TEAM TEARAPY
SU MEI TAN
Founder
Lead Art Therapist, Family Therapist, Yoga Therapist
Bsc (Hons) Arch, BFA (Hons) Social Practice,
MA World Heritage, MA Art Therapy,
MA Clinical Family Therapy (current)
With a passion for the creative arts and helping others, Su Mei started life in the world of architecture which led to her co-founding a charity which brought third world countries building and design services. She realised that she enjoyed the time where she shared her passion of ART with the children. This led to a pursuit of a Masters in Art Therapy at La Trobe University, Melbourne and completed a Bachelors of Fine Arts Honours of Social Practice and Community Engagement at the Victorian College of the Arts (VCA), Melbourne University and currently pursuing a Master in Clinical Family Therapy at the Bouverie Centre. She is currently working as a MST Psychiatric Family Therapist at MacKillop Family Services.
She has had experience as an Art Therapist in the clinical setting at Northpark Private Hospital and the Royal Melbourne Hospital. She journeys with people who experience various forms of mental illness, intellectual, physical and various disabilities. She is also a trained Yoga Alliance instructor who did her RYT 500 training at Brahmani Yoga, India and Yoga Therapy Training with the I AM Yoga, Amrit Yoga Institute. She has shared her love of yoga in many countries around the world.
Her goal is to use the power of creativity to empower those in need to find tools to help themselves.
ERIC JIANCONG ZHANG
Art Therapist
Eric is a queer identifying artist-art therapist based in Melbourne. Originally born in Canton (Guangdong) China and graduated from Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore with a MA in art therapy. His art practice is informed by his Eastern background and cross-cultural experiences. Eric's art therapy practice has spanned multiple age groups, from children, adolescents and young adults to elders. His work is grounded in Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), Narrative therapy and Psychodynamic psychotherapy, as implemented through collective crafting. One of his artistic approaches is to engage people with folding origami; This Eastern art form can enhance the ability to be aware of what is happening in the moment, deal with trauma, practice mindfulness and promote sensorimotor skills or frustration tolerance. He believes the creative art making process empowers and assists people in reaching their goals. He sees art psychotherapy as a collaborative process between the client(s) and the therapist, in which he draws on many different approaches to find the best way to understand and empathise with the client's experience.
WEIYU GUAN
Art Therapist
Weiyu completed a Bachelor of Environments and a Master of Nursing Science at Melbourne University, and more recently, a Master in Therapeutic Arts Practice at The MIECAT Institute.
Weiyu is an experienced Mental Health Nurse in both clinical and research areas, with a special interest in exploring and bridging the arts and science for health and wellbeing across society. Working professionally as an Art Therapist, Weiyu values all forms of art and ways of expression, and focuses on the co-creation of a safe and nourishing space. Weiyu recognises each individual as the artist in their own life, and is determined to practice alongside them with respect, curiosity, honesty and compassion.
BELLA YANG
Art Tearapy Intern 2022
Bella recently completed a Diploma of Holistic Integrated Creative Arts Therapy while being a long-time banking professional. She has more than 10 years of art-making experience with a Graduate Certificate in Visual Arts from VCA. She is also a certified Kundalini Yoga instructor and a Sound therapy practitioner.
Bella is passionate about personal growth and nurturing body, mind and soul through art-making, yoga and spiritual practice. She finds inner peace, strength, intuition, enlightenment and better connection with self through the art-making process and regular yoga meditation exercise. She loves sharing creative art-making and Kundalini yoga with others, and enriching herself by way of learning and experiencing. Her motto is "Vibrate the Cosmos; the Cosmos shall clear the path for you!"
RASMI DABARERA
Art Tearapy Placement Student 2022
Rasmi is currently completing a Bachelor of Community Services course at Stott’s College Melbourne. She is passionate about undertaking a challenging new opportunity where she can utilize her knowledge, with a solid commitment to sharing an environment that is team-oriented outcome-focused. Also, her main priority is to provide standard support for the client’s welfare, needs, and interest. Furthermore, she has started a small business that produces polymer clay earrings as she helped a girl in her home country afford her education.
POORVA BANSAL
Visual Artist
Art Tearapy Placement Student 2020
Poorva Bansal is currently undertaking a Visual Arts course at Australian National University, She has been exploring and refining the art of Indian block printing. She intends to start a Masters of Art Education in 2021.
JANETTE BEAUDOIRE
Transpersonal Art Therapist, Nutritionist, Health Coach
Art Tearapy Placement Student 2019
Janette is passionate about supporting women’s health, mental health, wellbeing and healing, and has worked across evidence-based natural medicine, food and nutrition, mental health and health.
With a holistic philosophy and approach Janette takes a broad view of wellbeing, considering all facets from the physical, psychological, social and spiritual.
Janette absolutely loves art therapy and is excited about the role it can play in health and healing.
NICKY BEECROFT
Transpersonal Art Therapist
Art Tearapy Placement Student 2018
Nicky is a qualified Transpersonal Art Therapist who draws upon her diverse background in the arts, travel, gardening, Lomi Lomi body work, meditation, and movement to create spaces for self-encounter - to explore, connect, learn, grow and discover a capacity for healing, wholeness and transformation. She is the Creative Arts Business Manager at the Guild of Objects, drawing upon her business skills from her former career as a financial counsellor and her passion and experience as a Transpersonal Art Therapist. Whether she is designing a program or facilitating a workshop, her focus is on finding the embodied pathways through the complexity that frequently lies behind whatever is negatively impacting the individual or organisational wellbeing.
