Journal of Dr Hiro Koo, Industrial & Organizational Psychologist and hypnotherapist in Kuala Lumpur: workplace mental health, coaching and hypnotherapy.
UTAR Mathematics & Science Fair 2026, Sungai Long campus. 拉曼大学双溪龙校区 Mathematics & Science Fair 2026。
AT UTAR SUNGAI LONG
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR) invited New Mind Brain Health Centre to its Sungai Long campus for the Mathematics & Science Fair 2026, where we took part as an Educational Partner. I am grateful for that invitation.
The fair poster: 28 October 2026, MPH, KB Block, UTAR Sungai Long. 活动海报：2026 年 10 月 28 日，拉曼大学双溪龙校区 KB Block MPH。
WITH THE STUDENTS
Our practitioners, Jun Ming and Leon, brought the students an educational sharing on applied brain science, along with an interactive experience. Drawing on psychology, brain science and technology, they introduced the students to the brain, self-regulation and personal potential.
Jun Ming and Leon with the students, at the talk and at our booth. Jun Ming 和 Leon 与同学们，在分享会上，也在我们的展位。
A REFLECTION
For a long time we have hoped to make brain science easy to understand and something people can experience for themselves, so that it becomes useful in everyday life. I was very happy that this time we could bring that kind of learning onto a campus.
Thank you to the organisers for their trust, and thank you to Jun Ming and Leon for the care they put into it.
A Certificate of Appreciation from the Centre for Foundation Studies, UTAR Sungai Long. 拉曼大学双溪龙校区基础课程中心（Centre for Foundation Studies）颁发的感谢状。
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".
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.
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
It’s none other than Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, the author of “The Body Keeps the Score” — and my very first mentor in the field of trauma healing. 🌟
A few years ago, I completed the Traumatic Stress Studies under his guidance, and that experience has profoundly shaped the work I do today — especially in promoting trauma-informed practices within occupational and organizational psychology.
So today, standing beside him at a trauma workshop, and having the chance to share the trauma-informed initiatives we’re developing — it honestly felt surreal. I was overwhelmed with a mix of excitement and gratitude. Listening to him speak passionately about neurofeedback for trauma recovery, and watching him introduce these concepts to an audience of experts… I truly felt seen and affirmed.
Even more inspiring is his unwavering dedication — now in his 80s, he traveled all the way from the U.S. to Australia just to teach and connect with us. His passion and presence were simply electric. ⚡
Many of the values and approaches we apply at our center are deeply inspired by his work. I’m incredibly thankful to be invited by leaders in Australia’s trauma neurofeedback community to this private, closed-door event. It was such a surprise and an absolute privilege to learn alongside world-class trauma experts like Dr. Ruth, Sebern, and many other pioneers in the field.
Can’t wait to bring these insights and inspirations back home to Malaysia. 🫶🏻
I am deeply grateful to Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) for inviting me as a guest speaker and for this incredible opportunity to share my Ph.D. research findings on Creative Brain Health Interventions (CBHI) with the university’s distinguished mental health professionals, professors, and lecturers.
My heartfelt thanks go to the Faculty of Human Development for their warm hospitality and support in organizing this meaningful event. I would also like to extend my congratulations to UPSI on the establishment of their Wellness Center, a groundbreaking initiative that will provide VR and neurofeedback training to benefit the surrounding community. This is a remarkable milestone, and I am truly proud to witness their dedication to advancing mental health and wellness.
Finally, I am excited about the opportunities for future collaboration with UPSI and look forward to working together to make even greater strides in this field. Thank you once again for this truly memorable experience!
12月我们将为大家带来一个适合现代生活压力大、需要深度内心疗愈的朋友们参加的工作坊！这场“The Art of New Mind Card Application Workshop”工作坊就像一次都市里的小小静修，会让你找到内心的那个安静角落，教导你如何透过卡片自我探索、去理解自己经历过的那些小小“微创伤”，找到疗愈与前进的力量。
此次附送的Bonus价值已经接近RM1000了呢！是否感受到我们的诚意？快来报名，给自己一个与心灵对话的机会！这不仅仅是一个学习，更是一次深度自我关爱的旅程。想要报名New Mind Card工作坊的朋友只需要Whatsapp DM+60167154419, 告知“我有兴趣New Mind Card工作坊”即可哦！
Being invited to share my industry experience at Universiti Tenaga Nasional was an immense honor, and I'm deeply grateful for the opportunity. On August 14, 2023, I had the privilege of addressing the students of Introduction to Social Psychology (SPYB113), and I must say it was a truly enriching experience. Interacting with the bright and enthusiastic students was incredibly rewarding. Their thirst for knowledge and their eagerness to learn was evident throughout the lecture. It's heartening to see such a passionate generation ready to tackle the challenges of the future. I aimed to provide a unique perspective on the industry's challenges and opportunities, and I'm delighted that my insights resonated with the students. Education is not just about textbooks; it's also about real-world experiences and practical wisdom, and I hope that my lecture contributed to their holistic understanding of social psychology.
I'm inspired by the enthusiasm and dedication of both the students and the faculty at Universiti Tenaga Nasional. I hope to continue inspiring and educating the youth with my knowledge and experience, and I look forward to the possibility of future collaborations. Once again, thank you for this incredible opportunity, and I'm excited to see the bright futures that await these students.
Just gave a mental health promotion talk on how to manage social anxiety.
I shared my doctoral study findings regarding the prevalence of anxiety issues and subclinical mental health concerns surrounding the topic of anxiety, which is also the focus of my PhD thesis.
