Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts
Showing posts with label conference. Show all posts
Invisible Injuries at Work: Notes from Macau

Invisible Injuries at Work: Notes from Macau

Dr Koo Kian Yong (Hiro) at the podium; slide reads Invisible Occupational Injury in the Age of AI.
Speaking at the Macau Psychology Association 2026 Annual Academic Conference, 24 October 2026.
在澳门心理学会 2026 年学术年会上演讲,2026 年 10 月 24 日。

FROM MACAU

On the afternoon of 24 October, at the Rio Hotel, Macau, I joined psychologists from Macau, Hong Kong and mainland China. I was there as a Malaysian Industrial & Organizational Psychologist, invited by the Macau Psychology Association (Associação de Psicologia de Macau) to speak at its 2026 Annual Academic Conference, which also marked the installation of the Association's 14th board. The conference theme was workplace mental health in the age of AI.

ON THE STAGE

My talk was titled "Invisible Occupational Injury in the Age of AI", and it followed one thread: from workplace trauma and burnout to a cultural path back to work. I opened with a slide from Invisible Disabilities Week 2026 that read "I Am Invisible No More".

Speaker on stage with opening slide reading I Am Invisible No More, Invisible Disabilities Week 2026.
Opening the talk with “I Am Invisible No More”.
演讲开场投影片:「I Am Invisible No More」。

I also wanted the room to hear about Malaysia. I spoke about the work the Malaysian Psychological Association (Persatuan Psikologi Malaysia, PSIMA) has been doing in recent years to develop psychology as a profession, and about where counselling and psychology in Malaysia now stand on the road to professionalisation. I shared, too, the workplace mental health and psychosocial risk management initiatives that DOSH, Malaysia's Department of Occupational Safety and Health, has been actively driving.

Four speakers on stage; screen shows Macau Psychology Association 2026 annual conference title.
The academic discussion that closed the afternoon.
下午最后的学术讨论环节。

The programme also included Professor Luo Yuejia, President of the Chinese Psychological Society, on the development of psychology and talent in China, and Mills Wong, an organisational psychologist from Hong Kong, who asked what AI takes from us beyond our job skills. The afternoon closed with an academic discussion among the speakers.

A REFLECTION

What stays with me is how colleagues from different places responded. They were impressed by Malaysia's progress in developing the psychology profession, our counselling system and our work on mental health at work. Being able to let more international colleagues see the effort of Malaysia's psychology community means a great deal to me.

My sincere thanks to the Macau Psychology Association for the invitation and for such warm hospitality. I hope there will be many more exchanges between our regions, so that psychology can be put to practical use in workplaces and in society.

Saya Anak Malaysia.

Warmly, Dr Hiro Koo

If your organisation is beginning to look at psychosocial risk and how people return to work after a difficult season, I would be glad to talk it through with you. Psychosocial risk assessment at New Mind

FROM MACAU

10 月 24 日下午,我在澳门利澳酒店,与来自澳门、香港和中国内地的心理学同行交流。我受澳门心理学会邀请,以马来西亚工商与组织心理学家(Industrial & Organizational Psychologist)的身份,参加澳门心理学会 2026 年学术年会暨第十四届理监事就职礼。年会的主题是:AI 时代的职场心理健康解方。

ON THE STAGE

我的演讲题目是《AI 时代的隐形工伤:从职场创伤、倦怠到重返工作的文化之路》。开场的第一张投影片来自 Invisible Disabilities Week 2026,上面写着「I Am Invisible No More」。

我也想让在场的同行多认识马来西亚。我分享了马来西亚心理学会(Persatuan Psikologi Malaysia, PSIMA)近年来推动心理学专业发展的努力,以及马来西亚辅导与心理学专业化的概况和进展;也介绍了马来西亚职业安全与卫生局(DOSH)积极推动的职场心理健康与心理社会风险管理倡议。

同场还有中国心理学会理事长罗跃嘉教授,谈中国心理学科的发展与人才培养;香港组织心理学家黄仲远先生,则问了一个问题:除了职能,AI 还抢走了什么?下午最后是讲者们的学术讨论环节。

A REFLECTION

特别开心的是,各地同行对马来西亚在心理学专业发展、辅导制度和职场心理健康方面的进展留下了深刻印象。能让更多国际同行看见马来西亚心理学界的努力,对我来说是一件很有意义的事。

衷心感谢澳门心理学会的邀请与热情接待。期待未来有更多跨地区的专业交流与合作,一起推动心理学在职场与社会中的实际应用。

Saya Anak Malaysia。

Warmly, Dr Hiro Koo

如果你的机构也开始关注职场心理社会风险,或在思考员工如何在艰难时期后重返工作,欢迎和我聊一聊。了解 New Mind 的职场心理社会风险评估

International Psychology Conference 2026 (PSIMA)

International Psychology Conference 2026 (PSIMA)





Presented my research paper today at the International Psychology Conference 2026, organised by Persatuan Psikologi Malaysia together with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and HELP University.


