Rachel Nelms

Rachel Nelms serves as Assistant Professor in the Art Therapy Department at Capital University, where she is a board-certified art therapist and professional clinical counselor specializing in complex trauma, disenfranchised grief, and end-of-life care.

• Bachelor of Fine Arts from Columbia College Chicago
• Dual Masters of Arts in Counseling and Art Therapy from Adler School of Professional Psychology
• Doctorate of Philosophy in Art Education with Specialization in Art Therapy Research from Florida State University

Her research examines existentialism, disenfranchised grief mechanisms, and aggression emerging from unresolved grief, with presentations at national (American Art Therapy Association) and state-level (Illinois Art Therapy Association) conferences. This work integrates clinical art therapy practices with counseling methodologies to address profound emotional experiences.

Her publications analyze reflective journaling in graduate education and the grief-aggression nexus in therapeutic settings, advancing understanding of therapeutic relationship dynamics and emotional processing in art therapy contexts.

Dr. Nelms teaches foundational courses including Introduction to Art Therapy, Imagery and Metaphors, and Clinical Approaches in Art Therapy while maintaining active private practice. Her academic instruction emphasizes clinical skill development and therapeutic application of art-based interventions for student practitioners.