Alisha Ali

Alisha Ali is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Psychology at New York University (NYU), leading the Advocacy & Community-Based Trauma Studies (ACTS) Lab. She specializes in the mental health impacts of violence, poverty, and trauma, with a focus on arts-based interventions for military veterans, domestic violence survivors, and marginalized youth. Her work has been supported by major grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, National Institute of Mental Health, and others.

Dr. Ali earned her B.Sc., M.Sc., and Ph.D. from the University of Toronto. Her research emphasizes structural competency in psychological practice and integrates creative arts therapies to address systemic inequities. Notable contributions include co-editing The Crisis of Connection (NYU Press) and founding the DE-CRUIT program, which uses Shakespearean monologues to treat veterans' PTSD. She serves on NYU Steinhardt’s faculty, teaching courses in clinical and counseling psychology.

• Lab: ACTS Lab (Advocacy & Community-Based Trauma Studies)
• Funding Partners: NEA, NIMH, APA Military Division, Wellcome Trust
• Key Projects: DE-CRUIT veterans’ theatre program, arts-based trauma treatments for survivors

Her interdisciplinary work bridges psychology, arts, and social justice, with over 50 peer-reviewed publications and edited volumes. She is an advocate for radicalizing mental health advocacy to confront structural barriers to recovery.