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Chiang Jolene

Chiang Jolene

Jolene Chiang is a professionally trained Art Psychotherapist (MA AThR), accredited with Australian, New Zealand and Asia Creative Therapies Art Association (ANZACATA). She works in both community and hospital settings with children, youths and adults. She specialises in mental health, loss and grief and trauma.

Her clinical experience includes working closely in multi-disciplinary teams including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and counsellors. Her clientele includes administering arts-based assessments, and providing compassionate, effective interventions for children, youths and adults living with mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and personality disorders. Jolene is the first art psychotherapist to lead national community art projects and provide art psychotherapy at the first bereavement counselling centre in Singapore.

She served a diverse population, including children to elderly experiencing grief and trauma from death-related losses due to illness, suicide, accidents, homicide and natural death. Jolene has been invited as conference presenter and panel speaker at various mental health, grief and bereavement settings to speak about clinical applications of art therapy.

She is also very human, and a spiritual pilgrim.

Profession

Art Psychotherapist

Specialities

ANXIETY AND PANIC DISORDERS
DEPRESSION
GENERAL RELATIONSHIP CHALLENGES (FAMILY, FRIENDS, CO-WORKERS)
LGBTQIA+
TRAUMA AND POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD)
PERSONAL GROWTH AND SELF-ESTEEM
PERSONALITY DISORDERS
LIFE TRANSITIONS
GENERAL MENTAL HEALTH
GRIEF AND LOSS
CHILDREN & YOUTH
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY
SCHIZOPHRENIA & PSYCHOTIC DISORDERS
IDENTITY & EXISTENTIALISM

Finances

$$$

Training

Masters in Art Therapy
Schema Therapy (Level 1)
Masters in Applied Commerce (International Business),
Bachelor of Arts (Criminology & Sociology)
Certified Advance Care Planning Facilitator
Arts-Based Supervision

What kinds of treatment or therapy do you provide?

  • Mentalization-based therapy
  • Psychodynamic therapy
  • Group therapy
  • Creative arts therapy
  • Play therapy
  • Internal Family Systems therapy (IFS)
  • Children & Youth Counselling
  • Schema Therapy

What language can you conduct the session in?

English

What was your path to becoming a therapist?

The calling came, and I answered. As with any journey, it unfolded through the passage and seasons of time. I was led down the path with the good faith of others who believed in me, and coupled with hard work.

What do you do to continue learning and building competencies as a provider?

In order to be an effective clinician, I strongly believe in receiving regular clinical supervision and peer supervision to remain grounded, effective and steadfast for my clients. I also regularly attend professional development training, and remain updated on latest research and evidence-based interventions to support my clients in a wide range of challenges that they are going through.

What advice would you give to someone who is hesitant to try therapy?

Perhaps you may want to consider the notion of seeing a therapist as an act of self-love or gift to offer yourself. All of us go through different seasons in life. Sometimes a crisis hits, or your problems have accumulated and reached a peak where you are unable to handle it alone. You may also find that confiding in friends (albeit, important) does not suffice in breaking a negative pattern or belief. If you feel stuck, and have become tired of repeating the same issue, come visit a therapist who can support you on the path of healing and self-discovery.

What should someone know about working with you?

Psychodynamically-trained, I work with your life story in the present, and trace the roots of your family of origin to support you in your pain and struggles. My therapeutic orientation is integrative and experiential - meaning to say, I use art therapy, sand-tray, and mindfulness techniques, which goes beyond over-relying on words to express your inner world, especially when sometimes there are no words for your experience. Through the experiential nature of art therapy, together we will explore a range of materials and metaphors to aid you in making-meaning and uncovering the innate wisdom to heal, empower and restore.