Girija Kaimal

Professor of Art Therapy Research, Drexel University
Dr Girija Kaimal (EdD, MA, ATR-BC) is Associate Professor, Interim Chair and Assistant Dean for the Division of Human Development and Health Administration at the Drexel University College of Nursing and Health Professions. She serves as interim Chair to the oldest creative arts therapies department in the world preparing clinicians and researchers in art therapy, music therapy, dance movement therapy and counseling. In her Health, Arts, Learning and Evaluation (HALE) research lab, she examines the physiological and psychological health outcomes of visual and narrative self-expression. She has published over 80 peer-reviewed papers and published a book with Oxford University Press called The Expressive Instinct. Her research has been continually funded since 2008 by federal agencies like the Department of Defense, Department of Education, National Endowment for the Arts as well as foundation and academic centers and has been featured by NPR, CNN, The New York Times as well as a range of media outlets worldwide. In her current studies, she is examining outcomes of art therapy for military service members with traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress, narratives from Gulf war veterans, and arts-based approaches to mitigate chronic stress among patients and caregivers in pediatric hematology/oncology units. Additional international research projects include examining the therapeutic underpinnings of indigenous and traditional artforms and the creative self-expression in times of adversity across the human lifespan. Living out her research  interests, she has been a lifelong  visual artist and her  art explores the intersection of identity and representation of emotion.  Her service commitments at present include being the President of the American Art Therapy Association (a member organization of over 4,300 members) and faculty senate representative from CNHP. Dr. Kaimal has a doctorate from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education, Master of Arts from Drexel University and Bachelor's in Design from the National Institute of Design in India.