Academic leadership and faculty

Postgraduate Certificate in Clinical Supervision, The University of Derby, UK
MA Art Therapy, Open University, UK
BA Psychology & Humanities, Monash University, Australia
Certificate of Teaching in Higher Education, Temasek Polytechnic, Singapore

Emylia Safian is a practising art therapist and educator with specialist training in stress, trauma and loss. Her practice gravitates towards mindbody sciences and integrates physiology with psychology for an encompassing approach in capitalising human development.

Since 2007, she has collaborated with educational/ arts/ cultural institutions, voluntary welfare organisations, government agencies, and NGOs across Southeast Asia. Her work spans various communities, where she supports individuals at various life stages through situational and developmental crises.

As a clinician, Emylia is also informed by the science of yoga and expressive arts therapies. She is passionate in reconnecting children and adults alike with the essential joie de vivre through play, creativity, warmth, compassion and sensitivity, and to bring joy to the mind, body and spirit.

Emylia’s research interests encompass ecology, analytical psychology, neuroaesthetics and human development, with a focus on how these disciplines intersect in the praxis of art therapy.

Papers/articles

Contributed to a joint-paper, Singapore-London, ‘Intersubjective Discoveries: An Intercultural Experience Between Two Art Therapy Training Programmes Using an Art-Based Approach’, with co-authors Jill Westwood, Lesley Morris, Ronald Lay, for Art Therapy Online (ATOL) (2016)
Column for Art Therapists’ Association Singapore in the Singapore Art Gallery Guide: ‘After Wards, After Words’ (2013); ‘The Light on Art Therapy: Uncovering Shadows’ (2012); ‘Therapeutic Approach to Art-making in an Educational Setting’ (2011); ‘Art, Psychoeducation and Adolescents’ (2011); ‘Imagery and the Unconscious Mind’ (2010)

Conferences and workshops

Presented a workshop, ‘Collage as Storytelling: An Assembly of Senses’, at StoryFest International Storytelling Festival; Singapore (2018)
Presented a paper, ‘The Museum as Potential Space: A Descriptive Study’, at the Childhood Trauma Conference; Melbourne, Australia (2018)
Presented a paper, ‘Can Imagination Heal the Dis-eased? Routes to Sensory Experiences in Search of the Wounded Healer’, at the Tropics of the Imagination Conference; Singapore (2017)
Presented a paper, ‘The Silent Language of Art Psychotherapy: Making Meaning of Symbols’, at the 8th International Conference of the World Council for Psychotherapy (Asian Chapter); Sarawak, Malaysia (2015)
Presented a paper, ‘Painting A Picture of Clinical Supervision – Creative Methods in Practice’, at the Regional Congress of The World Federation for Mental Health; Singapore (2015)
Contributed to an oral presentation in absentia, ‘Singapore-London, Intersubjective Discoveries: An Intercultural Experience Between Two Art Therapy Training Programmes Using an Art-Based Approach’, with co-presenters Jill Westwood, Lesley Morris, and Ronald Lay at Finding Spaces, Making Spaces, the 2nd International Art Therapy Conference; London, UK (2016)
Presented a paper, ‘Creative Methods in Practice: Clinical Supervision of Art Therapy Trainees’, at the 5th International Health Humanities Conference, as organised by International Health Humanities Network, Universidad de Sevilla; Seville, Spain (2016)
Presented a workshop, The Body and the Art Therapy Process, at the International Art(s) Therapy Research Symposium organised by LASALLE, in collaboration with ANZATA; Singapore (2014)
Presented a paper, ‘Art Psychotherapy with Asian-Singaporeans’, at the World Psychiatric Association Regional Congress; Hong Kong (2014)

Other responsibilities

Clinical placement supervisor

Intergenerational trauma
Ecopsychology
Arts in health and well-being
Somatic psychology and embodied approaches to psychotherapy
Analytical psychology and Jungian psychology

Academic leadership and faculty

Programme Leaders

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Alan P Rudge

Andreas Schlegel

Audrey Wong

Dayal Gian Singh

Dr Diego Celi

Dr Ronald P.M.H. Lay, MA, AThS-HF, AThR, ATR-BC

Dr Emilio Molina

Erzan Adam

Dr Francis Maravillas

Ginette Chittick

Hazel Lim-Schlegel

Dr Ian Woo

Dr Indra Selvarajah

Jay Loo Dexian

Jaygo Bloom

Jeffrey Say

Joselyn Sim

Justin Hegburg

Kathryn Shannon Sim

Khalid Almkhlaafy

Matt Grey

Michael Budmani

Dr Natalia Grincheva

Nathan Yong

Dr Rosslyn Prosser

Dr Subashini K Rajanthran

Victoria Elizabeth Ho

Wendy Chua

Associate Professor Woo Yen Yen

Senior Lecturers

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Adeline Kueh

Brian O’Reilly

Dr Darren Moore

Dirk Johan Stromberg

Hideho Urata

Jeremy Sharma

Kelley Cheng

Dr S Chandrasekaran

Salleh Japar

Urich Lau Wai-Yuen

Lecturers

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Aloysius Foong

Alvin Chiam

Ang Qing Sheng

Dr Aprille Chua Jia Qi

Chen Chin Tyng

Chris Yee

Christina Low Yung Chyuan

Dr Damaris D E Carlisle

Daniela Monasterios Tan

David Lee Siew Bing

Edmund Chia

Emylia Safian

Eta Lauw

Eugene Lee

Fanny Bratahalim

Dr Gan Sheuo Hui

Goh Hiro Toshi

Hera

Hillary Yeo

Janet Teoh

Jason Vitorillo

Jessica Olivia Chua

Dr Joel Gn

Dr Leela Alaniz

Lidya Chrisfens

Lim Shu Min

Lim Teng Hong

Dr Mardhiah Osman

Michael Charles Daniel Rezandi

Michelle Loh

Muhammad Fairul Azreen Bin Mohd Zahid

Nadia Oh Sueh Peng

Nicholas Ooi Wei Siong

Dr Nicholas Teo