Indra Selvarajah

Dr Indra Selvarajah is a Programme Leader for the MA Music Therapy at LASALLE College of the Arts. With a PhD in Music Education/Music Therapy from Florida State University (2013), she is Malaysia’s first PhD-qualified music therapist. Her academic and clinical expertise spans over 20 years, focusing on medical music therapy, community development, and specialized care for diverse populations. She holds certifications such as NICU Music Therapist from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

Education:

• PhD (Music Education/Music Therapy), Florida State University, USA
• Music Therapy Equivalency, Florida State University, USA
• Master in Arts (Piano Performance/Music Psychology), University of Wales, UK
• BMus (Piano Performance), University of Wales, UK

Research & Clinical Focus: Dr Selvarajah specializes in neonatal care, critical care environments, mental health, special needs education, and geriatric care (older adults with chronic illness/well-elderly). She advocates for music therapy integration in Southeast Asia, partnering with organizations like the Malaysian Parkinson’s Disease Association and Alzheimer’s Disease Foundation Malaysia.

Leadership Roles:

• Chair of the Global Crises Intervention Commission, World Federation of Music Therapy (since 2020)
• Founding President of the Malaysian Music Therapy Association (2016–present)
• Vice President/Secretary-General, Malaysian Society for Music in Medicine
• International advisor for the Institute of Salutogenesis & Complementary Medicine (India) and Southeast Asia Masters Group

Academic Contributions: Teaches courses in music therapy, music psychology, and research methodologies, while supervising undergraduate/postgraduate research projects. Organized key events like ‘Moving Music Therapy Forward in the Region: Challenges, Opportunities & Strategies’ (2023).