Kaitlynn Cornell (she/her/hers) is a licensed creative arts therapist and a registered drama therapist based in New York City. She has worked in schools, hospitals, a therapeutic summer camp, and now maintains a private practice, providing therapeutic services for teens and adults as well as clinical supervision for NYS creative arts therapists. Kaitlynn completed a child and family therapy training program after completing her masters in drama therapy at NYU, studying internal family systems, play therapy, and other trauma-informed focused interventions. Along with her clinical work, she is also an executive functioning coach for adolescents and young adults struggling with ADHD and other executive functioning difficulties. Kaitlynn is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in counselor education and supervision at Antioch University: in Seattle.
- Antioch University, PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision (expected 2025)
- New York University, Master of Arts in Drama Therapy (2018)
- Brooklyn College, Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Classics (2014)
- Ulster County Community College, Associate of Arts in Theatre (2011)
As a drama therapist, clinical supervisor, and counselor education, I engage with an intentional and integrated approach. My aim is to involve students in a collaborative process that honors the individual and the group. This process involves my own reflexive practices, as well as engaging in empathy and understanding of each individual student’s needs and goals. I believe that, in order to be most effective, the learning process must honor the developmental process of each individual student, honoring the knowledge they already possess as well as the growth areas that still exist. I also believe that intentionality is integral to the education process. This intentionality in the courses I teach comes from clear communication with students, and providing clear understanding of the ‘whys’ and the ‘for whats’ in the material I present to allow for full engagement and interest from students.
My goal in the classroom is to honor the diverse perspectives and experiences in the space while also normalizing the process of ‘making a mistake’ and creating space for courageous conversations and repair. This involves my own recognition of the privilege that I hold in the space and the acknowledgment of the various Agent roles I possess. Similar to my counseling approach, I believe that relationship building is a key component, and I highly value the student-educator relationship in the process of learning. I utilize humor, enthusiasm, and creativity in learning spaces to further build relationships with students and enhance their experience of the education environment. As a drama therapist, I am passionate about the meaning making process and integrate this passion into my teaching style. Individual meaning making for students around the material that is introduced into the classroom is very important to me. In order to honor the individual meaning making process and the diverse experiences in the classroom, I aim to introduce material from various perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences (as we know, the origin of many theories comes from singular, typically Westernized and white perspectives, that do not truly honor the diverse populations we as counselors work with, so a student perspective is just as integral as the perspective of these theorists).
I am not THE expert, I have expertise in certain areas, but you, as students, are experts as well. You are experts in yourselves, how you learn, and what drives you. I strive to honor your various expertise as I am a forever learner- there are always opportunities to learn and grow, no matter what stage I am at, and I hope to continue to model this for you throughout our time together through mutual respect, open communication, and empathy and understanding.
- 2023 Antioch University: “Using Drama Therapy to Decolonize the Supervision Space”
- 2023 Expressive Arts Therapy Virtual Summit: “Embodied Community Building in Social Justice Advocacy”
- 2022 Antioch University: Seattle via Chi Sigma Iota: Omega Mu Gamma Chapter- “The Ethics of Creative Interventions in Counseling”
- 2019 North American Drama Therapy Association Conference-Poster Session- “Utilizing role theory and method to enhance and support executive functioning with children and adolescents with learning differences”
- 2017 North American Drama Therapy Association Conference- Student Forum
- Antioch University CES/MA Social Justice Curriculum Taskforce: Student member; November 2022-Present
- North American Drama Therapy Association Tri-State Board Member: Membership Co-chair; August 2018-December 2019
- North American Drama Therapy Association Student Board Member: January 2017-March 2018
- North American Drama Therapy Association Student Newsletter: Co-Editor; January 2017-March 2018
- American Counseling Association, 2022-Present
- Association for Creativity in Counseling, 2022-Present
- Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, 2022-Present
- North American Drama Therapy Association, 2016-Present