External Advisor

Usha Ponnudurai is a licensed counsellor currently practicing at the Faculty of Behavioral Sciences, Education and Languages (Masters Unit) under HELP University as the current Program Chair of the Masters in Counselling program whereby she supervises and lectures counsellors; and also provides mental health counselling clients, focusing on individuals and couples’ counselling.

As the current need for online mental health awareness and counselling is emerging, she is active in providing workshops on how to transition working from home and providing online therapy for those who are not able to cope well. She has had 16 years of experience as a counsellor; 5 of which she helmed as the Deputy Manager at the Centre for Psychological and Counselling Services at HELP University.

She also regularly conducts training sessions for audiences in Malaysian, USA, India, Singapore, Qatar and other countries for various emotional skillsets; and provides consultation services to mental health centres looking to develop mental health-adjacent processes such as constructing Standard Operating Procedures, documentation processes, holistic and multidisciplinary integration systems approach to counselling for individuals, couples and families.

External Advisor

Dr Steven Khaw is a globally recognised professional trainer, keynote speaker, executive coach, and business strategist with over 25 years of industry experience in leadership development, organisational growth, and corporate training. Holding a PhD in Marketing from AACSB-accredited Putra Business School, alongside multiple postgraduate qualifications in law, education, business, and management, he brings a rare combination of academic depth and practical commercial expertise to organisations across the region.

Over the course of his career, Dr Steven has trained more than 100,000 professionals across 13 countries, working with multinational corporations, government agencies, universities, and business leaders in areas such as leadership, emotional intelligence, sales strategy, organisational effectiveness, and business transformation.

His professional recognitions include Professional Trainer of the Year 2022 (UK), Outstanding International Professional Trainer 2023 (Asia), and Educator Leader of the Year 2024. He is also an ATD Master Trainer®, Certified MBTI® Practitioner, Chartered Manager, HRDC-accredited trainer, and part-time faculty member at Putra Business School, contributing to MBA programmes with a blend of academic rigour and real-world insight.

External Advisor

Evone Phoo is a clinical psychologist, educator, and mental health leader whose work spans clinical practice, supervision, academia, and global clinical quality management. She currently serves as Clinical Care Manager at MindFi, overseeing a global network of mental health providers and supporting clinical quality and professional standards across international markets.

Previously, Evone was Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head of Department (Psychology) at HELP University, where she taught across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and provided clinical supervision to trainee psychologists. Her clinical experience includes work in government hospitals, psychiatric settings, private practice, and digital mental health services.

Grounded in existential-humanistic and psychoanalytic traditions, Evone has a particular interest in reflective clinical practice, therapist development, and the therapeutic relationship. Her work focuses on helping individuals navigate questions of meaning, identity, grief, relationships, and psychological growth, while supporting practitioners in developing deeper self-awareness and clinical presence.