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Ling Cheun Bianca Lee is a 2025 graduate of the PhD program in Counselor Education & Supervision at Antioch University, Seattle.

Dissertation Committee:

Shawn Patrick, PhD, Committee Chair

Jennifer Mullan, PsyD, Committee Member

Keiko Sano, PhD, Committee Member

Keywords

Hong Kong, art therapy, decolonial education, global mental health, culturally responsive andragogy, transnational mental health, photovoice, critical participatory action research

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

This qualitative dissertation examines how Hong Kong-based art therapists trained in Western graduate programs adapt their educations to the cultural, institutional, and sociopolitical realities of their local contexts. Using photovoice methodology informed by decolonial, liberatory, and trauma-informed frameworks—referred to as stir fry praxis—the study centers the experiences of 11 participants navigating professional reentry, identity formation, and systemic constraints. Seven interrelated themes emerged: The evolving and precarious landscape of art therapy in Hong Kong; the dual role of practitioners as therapists and educators; the impact of sociopolitical forces, including self-censorship and limited access to care; the limitations of Western-centric education; grassroots innovation and cultural adaptation in practice; spatial and material barriers—such as the lack of dedicated therapeutic spaces, confidentiality risks, and difficulties managing and transporting art supplies; and recommendations for more inclusive and sustainable training models. Findings reveal how internalized colonialism, capitalist pressures, and institutional inequities shape professional experiences, while also highlighting creative strategies for localized care. This research contributes to critical art therapy literature by emphasizing the need for culturally responsive pedagogy, non-hierarchical supervision, and global mental health frameworks that resist replication of colonial power structures and instead honor diverse, community-rooted approaches to healing.

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Ling Cheun Bianca Lee, PhD, 2025

ORCID Scholar No. 0000-0001-6821-912X

Ling Cheun Bianca Lee,李靈津 (they/she/佢) is an artist, advocate, Board-Certified Registered Art Therapist, and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, Licensed Mental Health Counselor. They have a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision and are a transnational private practitioner in Hong Kong and the United States. Bianca is a teaching faculty at Antioch University Seattle. They were the former president of the Hong Kong Association of Art Therapists (2017-2021) and board members of nonprofit organizations such as the Neutral Ground Collective and Mental Health Liberation.

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