OUR STORY
Red Balloon Therapy is a social enterprise dedicated to fostering hope, connection, resilience through arts and therapy. Inspired by the timeless themes of the beloved French short film "The Red Balloon," our mission is to provide inclusive arts and therapy services to communities of all backgrounds. Just as the red balloon guided a young boy through his journey of discovery and companionship, Red Balloon Therapy seeks to uplift individuals and communities, where creativity and therapeutic support intertwine to promote healing and growth. Through our diverse programs, we aim to empower people to overcome challenges and find joy in connection, echoing the magical journey of the boy and his red balloon.
Meet The Team
LOH WAN TING
Founder - Senior Art Therapist
-
Master of Arts (Art Therapy)
-
Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner
-
LEGO® Serious Play Facilitator
-
Sandplay Therapy and Symbol Work
-
Art Based Supervision by ANZACATA
-
Specialist Certificate In Teaching and Learning of Preschool Arts Education
-
ASIST Trained (Suicide First Aid)
-
Trained in Psychological First Aid
-
Trained in Mental Health First Aid
-
Registered Trainer with the Ministry of Education (MOE)
Wan Ting is an accredited art therapist, artist, Somatic Experiencing practitioner with clinical experiences in the community, schools and social service organisations. Utilizing trauma-informed practices, she has more than a decade of experience working with people with disabilities, children, adults and elderly from different cultural backgrounds with emotional or psychological difficulties to identify and resolve their core conflicts.
MAY LIM
Senior Art Therapist
-
Master of Arts (Art Therapy)
-
Graduate Diplomas in Special Education
-
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, cum laude
-
Certified Developmental Play Practitioner
-
Sensorimotor, Trauma-informed Art Therapy Approach
-
Theraplay® Informed Practice
-
Registered Trainer with the Ministry of Education (MOE)
May is an accredited art therapist and a certified Developmental Play practitioner. She is a member of the Art Therapists’ Association Singapore. She has experience working with individuals with special needs since 2010. She is currently a practising art therapist working with children and young adults with special needs, children and adolescents, and seniors with chronic illness at various settings.
OUR PARTNERS
Building bridges and connecting communities through arts
Here is a list of partners that Red Balloon Therapy has worked with both in the past and present. We are thankful for the support and opportunities given to promote mental wellness through arts and therapy in the community.
Click on the logos to learn more about how each organisation are contributing in their unique ways to the community and society at large.
COMMUNITY LOVE
WHAT OUR PARTNERS ARE SAYING
Our beneficiaries really enjoyed the Craft session with Wan Ting. It is really precious to be able to make something from scratch and they enjoyed the blast to the past (recalling traditional trades). Kudos to Wan Ting for wanting to learn more about aphasia and means to support conversation with our beneficiaries who have communication difficulties!
– Evelyn, Aphasia SG
We would like to specially thank the Art Therapist, Ms Loh Wan Ting, from Red Balloon Therapy, for her wonderful presentation. Her presentation was indeed very insightful, inspiring and intriguing. The art experiential workshops had indeed given our service users the opportunity to try, learn, process and reflect on their personal artwork and express their feelings. I must say that all our service users had benefitted much from Wan Ting's valuable sharing and her encouragement. We really appreciate her time, effort and speaking in two languages for the workshops.
- Joan, Care Corner
From the use of audio/ visual resources, facilitator’s engagement and type of craft activity taught, our members had the opportunity to learn about Singapore’s traditional trades of the past. The workshop was well thought-out to cater to persons with different levels of disability and of different ages. We are also hearten to see our caregivers participating alongside their child, co-creating, bonding and sharing this experience together. DSA(S) is grateful for the opportunity to participate in this initiative and looks forward to future collaborations for our members!
– Amelia, Down Syndrome Association (Singapore)
The participants really enjoyed the workshop - learning how to be present and aware of their breath, thoughts and emotions; how to use art as a tool for reflection and grounding, and how to practise gratitude daily.