My study examined traumatic stress exposure and burnout among 120 Malaysian corporate employees using the LEC 5 and Burnout Assessment Tool.

The findings suggest that the relationship between traumatic stress and burnout may be more complex and dimension specific than a simple “more trauma, more burnout” pattern.

The clearest signal appeared in exhaustion. The regression model for exhaustion was significant and explained 23.1% of the variance.

This leads to an important direction for future research.

I would like to explore this with larger and more diverse samples, while examining cumulative trauma exposure and moderators such as job demands, job resources, resilience, social support and perceived control.

I am also interested in whether subjective exhaustion always matches physiological regulation.

Some employees may become accustomed to chronic stress, underreport exhaustion, or experience reduced awareness of their own physiological load.

Future studies could therefore combine self report measures such as BAT with psychophysiological indicators such as heart rate variability and biofeedback derived regulation measures.

The question may not only be “How burned out is this employee?”

It may also be “What pattern of resource depletion is developing, what is maintaining it, and can we detect it before it progresses further?”

This is the direction I hope to continue exploring within Occupational Health Psychology.

#OccupationalHealthPsychology #Burnout #WorkplaceMentalHealth #PsychosocialRisk #TraumaInformed #IPC2026
Malaysian Neurofeedback Practitioner Dr. Hiro Koo Co-Authors Teaching Book Launched in China

Malaysian Neurofeedback Practitioner Dr. Hiro Koo Co-Authors Teaching Book Launched in China

 A meaningful milestone in my professional journey.

Man in a grey suit and red tie holding a blue booklet in front of a 2026 Shanghai BCI and neuromodulation conference backdrop

Open book showing the first chapter page in Chinese

Book page listing the editorial committee, including Koo Kian Yong

Hand holding a copy of the Chinese book on neural plasticity at the conference

Man and woman holding books in front of the 2026 BCI and neuromodulation conference backdrop

Ribbon-cutting on stage for the launch of a neural plasticity textbook

Audience seated at the conference with the main screen ahead

Group photo of speakers on stage giving thumbs up before the conference backdrop

Screenshot of a Chinese news article about the book launch at the Huangpu conference



Today, while attending the 2026 International Innovation Conference on Brain-Computer Interface and Neuromodulation Technology in Shanghai, I was humbled to learn that the newly launched textbook, Neuronal Plasticity: From Theoretical Foundations to Practical Applications, was featured in official media coverage following the conference.

What makes this particularly meaningful to me is that parts of the book were developed from my PhD research, and I had the privilege of contributing as one of the authors.

As researchers and practitioners, we often spend years exploring questions, conducting studies, analyzing data, and translating findings into practical applications. Much of this work happens quietly behind the scenes. Seeing a portion of my doctoral research evolve into a published textbook is both humbling and deeply rewarding.

The book brings together contributions from international experts in neuroplasticity, neurofeedback, neuromodulation, and brain health. Its aim is to support education, professional training, research, and evidence-informed practice in these rapidly developing fields.

I was also honoured to serve as the moderator for the international roundtable discussion at the conference, representing the Asia Pacific Neurofeedback and Biofeedback Association (APNA) as my role as vice president, alongside distinguished experts from around the world.

Over the years, my work has focused on bridging neuroscience and real-world application through neurofeedback, biofeedback, psychophysiological assessment, brain health, workplace wellbeing, and trauma-informed practice. Experiences like this reinforce my belief that research achieves its greatest value when it can be translated into knowledge that supports practitioners, organizations, and the people they serve.

My sincere gratitude to my supervisors, mentors, collaborators, students, and colleagues who have contributed to this journey.

Still learning. Still growing. Still committed to advancing the science and practice of neurofeedback and biofeedback for brain health and human potential.

#Neurofeedback #Biofeedback #Neuroplasticity #BrainHealth #Neuroscience #BrainComputerInterface

A short profile of Dr Hiro Koo and New Mind Brain Health Centre is on the About page.

For a practical first visit: RM200 Initial Brain Health Screening (Neurofeedback). The brainwave check is not a medical or diagnostic EEG and does not diagnose any condition.

From International Occupational Health Psychology to Practical Team Building in Malaysia

From International Occupational Health Psychology to Practical Team Building in Malaysia

 





Recently, I attended the Joint Congress of ICOH-WOPS & APA-PFAW 2025, an international conference focused on work, well-being, and psychosocial factors at work. Researchers, practitioners, and policy contributors from around the world gathered to discuss one central question:

How can organizations design healthier, safer, and more sustainable workplaces?

