Creative Trauma Healing
Simone Shu Yin Chan is an Art Therapist and Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner specialising in complex trauma, and the trauma of living as Autistic/ADHDer/Highly Sensitive Persons (HSP). She sees clients in Sydney CBD, Zetland, and online. She recognizes the Gadigal people as traditional custodians of the land and waters, respects elders past and present, and acknowledges that we live on unceded land.
Each person is like a tree; we reach deep into the earth of our mind and body for grounding and creative resources, while growing upwards towards the sun as we transform and thrive.
Our Approach
Our psychotherapist uses a mix of art therapy, talk therapy, and Somatic Experiencing® to guide clients towards feeling better, gaining insight and personal growth. These approaches enable holistic and embodied healing, helping one feel more integrated and better able to live in the present moment, experience life’s joys and face its challenges.
Simone Shu Yin’s lived experience with complex trauma, neurodivergence and chronic illness, have led her to seek integrative therapies to heal her body and mind. This coincided with the start of her studying art psychotherapy in 2017, Somatic Experiencing in 2019, and Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy in 2023, through which she aids her clients on their own unique journeys.
Art therapy is a form of psychodynamic psychotherapy using the artistic process, materials, and the therapeutic relationship to embody insight and growth. One does not have to be good in art to benefit from art therapy.
Somatic Experiencing® uses the mind-body connection to ground and regulate in the processing of traumatic memories. The therapist follows the client’s needs and comfort level, to guide them to process and discharge psychosomatic stress held in the body. This enables the completion of the stress response cycle, releasing one from the cycle of trauma.
“Who looks outside, dreams. Who looks inside, awakens.”
Simone Shu Yin Chan
Art Therapist, Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner MA, AThR, AThS, SEP™
Pronouns: She/her Languages: English, Mandarin as a 2nd language
Simone works with adults seeking personal development, and who look to improve their relationships with their families, partners, colleagues but most importantly, themselves. Her clients have included those who are suicidal, and/or have experienced emotional, physical and sexual abuse. She has a passion for fellow neurodivergent people (in particular Autistic and/or ADHDers) and has journeyed with them to heal from trauma, burnout, and discover and honour their authentic selves.
Apart from private practice, Simone has provided group and/or individual art therapy to community organisations serving stroke survivors, elderly, adolescents, youths in family crisis shelters, community mental health facility, and schools in Singapore.
Simone has assisted at the Somatic Experiencing Practitioner training for Intermediate level I/II and Beginning levels I, II & III by Dr Abi Blakeslee in ‘23 & ‘24 in Singapore. She was awarded the LASALLE Scholarship for MA in Art Therapy, with Distinction. She is accredited with the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Art Therapies Association (ANZACATA). She is currently receiving training in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy in Melbourne from Body Intelligence.
Simone is passionate about nature in healing, and was one of the artists for the community arts initiative, ‘Of Gardens and Dreams’ and co-created a public art installation with residents for Our Gallery at Taman Jurong and presented at Singapore Art Week 2020. She has worked with National Gallery Singapore to create two walk-in art-as-therapy activities for Light to Night Festival 2021. As an artist, she has illustrated books, and for arts, welfare & not-for-profit organisations. She was also featured in Illustration Arts Festival 2024, Singapore Writers Festival 2023 and Story Fest 2020 and 2021. She was invited to speak on a panel, ‘Beyond The Couch: Redefining the Role of Therapists’ at Singapore Writers Festival 2024.
Simone believes in inclusivity and equality across disability, race, religion, nationality, sexual and gender orientation. She speaks Mandarin as a second language and offers online and in-person sessions.
She has been living in Sydney, NSW Australia since 2024 with her husband and cat Pooky, a rescued stray tabby who made the long journey from Singapore. She enjoys making art, knitting, yoga and being in nature.
Populations: Adults, teens, Autistic, ADHDers, Highly Sensitive Persons, complex trauma survivors, Asians, migrants.
Credentialed by the Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association
For self and planned-manage participants
Contact Us
Got any questions? Email creativetraumahealing@gmail.com or WhatsApp (+61) 0475133561. You can also use the form below and we will get back to you in 2 working days. If you don't hear back from us, please check your spam folder.
Read what clients have had to say
Continuing Professional Education
2024
November - Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy training by Megan Arnel under Body Intelligence, Module 5 in Melbourne (5 days)
November - Beyond the Couch: Redefining the Role of Therapists, a panel at Singapore Writers Festival’24 (as an invited panellist)
October - Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy training by Tejaaswinny Naakra under Body Intelligence, Module 4 in Melbourne (5 days)
August - Somatic Experiencing Demo in English and Mandarin by Dr Abi Blakeslee (6h)
June - Provided Community Support during safeTALK training in suicide prevention by Cheng Hwee Fern (5h)
April - Assisted at Somatic Experiencing INT I/II in Singapore by Dr Abi Blakeslee (6 days)
Mar - Art Therapists' Association Singapore Learning Circle: Working with the silver group using creative arts therapy: Learn, move and feel (1.5 hours)
2023
October - Assisted at Somatic Experiencing BEG II/III in Singapore by Dr Abi Blakeslee (6 days)
October - Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy training by Pauline Chau under Body Intelligence, Module 3 in Singapore (5 days)
September - Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy training by Pauline Chau under Body Intelligence, Module 2 in Singapore(5 days)
May - Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy training by Pauline Chau under Body Intelligence, Module 1 in Singapore (5 days)
April - Assisted at Somatic Experiencing BEG I/II in Singapore by Dr Abi Blakeslee (6 days)
2022
October - Somatic Experiencing® Advanced I/II by Lael Keen and Russell Jones from the Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute (6 days)
September - Workshop on Family & Domestic Violence by Ministry of Social and Family Development
April - Somatic Experiencing® Advanced II/III by Lael Keen from the Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute (6 days)
2021
April - May - Somatic Experiencing® Intermediate I/II level by Dr Abi Blakeslee from the Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute (6 days)
2020
November - Somatic Experiencing® Beginners II/III level by Dr Abi Blakeslee from the Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute (6 days)
2019
October - Somatic Experiencing® Beginners I/II by Dr Abi Blakeslee from the Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute (6 days)
August - Introduction to Clay Field Therapy®, by Cornelia Elbrecht and Liz Antcliff (2 days)
April - Sexual Assault First Responder Training by Sexual Assault Care Centre, AWARE Singapore (half day)
April - Child Trauma Conference (presented poster on “Art Therapy: A Mind-body Intervention for Children who Experienced Domestic Abuse” (2 days)
April - Workshop: Understanding the Impact of Sexual Abuse on Survivors by Rosemary McGowan (half day)
February - Digital International Creative Arts Therapies Symposium (half day)
February - Workshop: Art Therapy Out of Bounds by Dr Pamela Whitaker (2 days)
2018
December - ANZACATA Conference in Perth, Australia - Convergence: Cohesion in Diversity (2 days)
August - Embodied Listening Through Sensory Perception and Heart Intelligence by Gráinne T. Young (2 days)
February - Workshop: Artistic Traditions & Neuroscience Transitions: The Expressive Therapies Continuum Articulates the Art & Science of Art Therapy by Dr Lisa Hinz (2 days)
January - Workshop: El Duende Process Painting: A Path to Transformation by Abbe Miller (1 day)
2017
May - An East-West Focus on How Art Heals by Dr. Shaun McNiff, lecture & 2 day workshop