Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts
Faculty:
The Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts at Chulalongkorn University is a leading centre for creativity, arts education, and therapeutic innovation. Under the guidance of Professor Bussakorn Binson, it houses the FAA–Emili Sagol Centre for Well-being and offers pioneering programmes in music therapy and expressive arts.
Distinguished faculty members include Professor Rachel Lev-Wiesel, a global authority on trauma therapy through the arts; Dr Nisara Jaroenkajornkij, an experienced art therapist with international training; and Dr Meytal Fogel-Simhony, a specialist in Psychodrama and inclusive education.
Together, they cultivate a nurturing space where creativity meets compassion—empowering students to make a meaningful impact.
Professor Bussakorn Binson, D.Phil.
Professor Bussakorn Binson is the co-founder and Director of the Master of Arts Programme in Expressive Arts Therapy at Chulalongkorn University, and former Dean of the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts.
Professor Binson is a pioneer provider of Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) in Thailand, trained by Dr David Berceli. She is also certified in BMGIM (Level II) and in Sandplay Therapy and Symbol Work with Children, Adolescents, and Adults, accredited by Expressive Therapies Australia.
She leads a volunteer unit for Creative Arts and Mental Health Recovery, providing expressive arts-based support for individuals and communities affected by crisis. Her work focuses particularly on survivors of severe traumatic events, such as mass violence, natural disasters, and collective grief.
She also initiated Mobile Arts for You to promote mental well-being among young people, students, trauma survivors, and older adults, and is widely regarded as a thoughtful trainer in Mindful Drawing.
She currently directs the Centre of Excellence: FAA Emili Sagol Creative Arts Research and Innovation for Well-being. Her body of work, including numerous publications and applied research projects, reflects her long-standing commitment to advancing the field of Expressive Arts Therapy in both Thailand and the international community.
Nisara Jaroenkajornkij, Ph.D.
A lecturer, researcher, and licensed art therapist, Ph.D. in Creative Arts Therapy from the University of Haifa, Israel, following an MSc in Clinical Applications of Psychology from Kingston University, UK, and a BSc in Psychology from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
With her expertise in art therapy, Nisara is inspired and passionate to work with people from a range of age groups, cultural and social backgrounds, and encourage, support, and offer her expertise to lend a helping hand to those in need to realize, grow, and unlock their full potential.
Professor Rachel Lev-Wiesel, Ph.D.
Professor Rachel Lev-Wiesel is the Head of the Body and Mind Psychotherapy Track in the School of Social Work at Tel Hai Academic College, and Professor Emerita at the University of Haifa, where she founded both the School for Creative Arts Therapies and the Emili Sagol Research Center for Creative Arts Therapies.
Professor Lev-Wiesel is internationally recognised for her pioneering work on child abuse, sexual trauma, and post-traumatic growth, with a particular emphasis on developing and validating creative arts-based tools for psychological assessment and treatment. Her expertise includes the interpretation of drawings, visual narrative analysis, and trauma-sensitive approaches to therapy.
She has published nearly 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, along with seven scholarly books that have contributed significantly to the field of trauma and expressive therapies.
Her academic contributions reflect a lifelong commitment to promoting healing, advancing trauma research, and integrating creative assessment tools into psychotherapeutic practice across cultures and populations.
Nisara Jaroenkajornkij, Ph.D.
A lecturer, researcher, and licensed art therapist, Ph.D. in Creative Arts Therapy from the University of Haifa, Israel, following an MSc in Clinical Applications of Psychology from Kingston University, UK, and a BSc in Psychology from Chulalongkorn University, Thailand.
With her expertise in art therapy, Nisara is inspired and passionate to work with people from a range of age groups, cultural and social backgrounds, and encourage, support, and offer her expertise to lend a helping hand to those in need to realize, grow, and unlock their full potential.