Dr. Laurel Young

Biography

Laurel Young is an accredited Music Therapist (MTA) and a certified practitioner of the Bonny Method Guided Imagery Music Therapy (FAMI). Before joining the Department of Creative Arts Therapies, she worked as the Professional Leader for Creative Arts Therapies at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto. Young has taught music therapy courses at notable institutions such as Wilfrid Laurier University and Temple University. With over 23 years of clinical experience, her expertise spans geriatrics/dementia, cancer care, HIV, palliative care, community mental health, and developmental disabilities. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Qualitative Inquiries in Music Therapy Monograph Series. Young received the Research and Publications Award from the Canadian Association of Music Therapists (CAMT) in 2014 and was a Spotlight Speaker at the World Congress of Music Therapy in 2015. Furthermore, she is involved in various research initiatives, including the engAGE Center for Research on Aging at Concordia University, where she acts as Associate Director. Her research interests include qualitative and quantitative methodologies, music in dementia care, and the application of singing in health and well-being assessments.

Research Interests

Experience