Alicia Stephens

Alicia Stephens is a Lecturer in the Department of Counseling Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, affiliated with the School of Professional Psychology and Health. She specializes in trauma-informed drama therapy, working with adults and children diagnosed with PTSD, and utilizes embodied approaches to address the impact of traumatic experiences such as gun violence, early childhood neglect, and sexual abuse/assault.

Education:

• M.A., California Institute of Integral Studies
• B.A., Stella Maris College India

Her research interests span trauma's long-term effects on health outcomes, the interplay between trauma and spiritual practices, and the role of playfulness and pleasure in mitigating burnout and toxic stress. She co-directs the Miss Kendra Program, a trauma-informed drama therapy initiative active in over 56 K-12 schools across the U.S., and serves as lead faculty for practitioner training at the Developmental Transformations (DvT) Institute in San Francisco.

At the intersections of her identity as a queer, brown, femme, disabled, and Desi immigrant, Alicia focuses on supporting students and clients navigating systemic power structures. She teaches courses such as Trauma and Resilience: Embodied Approaches and Developmental Transformations.