School of Creative
Industries
Christine Young
A combination of factors led Christine to pursue the MA Art Therapy programme – her previous artistic practice in oil painting, charcoal drawing, sketching and watercolour, her Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Psychology, running a sports club for children in the UK and her volunteering experience in Singapore. During her time in the programme, she also expanded her creative exploration into ceramics.
For her clinical placements in Singapore, Christine worked with a leading mental health organisation and a specialist day care centre for children with special needs. Her internship experience included working with adults in rehabilitation, and an online open studio for teenagers and children aged 6–18 years diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. She also had the opportunity to present on trauma-informed care and safe friendships for a range of sectors including students, counsellors and caregivers. Her research and clinical interests include working with children with autism and how technology can be utilised in art therapy.
Christine has found the MA Art Therapy programme to be an extraordinary experience both academically and artistically. Her psychodynamic art therapy approach is influenced by development and mess theory, and she incorporates play and storytelling in her practice. The end of her studies at LASALLE marks a new beginning elsewhere and she will continue to advocate for this emerging field of art therapy. In her journey through the humanities, she aims to make life more ameliorative for both clients and the community.
Work
The Colour of Data
Ceramics, acrylic, resin, thread
150 x 25 x 1.5 cm
2022
Ceramics and creative exploration are now embedded ways of working for the artist. Her creative exploration makes for a richer experience for her clients and greater engagement in the therapeutic relationship. The Colour of Data is a representation of her living, and continuous response art of her journey on the programme. Along the continuum, she fuses her creative processes and her data accumulated on this transformative journey.
Thesis abstract
App-solutely infinite possibilities: Art therapy with children with autism spectrum disorder – A qualitative single case study in Singapore
The aim of this qualitative practitioner-based thesis is to explore the impact of digital media in art therapy on a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The subject is a 12-year-old child who was diagnosed with ASD and attended a special needs day-care centre at a school in Singapore. The study was conducted from August 2021 to March 2022, based on observations in art therapy sessions. Interventions needed to be distinctive to the child's needs as every ASD child is uniquely individual. The findings highlight that apps can be an effective medium for building a therapeutic alliance in the psychodynamic relationship with digital natives, for whom technology is second nature. This study builds on prior research involving apps and special needs adults, which was adapted by the author for this study. There are infinite possibilities for incorporating digital media apps in art therapy.