Hamida Khatri is a researcher, artist, educator, writer, and counselor-in-training whose work connects mental health, community arts, and emerging technology. Born and raised in Pakistan and now based in the United States, she explores how creative expression and immersive experiences can support identity, connection, and recovery after trauma. A PMP®-certified professional, she brings an interdisciplinary background in art, business, information systems, and counseling to her research and practice.

Hamida is a Ph.D. candidate in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication at the University of Texas at Dallas. She is also pursuing a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at the University of North Texas and a Master of Science in Clinical Investigation at UT Southwestern Medical Center. Her doctoral work examines how trauma shapes a person’s sense of self, agency, and possibility. This research informs Shadowed Realities, a virtual reality intervention concept that translates psychological and philosophical ideas into accessible, guided experiences. Her Continuum of Immersion Model proposes how clinicians might adjust immersion in response to individual needs and therapeutic goals.

Her commitment to creative expression led her to establish the Creative Therapy Platform: A Voluntary Travel-Community Project, through which she has facilitated more than 100 workshops and sessions internationally. Inspired by the relationship between art and emotional well-being, these experiences invite participants to reflect, share stories, and connect through meditative artmaking.

She also founded Project Kali: Celebration of Womanhood, a community arts initiative supporting women who have experienced violence through creative expression and shared storytelling. The project received support from The Pollination Project, the France-Merrick Opportunity Fund, and the Launch Artists in Baltimore Award. Through her curatorial work, participants’ art has been exhibited at venues including Gallery Four, Motor House, Rousse Gallery, Meyerhoff Gallery, and the Baltimore Museum of Art. Her book, Project Kali, was published in 2017.

Hamida holds a Master of Fine Arts in Community Arts and a Certificate of Teaching from the Maryland Institute College of Art; a Certificate in Humanistic Counseling from the Counseling & Psychotherapy Central Awarding Body; a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture and Photography from the Indus Valley School of Art & Architecture; bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Business Administration from the Institute of Business Management; and a Master of Science in Information Systems Engineering & Management from Harrisburg University of Science & Technology.

Across research, teaching, counseling, and creative practice, Hamida aims to make complex ideas accessible and develop thoughtful approaches to care that respect each person’s experiences, values, and cultural context.