Super loved the group activity of us taking turns to shout out instructions to create art together too! It was interesting to see how everyone had different creations with the same set of instructions and a good reminder that we’re not alone, and we can count on our social connections for support :) Thanks Wan Ting for the amazing session!
- Qiyi Liao, People Experience Lead at Carousell
We hired Wan Ting to conduct a 2-part workshop for our preschool teachers - Supporting children with ASD through Art. Our teachers and principals had very good feedback of Wan Ting and her programme as she is a practitioner by training. She shared authentically and provided relevant examples to aid the teachers. One important point was that she reminded all of us to also be aware of our emotional and mental state before going into class as it sets the tone and precedence for the day! We will highly recommend Wan Ting!
- Eileen, Presbyterian Preschool Services
PROJECTS & OUTREACH
I CANNOT DRAW, WILL ART THERAPY BE HELPFUL FOR ME?
The video was first published on Power98fm
I cannot draw, will art therapy be helpful for me? Fret not, join us to discover how art becomes a bridge to healing and self-discovery! Here's us sharing how a day as an art therapist looks like!
NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD ART PROGRAMME BRINGS BACK KAMPUNG MEMORIES FOR SENIORS
The news was first published on The Straits Times, Lianhe Zaobao, 8world and Capital 95.8fm
One of the participants shared her thoughts in mandarin on the art therapy activity: "Doing this handicraft reminds me of our childhood. When we were in kampong, there were very few lights, so when we made this lantern, we would think of the paper lantern we took when we were young and it would burn. It was more fun before."
Our art therapist chatting with The Muttons virtually
Our art therapist chatting with The Muttons virtually
ON AIR: PEOPLE IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD - ART THERAPY
The video was first published on Class95fm
Got a lot to say, but just can't find the words to say it? A picture speaks a thousand words to Wan Ting. Meet the art therapist from Red Balloon Therapy here on People In Our Neighbourhood.
Our take away: trust the process, be present, keep going and learning!
A senior using scissors to cut paper while following the therapist over zoom
A senior creating a fabric craft while following the facilitator over Zoom
A senior using scissors to cut paper while following the therapist over zoom
NATIONAL HERITAGE BOARD LAUNCHES ART THERAPY TRIAL TO STIMULATE MEMORIES FOR SENIORS
This article was first published on The Straits Times and Lianghe Zaobao
The programme involves bringing replicas of paintings to seniors in six nursing homes and senior activity centres. Facilitated by an art therapist via video conferencing platform Zoom, the seniors are prompted to share their observations from the paintings and, in the process, jog memories of their past.
Participants taking the time to experience the hands on therapeutic art making process
Participants taking the time to experience the hands on therapeutic art making process
EXPRESS – AND HEAL!
– YOURSELF WITH ART
This article was first published on enablingvillage.sg.
It was almost 10 years ago when an artist she was working with put these two words together: “art” and “therapy”. In that moment, recalled Loh Wan Ting, she knew she had found her calling.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF
AN ART THERAPIST
This video is commissioned by
NYC Singapore.
So you want to be an art therapist? Let our art therapist May show you how a typical work day looks like. Explore how you can express your thoughts through art and improve on your mental and social well-being at the same time. Let's go!
Describe your image
Describe your image
STRESS IN MODERN LIVING
- ART THERAPY
This video is commissioned by People's Association.
Ever wonder how you can use art therapy directives to promote personal wellness and strengthen bond in the comfort of your home?
Hosted by Jamie Yeo, our Art Therapist Wan Ting joined Social worker Lay Lay to share more on the use of art therapy to manage your emotions and enhance your sense of well-being.
SINGAPORE'S FIRST EXHIBITION IN THE DARK
This article was first published on The Straits Times
Rainbow in the Dark is the culmination of artworks created by the beneficiaries of Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped, created from weekly art-as-therapy workshops with art therapist Loh Wan Ting. The artworks were exhibited in a dark room, and visitors were invited to experience them through their sense of touch alone. This project hopes to generate more awareness, to facilitate more opportunities for social interaction and social inclusion for the beneficiaries through arts.