successful on the outside but restless on the inside. They feel stagnant in their career, questioning whether they want to spend the next five or ten years living the same life, and wanting to make a more significant move without knowing what is holding them back.
• Struggling in their marriage or relationship. They care deeply about their partner, but when emotions run high, they lose their footing. They want to become the kind of man who can stay grounded, handle difficult emotions, create emotional safety and lead his relationship without losing himself.
• Privately struggling with sexuality and identity. They feel attracted to men but are ashamed. They question whether they are gay or straight, and are exhausted from hiding. They want clarity and freedom to be themselves, and to find a loving relationship.

Kester's approach goes beneath the presenting problem to identify the root emotional wounds, trauma, subconscious patterns and unresolved experiences that continue to drive the symptoms and behaviours. Using integrative techniques, including parts work, shadow work, inner-child work, mindfulness and martial-arts-based practices, he works not only with the mind, but with the deeper emotional patterns where the issues originate.

Men who work with Kester often achieve these outcomes:

• More grounded. They can stay present when emotions run high instead of shutting down or losing themselves.

•  More emotionally capable. They understand what they are feeling, know how to work with it and no longer feel at the mercy of their emotional state.

• More free. The negative emotional patterns that once seemed to define them no longer have the same hold.

•  More connected. They are able to create greater emotional safety, intimacy and closeness with their partners and families.

•  More decisive. They have greater clarity about what they want and the courage to act on it.

Kester's own path has taken him through questioning of his sexuality, and recurring, intense conflict in his marriage, that forced him to sit with emotions he once avoided. These experiences taught him what it actually takes for a man to stay grounded and lead with integrity.

Together with his wife Kavitha Shekar-Tay, Kester founded SACRED® Institute and the SACRED T.R.U.S.T. Method™, an actionable, repeatable framework that enables individuals, couples and families to build healthy, intentional relationships.

Areas of Expertise

Kester specialises in working with men through:

• Depression and anxiety
• Anger and emotional regulation 
• Avoidant attachment style, emotional shut down patterns, emotional suppression and disconnection from the body
• Recurring conflict and relationship breakdown
• Fatherhood and family leadership
• Masculine-feminine dynamics and developing healthy masculinity
• Questioning sexuality and seeking authentic, healthy relationship

Book a Trial Session with Kester

During this 60-minute in-person trial session, Kester will:

• Help you get crystal clear on the exact root causes of your challenges,
• Provide initial steps that bring about immediate shifts; many clients see breakthroughs within 60 minutes that months of conventional therapy couldn't deliver,
• Customise a personalised therapy plan that will help you find complete, long-term resolution to your issues.

This session will be held in-person at our physical space in Singapore.

Address: Leong Hin Building, 441 Balestier Road, #02-01, Singapore 329820

Investment: S$200 nett

Pick your timeslot below.

If you prefer an online session, or have any questions, reach out to us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us at +65 88829412.

Testimonials

“I embarked on a journey to seek help when anxiety and depression had cast their shadow over my life, leaving me feeling like I had nothing else to lose. It was a tumultuous period, both in my work and personal life, and I was grappling with relationship issues. I had prior experience with therapy, primarily Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, but this time, the prospect of reaching out to someone new was daunting. The fear of opening up to another person almost held me back. However, when I stumbled upon SACRED Institute's holistic approach to healing, I felt an intriguing pull, and I decided to take a leap of faith and signed up for a trial session. Looking back, that decision was the best one I've ever made.

Today, I live my life with everything to lose, and I'm in love with living for the first time ever. Kester's therapeutic approach was precisely what I needed - a delicate balance between rationality and emotional expression. As I reflect on my journey, I can't help but appreciate the profound impact he has had on my life.

Walking into my first session, I had no idea what to expect. However, I was warmly welcomed by Kester, someone who immediately showed a genuine interest in my well-being. He exuded care, compassion, and empathy, putting me at complete ease. From that moment on, I knew I was in capable hands.

Over the course of our sessions, we delved deep into the various challenges I was facing. Kester's guidance, support, and insightful perspectives helped me navigate through the complexities of my life. Each session was an opportunity for growth, self-discovery, and healing. I used to genuinely look forward to our meetings, knowing that they were instrumental in my transformation.

Through my experience with Kester, I have become an ardent advocate for men seeking therapy. The stigma surrounding mental health is slowly receding, and I believe that every individual, regardless of gender, should have the chance to benefit from therapy. Kester's approach transcends stereotypes and creates a safe space for healing and personal growth.

