Nicki Power

Nicki Power is a Clinical Doctoral Fellow and Art Therapist at Queen Mary University of London’s Wolfson Institute of Population Health. She is seconded from her Service Management and Clinical role at East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT) to pursue her PhD, funded by Barts Charity. Her research focuses on time-limited group art therapy for mental distress among people with learning disabilities, using mixed methods and ethnographically informed approaches. Collaborations include The Lawnmowers Theatre Company and NHS partners. She contributes to the University of Hertfordshire’s Art Therapy Masters Programme and holds voluntary roles with the British Association of Art Therapists, International Journal of Art Therapy, and Irish Journal of Creative Arts Therapies.

• Education: PhD candidate (current), Art Therapy clinical background
• Key Roles: NHS service manager, consultant to Point of Care Foundation and Respond

Research emphasizes inclusive co-production, storytelling, and addressing healthcare inequalities faced by people with learning disabilities. Her work integrates creative methods and Schwartz Rounds for systemic change, rooted in her Irish heritage and clinical experience.

Grant funding: Barts Charity supports her doctoral fellowship. Supervisors include Dr Catherine Carr, Dr Simon Hackett, Prof. Stefan Priebe, and Prof. Vicky Bird.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with ELFT clinical services and creative industry partners.