As a practitioner based in Malaysia, this experience directly informs how I support organizations through team building, corporate training, and training needs assessment (TNA).


Why This Conference Matters for Organizations

The sessions covered evidence-based topics such as:

  • Psychosocial risk and burnout prevention

  • Psychological safety and leadership responsibility

  • Working time, workload design, and recovery

  • Organizational-level interventions, not just individual coping

A key message repeated throughout the conference was clear:

Employee well-being is not only an individual issue.
It is a system and leadership responsibility.

This perspective is central to occupational health psychology, the field that guides my work with companies.


Applying Occupational Health Psychology to Team Building

Many organizations approach team building as a one-off activity.
From an occupational health psychology perspective, effective team building should:

  • Strengthen psychological safety and trust

  • Improve communication and role clarity

  • Support energy management and recovery, not just motivation

  • Align individual strengths with organizational demands

This is why my team building programs are designed as purposeful interventions, not games without direction. They are linked to real workplace challenges such as stress, disengagement, and performance sustainability.


Training Needs Assessment Beyond Surveys

At the conference, researchers highlighted the limitations of relying only on self-report surveys. A robust training needs assessment (TNA) should consider:

  • Job demands and role expectations

  • Leadership practices and team climate

  • Psychosocial risks and protective factors

  • Signals of burnout, fatigue, or disengagement

In my practice, TNA is not just about “what training people want”, but what the organization actually needs to function in a healthier way.


Supporting Malaysian Organizations

The insights from this international congress reinforce a direction that is increasingly relevant for Malaysia:

  • Evidence-based corporate training

  • Psychosocially informed team building

  • Organizational-level prevention, not crisis management

Organizations that invest in this approach tend to see better engagement, stronger leadership capacity, and more sustainable performance.


Looking for Team Building or Training Needs Assessment in Malaysia?

If your organization is looking for:

  • Team building with real psychological value

  • Training needs assessment grounded in occupational health psychology

  • Corporate wellness and psychosocial risk-informed training

This is the work I focus on.

International knowledge must ultimately serve local workplaces, and my role is to translate occupational health psychology into practical, culturally relevant solutions for Malaysian organizations.

Contact us via WhatsApp 0167154419 (New Mind Academy).


Neurofeedback Malaysia: Leading the Future of Neuro-Wellness at the 2025 International BCI & Neurofeedback Summit in Shanghai

Neurofeedback Malaysia: Leading the Future of Neuro-Wellness at the 2025 International BCI & Neurofeedback Summit in Shanghai

 

Group on stage during a Letter of Intent signing, large screen showing Exebrain cooperation document

Group on stage at a strategic agreement signing, giving thumbs up

Speaker at a podium beside a slide titled The Future of Neurofeedback (2025–2050)

Speaker presenting on integrating neuroscience, technology and compassion in trauma care

Man and woman in front of the 2025 Shanghai BCI and neurofeedback summit backdrop

Five panellists seated on stage at a round-table forum

Man giving a thumbs up at a conference table with a name card

Summit backdrop and speaker standees at the event venue

Printed programme for 21–22 November 2025 held up before speaker portraits on screen

📍 Shanghai · Pudong
✨ 2025 International Brain-Computer Interface & Neurofeedback Applications Summit
Opening Day Highlights

Today, it was a great honor to represent Malaysia on the international stage — joining global experts to discuss the future of Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) and Neurofeedback technologies, and how these innovations are transforming the way we support brain and mental health.

As a speaker in the roundtable forum, I focused on one essential question:

👉 How can BCI and Neurofeedback move beyond clinical settings
and bring real impact to workplaces, leadership, and organizational well-being?


Key Focus of My Panel Sharing

💡 Bringing Neuroscience into Everyday Work Performance

Here are the major directions I highlighted:

✔ Burnout & Stress Management
Real-time monitoring and HRV + neurofeedback stress regulation to support mental resilience

✔ Brain-Based Talent Profiling
Leveraging EEG markers (attention, executive function, adaptability) for better hiring and development decisions

✔ Neuro-Leadership Coaching
Using brain plasticity data to strengthen emotional intelligence, decision quality, and influence

✔ EAP × Neuro-Wellness Integration
Modern Employee Assistance Programs enhanced by neuroscience for early prevention — not just crisis response

✔ Enhancing Organizational Performance
Improved focus, creativity, psychological safety, and team coherence through brain-behavior optimization

Technology connects the brain
Psychology connects the heart
When both come together, organizations transform from the inside out.


Why This Matters for Malaysia

Like many countries, Malaysia is facing:

• High work pressure and turnover
• Growing mental health concerns
• Rapid digital transformation stress
• Talent retention and performance challenges

The growth of Neurofeedback Malaysia presents a timely solution:

🌱 From treatment to prevention
🌟 From fixing weaknesses to strength-based potential development

Neuro-wellness is no longer the future — it is what the workforce needs right now.

