About Us
The Centre for Social Emotional Learning (SEL) was established in 2010 by Dr Liza Thia and Dr Yvonne Lek with the mission of fostering character development and supporting the psychological well-being of children, youths, and educators. Since its inception, the Centre for SEL has empowered over 7,000 educators through training in SEL and related domains. Actively engaged in SEL research, consultancy, and curriculum development, the Centre is committed to advancing both the understanding and practical application of social-emotional learning.
In addition to their systemic work, Dr Yvonne Lek serves as a Principal Psychotherapist, while Dr Liza Thia is a Principal Educational and Child Psychologist at Beacon Psychology. Their combined roles offer a holistic perspective on the needs of young individuals, encompassing mental health, social-emotional development, and special educational needs.
The Centre for SEL advocates for the integration of SEL into educational process, emphasising the pivotal role of teacher-student relationships (TSRs) in nurturing the social emotional growth and inculcating positive values. Leveraging their extensive experience working alongside school leaders and educators, combined with their clinical expertise in supporting children and youths facing social, emotional and behavioural challenges, the Centre for SEL remains at the forefront of training development and delivery. Moreover, their action research and school-based consultations have yielded actionable insights and practical strategies for educators to effectively cultivate students’ social and emotional competencies.
Dr Yvonne Lek
PRINCIPAL PSYCHOTHERAPIST
Dr Yvonne Lek’s journey began with a background in education, where she honed her skills as an educator before transitioning to a pivotal role within the MOE as a Guidance Officer. In this capacity, she played a key role in pioneering the development of the MOE’s Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Framework for schools. Yvonne also reviewed and enhanced the professional development programmes for teachers in areas pertaining to career guidance and psychological well-being. Yvonne has fifteen years of clinical experience, working extensively on mental health issues with students both in local and international schools. In addition, she is also an experienced clinical supervisor and has supervised counsellors from schools, the Gifted Education Branch (MOE), the University Health Centre (NUS), and graduate students undertaking counselling training.
Yvonne is registered with the Singapore Association for Counselling. She graduated with a Master of Social Science in Professional Counselling, a Postgraduate Diploma in Education and an Advanced Post-Graduate Diploma in Guidance and Counselling. Her PhD research was in complex trauma in children in Singapore. Currently, Yvonne is a Psychotherapist in private practice. She is proficient with a variety of therapeutic methods including psychodynamic, Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR), client-centred approach, and cognitive behavioural methods.
Apart from her clinical work, Yvonne has been invited numerous times to speak on different platforms (including webinars, radio and online talkshows) to various stakeholders about children and youth’s mental health and their psychological well-being. Yvonne firmly believes that each child has a voice. She counts it as a blessing to be able to hear and connect with each voice and to support each child in his/her journey of growth.
Dr Liza ThiA
PRINCIPAL Educational And Child Psychologist
Dr Liza Thia is a Chartered Psychologist accredited by the British Psychological Society and a Registered Psychologist/Approved Supervisor with the Singapore Psychological Society (SPS) with over two decades of clinical experience. She specialises in working with children and youth grappling with special educational needs and mental health challenges in her private practice. During her extensive tenure in the Ministry of Education (MOE), spanning more than ten years, Liza played a pivotal role as a Senior Specialist in Educational Psychology. Her leadership was instrumental in building the schools’ capacity to support children with special educational needs and in MOE’s policy formulation. Liza’s commitment to evidence-based professional practices and dedicated pursuit of current knowledge and skills facilitated her role as a mentor and educator, empowering fellow specialists and collaborating with stakeholders from diverse professional backgrounds.
Liza first graduated with a First Class Honours in Psychology, and received numerous accolades, the Dean’s List and Recognition of Achievement awards. She further attained a distinction in her Postgraduate Diploma in Education and was a Singapore Teachers’ Union Book Prize Winner. Through the MOE Post Graduate Overseas Scholarship, she pursued a Master of Science in Educational Psychology. Her PhD research focused on developing an emotional competence program for preschools in Singapore. This innovative program included comprehensive training and mentorship of educators in facilitating young children’s emotional development.
In her current capacity, Liza offers specialised psychological assessment and consultancy services, focusing on both special educational needs and psychological well-being. Beyond her clinical practice, she founded the SPS Educational Psychology Special Interest Group, and led the SRP Supervisor Committee in developing the national Supervisor Competency Framework that was launched in 2024. Liza actively engages in supervisory roles and lecturing commitments across various educational institutions and Voluntary Welfare Organisations. Additionally, she contributes her expertise as an Adjunct Lecturer and Clinical Supervisor at the National Institute of Education and serves as an Associate and Thesis Supervisor at the Singapore University of Social Sciences.