At the end of the workshop, the participants gave positive reviews about the talk. The majority of them found the topic helpful, and I heard that some of them hope for more topics related to hypnotherapy, which is my area of expertise.
I also received feedback that my personal experience of having social anxiety symptoms also helped them to relate to these symptoms better. This really made my day, as I hope more people can start to become aware of their body-mind symptoms, which could be the first step toward healing.
I would like to thank the clinical psychologist trainees here and the master's students in clinical psychology from USM-UPSI for initiating this project and organizing the talk. I hope more people become aware of the benefits of hypnotherapy in managing anxiety symptoms.
Hiro Koo as the Guest Lecturer for the International Cultural Exchange (ICE) Event 2021 (Organized by MAHSA MedSoc and Diponegoro University, Indonesia.
University in interacting and learning together with medical students of MAHSA University. The theme used in ICE 2021 is "Are we okay?: Strengthen Our Mental Health Awareness". This theme is chosen based on the tendency of the increasing number of cases of mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic situation. Regardless of the pandemic situation, mental health disorders are contributing to the cause of suicides worldwide. Although it has improved, the general public’s understanding of the importance of mental health and the impact mental disorders have on us needs to be strengthened.
I am glad to share my clinical experience in anxiety management and
creating awareness for all the future medical doctors here. I hope more
people will engage mental health support such as trauma-informed
hypnotherapy in the early intervention and secondary prevention phrase.
Although poor mental health may not indicate that you live with mental
illness, but it still may affect our day to day behaviors and functions
of individuals in work.
Hiro Koo, the clinical hypnotherapist from New Mind Brain Health Centre, is the first one who get approval to list and develop vocational training pathway for the title of "Hypnotherapy" in the National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS) under the Department of Skills Development (DSD), Ministry of Human Resources Malaysia.
Another wonderful news after the PASS of my PhD Viva Oral Exam. After more than one year of active discussion with Malaysia government relevant bodies, finally I received another PASS for the approval of creating and developing the “hypnotherapy” course standard according to the National Occupational Skills Standard (NOSS) for the Malaysia local field.
It is a historical movement for hypnotherapy field in South East Asia as Hypnotherapist will be a formal recognized professional occupation in Malaysia context!
It is really tough process, but I am glad that I manage to overcome all the obstacles. However, it is just a start…now we need to develop the NOSS standard for the Malaysia field, it may take quite a long time…but better then do nothing.
Believe it or not, It is not for me, it is for the field. I hope to create more recognition for my profession! Reason? I love hypnotherapy. Thanks for my hypnotherapist peers who support me along the journey.
Industry awards platform,the Hall of Wellness Awards (HOW Awards), has unveiled the winners of its 2020 competition at its first-ever awards gala today (10 December).
Presented virtually by HOW Awards founder Kathryn Moore, awards were given out across seven categories – including Middle East, Asia, Europe and UK, Oceania, Americas, Africa and a global group.
Moore introduced the awards saying: “This year has been a labour of love, panic and challenges, but above all a year of togetherness in the industry.
“We created the awards because we wanted to do something meaningful that could recognise and showcase the hard work and dedication our industry has put into their careers over the years," she said.
“Ultimately, we wanted to celebrate the people that are the backbone of businesses and brands, because it’s so important to find out their stories, what ignites their passion and how they got to where they are today.
"The judges were so impressed by the calibre of participants this year and we look forward to coming back even bigger and better next year."
Moore finished by extending her thanks to everyone who supported the HOW Awards, especially its sponsors, judges and brand ambassadors.
Below is a comprehensive list of the 2020 winners:
Global awards Global Consultant of the Year- Ana Crawford Global Director/Manager of the Year- Sven Huckenbeck Global Hair Personality of the Year- Tara Rose Kidd Global Personality/Contributor to the Industr- Andrew Jacka Global PMU & Microblading Specialist- Patsy Kerr Global Rising Star- Mala Mcalpin Global Therapist of the Year- Silvia Roncetti Global Wellness Personality- Nigel Franklyn
Regional awards
Africa Director/Manager– Alida Brynard Fitness Personality– Luvuyo Mabusela
Asia Director/Manager– Faraaz Tanveer Fitness Personality– Sri Agus Budi Santoso Spa Therapist– Arun Krishnan A R Nair Trainer- Ni Made Sulastri Wellness Specialist/Practitioner– Hiro Koo Kian Yong Yoga Practitioner– Timea Aya Miklos
Europe & UK Aesthetic/Beauty Therapist– Gillian Baird Director/Manager– Erica D’Angelo Fitness Personality– Peter Royston Spa Therapist– Hayley Snishko Trainer– Annie Mimouni Wellness Specialist/Practitioner– Vicky Rawcliffe Yoga Practitioner– Rachel Bonkink
Middle East Aesthetic/Beauty Therapist– Shereen Hafiri Director/Manager– Emily Tucker Fitness Personality– Fransisca Fiona Spa Therapist– Mary Grace Lutero Trainer– Izanne Fagan Wellness Specialist/Practitioner– Beate Sifkovits Yoga Practitioner– Rahul Nag
Oceania Aesthetic/Beauty Therapist– James Vivian Director/Manager– Pummy Sherpa Spa Therapist– Alysha Stokes Trainer– Karalyn Smith Wellness Specialist/Practitioner– Pia Kynoch
It is my honor to be the winner of the Hall of Wellness Wellness Practitioner Asia 2020
I am thankful for receiving this affirmation and it is indeed a milestone in my professional development I will continue to do my best and advocate for brain wellness and brain health care
Thank you the Hall of Wellness for this award and effort in organizing this Gala event
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