I cannot recommend Kester enough. He is not just a therapist but a beacon of hope for those grappling with the challenges of life. Thanks to his expertise and unwavering support, I have emerged from the darkness of anxiety and depression into the light of a fulfilling and joyful life. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to Kester for being a guiding force in my journey towards mental well-being and happiness.”

- Rauf Zulkiflee Soh, Singapore

“I came into SACRED Institute's Therapy Programme with the intent of finding deeper healing, deeper resolutions in my life’s big personal struggles, such as anxiety attacks, constant negative thought ruminations and to relive my own trauma responses that causes my current insecurities. My greatest hope that I brought with me before therapy was the hope for a resolution to the pains and struggles that I’m consistently experiencing on a daily basis.

The entire course of my 8 sessions with Kester has been one that is deeply self-reflective. Unlike perhaps many other transformative testimonials where people were able to make major changes in life, break life-long habits, I didn’t really changed much externally. But what’s different is the level of awareness that I have experientially gained for myself. I came in with the original intention of wanting a deep fix to my life. Instead, I left the 8 sessions with a enlivened awareness that there is nothing much I really need to change. That I am simply okay and enough with the situation I’m in, and with the feelings in me that exists for a very good reason to serve me in its own ways. I didn’t suddenly became happy, or became inspired into a “better version” of myself. I still remain as… me! But this time, in a greater recognition of my thoughts, feelings, sensations, inner pain and my inner journey. Through the mentoring and guidance by Kester, I was able to have a space to be vulnerable about my inner thoughts, struggles and what I do wish to air for a long time. Besides having a great listening ear, his expertise in the field of mental wellness, meditation guidance has allowed me to be able to unravel and heal the pains that which I would not have been able to do so myself.

I would not hesitate to recommend Kester and Kavitha to anyone that is seeking therapy in the form of healing trauma and deeply need that safe space and trusted mentoring to do such vulnerable works. And also especially to all those people that have tried years of conventional therapy and/or counselling that find that there is no resolution to those techniques/methods/solutions.

So once again, Kester and Kavitha, thank you for doing what you do..! And it was deeply a worthy investment for myself and my own journey that is simply irreplaceable from many other materialistic desires and pleasures! Keep doing what you’re doing! 😃”

– Choong Jun Rong, Singapore

"The sessions that I had with Kester have been truly insightful and empowering. I'm now even more inspired to make changes to my life and my life's work. Navigating life as a man in this day and age can be difficult. Kester offers a listening ear and guidance on how to deal with life's challenges. He has given me a fresh outlook on the world. I am now able to process my thoughts and feelings more effectively. I highly recommend working with him."

– Eugene, Singapore

“I was going through difficult times almost daily before I met Kester. Even though I have done self-study on 'awareness' and 'emotions management', I realized all the efforts are not comparable to having guidance and support from a counsellor who is patient and trustworthy. Kester's personality makes me feel comfortable and I have no fear of sharing my thoughts and feelings. He shared so much knowledge and skills to help me to continue to support myself after the completion of the sessions. This is important to me as I continue my learning journey to navigate the challenges in life, at work and at home as the sole caregiver to my mother with Dementia. Thank you Kester!”

- Vincent, Singapore

“I enrolled in the Emotional Wellness Therapy program with Kester as my therapist.

Kester has great listening skills and an empathetic presence that made it easy to share deeper thoughts and feelings. He was effective in identifying my behavioral patterns and steering our conversations towards productive discussion which felt holistic in addressing complex emotional topics.

Kester is truly passionate about therapy and was dedicated to ensuring I was well-supported in my healing journey. He also guided me through various exercises that were helpful in regulating my emotions and provided clarity for my personal strengths and purpose.

Through Kester’s guidance, I was also able to reflect on my childhood experiences in a way that would not have been possible alone, allowing me to rebuild a strong relationship with my inner child which was central to the healing process.

Thank you, Kester!” – Anonymous

Follow SACRED:

SACRED® Institute is a Singapore-based relationship education platform founded in 2019 by therapist couple Kavitha and Kester Shekar-Tay.

Our mission is to promote human connection and address the changing relationship landscape, loneliness and mental health challenges by sharing preventive, evidence-based relational and emotional skills at scale.

By equipping people to build authentic connections across romantic, family, friendship, and workplace ties, we foster long-term resilience and reduce reliance on reactive clinical models. We deliver this via courses, workshops and therapy. All our offerings are based on the SACRED T.R.U.S.T. Method™.