Niyati Kadakia is a doctoral candidate in Clinical Psychology, researcher, mental health and creative arts practitioner based between the USA and India. Her work lies at the intersection of psychology, trauma recovery, and the creative arts, with a focus on how creativity catalyzes post-traumatic growth in women.

She is a 2025 Global Arts in Medicine Fellow, a Research Associate at Art Pharmacy, and an Associate Psychologist at Pasadena Clinical Group. Her dissertation explores the impact of creative expression on trauma recovery in women of color – particularly those affected by abuse, displacement, and intergenerational trauma.

Niyati holds a B.A. in Literature from Scripps College, a B.S. in Biochemical Engineering from the University of Southern California, and an M.A. in Biotechnology from Columbia University. She is certified in Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery (Harvard Medical School), Engineering Health & Yoga Physiology (New York University), and is a Registered Yoga Teacher (RYT-200) with the International Yoga Alliance.

She is also an approved instructor with the National Conflict Resolution Center. A former scientist and researcher in biotech startups, Niyati brings her background in engineering, molecular neurobiology, and healthcare innovation to her current work.

As an appointed Art Commissioner for the City of Encinitas, she advocates for integrating the arts into public health. She has designed and facilitated trauma-informed, arts-
based programs across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, and India. Also a poet, writer, and Indian classical dancer, she weaves movement, language, psychology, and cultural wisdom into resilience-building practices.

At the heart of her work is a commitment to creating spaces where people can heal, reconnect with themselves, and reclaim their agency through creativity, science, and community.