MARINA LIM SIEW WAN

Play Therapist

Masters in Education (N.T.U.)(Singapore)
Advanced Diploma in Special Education (Singapore)
PTI Assistant Course Director
Provisional Creative Arts and Play Clinical Supervisor
Provisional Filial Play Coach and Mentor
Executive Coordinator of PTSG
Certified Pl ay Therapist (U.K)
Member of Play Therapy International (since 2010)

Marina set up her private practice, Creative Play Therapy, in 2015 to help children and teenagers faced with:

• Learning /developmental delays
• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
• Social/relationship and emotional issues
• Abandonment issues
• Selective Mutism

Marina has empowered children and teenagers through Play Therapy, by assisting them to face their problems by reflecting on their thoughts, feelings and behavior. As her clients work through their challenges they learn to become responsible for their own behavior, respectful of others and accepting of boundaries put in place for their benefit. Through this process their confidence and resilience increases as they apply the strategies learnt to other situations facing them through life.

Marina believes parental involvement is vital to increase the effectiveness of the program. She works with parents to help them understand their child and what they can do to support them through the challenges they face. This element closes the loop so the child/teenager, has a better chance to overcome their difficulties with a cohesive support system.

Prior to training in Play Therapy, Marina worked in the educational field, inclusive with M.O.E. for 20 over years as a teacher, and later a Senior Teacher of a Subject Department at a SAP school. She was one of the SEED teachers tasked to design the Lower Primary Chinese Curriculum. During the course of her teaching career she had the opportunity to work closely with the Principal Master Teacher and Master Teachers for collaborative research projects and presentations. Through the steering of sharing sessions with schools in clusters at zonal and national levels, she had the opportunity to work jointly with many fellow teachers, HOD’s, principals, counsellors and allied educators.

The fundamental knowledge Marina has of the local education system enables her to better understand the pressures our youth may be facing, which can exacerbate the challenges they experience. Meeting and working with children and teenagers as a teacher and therapist has given her much satisfaction and joy.

Marina has presented at MOE ExcelFest, Public Sector Exhibitions (PSE), MOE EZ Learning Festivals and overseas events for MOE. In recent times her talks have served teachers and parents in schools and learning centres on topics such as “Play Therapy for your Child”, “Neuroscience and Play” and “Therapeutic Story and its Power”.

Marina has been certified by Boards to teach in the fields of Chinese, Music and Early Childhood Education. In 2010 she became a Member of Play Therapy International (Registration number: 201011307), the organisation governing therapeutic play and play therapy in the United Kingdom. With her background as a Senior Teacher and subsequent studies in the field of Special Education she underwent further training to become a Supervisor for trainee Play Therapists. The experience she garnered as a Cooperating Teacher for NIE trained teachers during their internship and Mentor Teacher to freshly graduated teachers has helped her to successfully guide and coach supervisees. She coached and guided many teachers in their lesson planning and model of good classroom teaching practice and strategies. In addition, as a Senior Teacher, Marina led all teachers in research and the schools’ Head of Department, and teachers, in their application of research strategies.

On a personal note, Marina’s awareness of individuals with special needs was increased when she discovered her young son was found to be special in his own way, when he was diagnosed with Autism. In order to understand his needs and challenges she took up training in Special Education and Play Therapy. The more she experienced society as a parent of a special needs child, the more she wanted to contribute by sharing her knowledge and expertise to help ease the situation of families navigating their way through the special needs world.

Play Therapy International (PTI), http://www.playtherapy.org/aboutpti.html