Neurofeedback in Malaysia often begins with the RM200 Initial Brain Health Screening (Neurofeedback). The brainwave check is not a medical or diagnostic EEG and does not diagnose any condition.

Background on Dr Hiro Koo and the centre: About page.



Discover the Healing Power of Hypnotherapy in Cancer Care: A Natural Way to Manage Stress, Surgery, and Treatment Side Effects

Discover the Healing Power of Hypnotherapy in Cancer Care: A Natural Way to Manage Stress, Surgery, and Treatment Side Effects

 

Pink presentation slide: Integrating Hypnotherapy in Cancer Care, attributed to Koo Kian Yong, PhD, President AHPM

When you're facing the challenges of cancer treatment, both physically and emotionally, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. While traditional treatments like surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are necessary, they often bring along intense stress, anxiety, and difficult side effects. That’s where hypnotherapy can make a real difference—helping you find calm, resilience, and comfort when you need it most.

As a complementary therapy, hypnotherapy works alongside your medical treatments to improve your overall well-being, reduce discomfort, and empower you throughout your cancer journey.


Selfie of a man in a grey suit in a meeting room with a slide on screen

A Personal Message from Dr. Hiro Koo

Hello, I’m Dr. Hiro Koo, a trauma-informed hypnotherapist. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with many cancer survivors, helping them overcome emotional and physical challenges with hypnotherapy. Recently, I was honored to be invited by the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Department to speak on this very topic, where I shared how hypnotherapy is transforming the lives of patients during their cancer treatment.

Every day, I see how hypnotherapy helps my patients regain a sense of control over their bodies and emotions—whether it’s preparing mentally for surgery, managing treatment side effects, or simply finding a space of calm during an incredibly stressful time.

Let me walk you through how hypnotherapy can complement your cancer treatment and support your healing journey.

How Can Hypnotherapy Help You During Cancer Treatment?

1. Easing Stress and Anxiety

A cancer diagnosis is life-changing, and the stress and anxiety that follow are often overwhelming. Hypnotherapy offers a space where you can deeply relax, allowing your mind and body to release tension and stress. By addressing the emotional toll of cancer, we can help reduce anxiety levels, leaving you feeling more in control and peaceful during this challenging time.

2. Supporting Pre and Post-Surgery

Facing surgery can bring up a lot of fear and uncertainty. With hypnotherapy, I help patients mentally prepare for surgery by guiding them into a calm, focused state that reduces anxiety and enhances the body’s natural healing response. Post-surgery, hypnotherapy aids in pain management, speeds recovery, and helps patients regain a positive outlook as they heal.

3. Alleviating Treatment Side Effects

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy, while critical to fighting cancer, often come with side effects like nausea, fatigue, and pain. Hypnotherapy combines with the cognitive behavioral hypnotherapy approach, we offer a natural way to manage these side effects, helping you feel more comfortable and better equipped to handle your treatment. Through guided visualization and relaxation techniques, we can work together to ease the discomfort and improve your overall well-being.

4. Building Emotional Resilience and Cope with Traumatic Stress

Cancer is not just a physical journey; it’s an emotional one too. Hypnotherapy helps you develop inner strength and emotional resilience, which is vital for coping with the ups and downs of treatment as well as the potential traumatic stress responses. Whether it’s managing fear, sadness, or frustration, hypnotherapy can empower you to stay positive and strong, even when things feel tough.

The Science Behind Hypnotherapy in Cancer Care

You might wonder how hypnotherapy works in the context of cancer care. Research has shown that hypnotherapy can help reduce stress, anxiety, and pain, making it a valuable tool in cancer treatment. It’s widely recognized in integrative oncology programs around the world for its ability to improve patient outcomes by enhancing emotional and physical well-being.

I’ve seen firsthand how patients feel more empowered and at ease when hypnotherapy is part of their treatment plan. By working with your subconscious mind, we can create positive changes in how you respond to stress, pain, and discomfort—making your cancer treatment journey more manageable.

Ready to Learn More About Hypnotherapy for Cancer Care?

If you’re interested in how hypnotherapy can complement your cancer treatment and help you manage stress, anxiety, surgery, or side effects, I’m here to guide you. 

Cancer may be a challenging chapter in your life, but you don’t have to face it alone. Hypnotherapy offers a gentle yet powerful way to support your body and mind throughout treatment. Let’s work together to improve your well-being and bring more peace and comfort into your life.

Hypnotherapy services, including work that supports people in medical settings, are outlined on the New Mind services page.

Trauma-informed hypnotherapy details are on the main site.


Round-table meeting room with flowers, microphones and a projection screen

Meeting at the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia

Participants seated at a long meeting table under a Selamat Datang sign