Scholarship
Research interests include diversity in higher education (broadly) & the creative arts therapies, clinical supervision, persons infected and affected by HIV/AIDS, and community corrections.
Books
Awais, Y.J. & Blausey, D. (2021). Foundations of art therapy supervision: Creating common ground for supervisees and supervisors. Routledge.
Articles
Awais, Y. J. (2022). Naming who performs care: Occupational segregation in the creative arts therapies. The Arts in Psychotherapy, 80(2022).
Buckley, T.R & Awais, Y.J. (2019). Understanding HIV prevention with college going black women: An NIMH-funded pilot study. Journal of Multicultural Counseling Development, 47(2), 74-89.
Keselman, M. & Awais, Y.J. (2018). Exploration of cultural humility in medical art therapy. Art Therapy, 35(2), 77-87.
Ottemiller, D.D. & Awais, Y.J. (2016). A model for art therapists in community-based practice. Art Therapy, 33(3), 144-150.
Awais, Y. J., & Yali, A. M. (2015). Efforts in increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the field of art therapy. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 33(3), 112-119.
Awais, Y. J., & Yali, A. M. (2013). A call for diversity: The need to recruit and retain ethnic minority art therapy students in art therapy. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, (30)3, 130-134.
Book Chapters
Awais, Y.J. & Adelman, L. (2019). Making Artistic Noise: Amplifying the voices of youth involved in the juvenile justice system (pp. 381-401). In M. Beberian & B. Davis (Eds.), Art Therapy Practices for Resilient Youth. Routledge.
Awais, Y.J. & Keselman, M. (2019). Culturally responsive care for art therapists in medical settings (pp. 224-234). In D. Elkis-Abuhoff & Morgan Gaydos (Eds.), Art and Expressive Therapies within the Medical Model: Clinical Applications. Routledge.
Awais, Y.J. (2013). Reframing identity: Art therapy in Saudi Arabia (pp. 267-276). In P. Howie, S. Prasad, & J. Kristel (Eds.), Using Art Therapy with Diverse Populations: Crossing Cultures and Abilities. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Blausey, D., & Awais, Y.J. (2013). HIV/AIDS: Reflecting on 15 Years in New York City (pp. 214-224). In P. Howie, S. Prasad, & J. Kristel (Eds.), Using Art Therapy with Diverse Populations: Crossing Cultures and Abilities. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Keynotes
(2023, June). Disrupting systems, actualizing change (It’s impossible to do this work if you don’t think change is possible). Keynote presented at The Institute for Therapy through the Arts Integrated Creative Arts Therapy Conference, Evanston, IL.
(2015, November). Embracing difference: Culture and the therapeutic relationship in art therapy. Meeting of the Illinois Art Therapy Association, Chicago, IL.
(2015, March). To be or not to be: Culture and the therapeutic relationship in art therapy. Meeting of the New York Art Therapy Association, White Plains, NY.
(2014, October). Acknowledging and accepting difference: Art therapy and diversity. Keynote presented at the meeting of the New Jersey Art Therapy Association, Fairfield, NJ.
(2013, October). Deconstructing school violence: Culture, morality and art therapy as an intervention. Keynote presented at the international meeting of the Korean Art Therapy Association, Gyeongju, Korea.
Select Refereed Presentations & Invited Lectures
Awais, Y. J., & Williams, B. (2024, January). Utilizing arts-based research methodology to center marginalized voices through an intersectional lens. Workshop presented at the meeting of the Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, D.C.
Awais, Y. J., & Blausey, D. (2022, September). When memories diverge: Art therapies supervision across differences. Workshop presented at the meeting of the European Consortium of Arts Therapy Educators, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Blausey, D. & Awais, Y. J. (2021, November). Sharing our identities in clinical practice & supervision: What therapists need to know. Workshop presented at the Expressive Therapies Summit, Atlantic City, NJ.
Awais, Y. J., & Blausey, D. (2021, March). Supervisees and supervisors: Who speaks first about identities in supervision? Workshop presented at the Institute for Therapy Through the Arts integrated conference, Evanston, IL.
Norris, M., Gipson, L., Hadley, S., Williams, B., Sajnani, N., Talwar, S., Awais, Y. J., Chang, M., & Hodermarska, M. (2020, July). Exploring critical pedagogy and the arts therapies. Panel presented at the World Federation of Music Therapy, Pretoria, South Africa.
Awais, Y. J. , Adelman, L., McIndoe, B., & Hayward, C. (2020, January). Making artistic noise: Amplifying the voices of court involved youth. C. Hayard (Moderator). Panel presented at The School of Visual Arts, New York, NY.
Reynolds, A. & Awais, Y. J. (2019, November). More than talk: Dismantling white supremacy utilizing art & drama therapy. Workshop presented at the meeting of the North American Drama Therapy Association, Philadelphia, PA.
Sajnani, N., Talwar, S., Gipson, L., Awais, Y. J., Williams, B., Hadley, & Norris, M. (2019, September). Imagining utopias: Critical pedagogy in the arts therapies. Panel presented at the meeting of the European Consortium of Arts Therapy Educators, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Awais, Y. J., Gipson, L., Bhatia, A., Butler, J., & Lepere, R. (2019, March). Bringing a critical lens to arts therapies education. Panel presented at the meeting of Critical Pedagogy in the Creative Arts Therapies, New York, NY.
Awais, Y.J. (2018, November). Strategies for decentering arts therapies curricula: Recruitment, mentorship, and taking on a citation challenge. Talk as part of a panel presentation at the conference of Critical Pedagogy in the Arts Therapies, Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Gipson, L. [Moderator], Awais, Y.J., Talwar, S., Sajnani, N., Williams, B., McAdam, E., Chang, M., Gallo-Jermyn, C.A., Norris, M., & Hadley, S. (2018, November). Public conversation: Critical pedagogy in the arts therapies think tank. Panel presentation at the conference of Critical Pedagogy in the Arts Therapies, Chicago, Chicago, IL.
Buckley, T. R., Awais, Y.J., & Balaram, A. (2018, August). Speaking of HIV…Who are the Black women in prevention research? Roundtable presented at the convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.
Buckley, T. R., Awais, Y.J., Baum-Tuccillo, M., Balaram, A., & Liu, W. (2018, August). Beyond cultural competence: A framework for critical practice to address racial power. Roundtable presented at the convention of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco, CA.
Awais, Y.J. & Reynolds, A. (2018, June). More than talk: Dismantling white supremacy using creative methods. Arts engagement workshop presented at the meeting of the Critical Ethnic Studies Association, Vancouver, Canada.
Sajnani, N. [Chair], Talwar, S., Awais, Y.J., Gipson, L., Chang, M., Gallo, C.A., Hodermarska, M., Williams, B., McAdam, E., Norris, M., & Ramos-Watt, S. (2018, March). Critical pedagogy in the arts therapies: A public conversation. Talk conducted from New York University, New York, NY.
Bane, T., Awais, Y.J., Brown, T., Cabrera, J., & Freeman, A. (2018, January). Unequal and underfunded: Incorporating social welfare doctoral education into the 40 hour work week. Roundtable presented at the conference of the Society for Social Work and Research, Washington, D.C.
Awais, Y.J., Blausey, D., Reim Ifrach, E., & Gordon, C. (2017, November). Full circle: Sharing the process of receiving and giving supervision. Panel presentation at the conference of The American Art Therapy Association, Albuquerque, NM.
Buckley, T. R., Lui, W., Baum-Tuccillo, M., & Awais, Y.J. (2017, August). Beyond cultural competence: Self-reflexivity to address power and privilege. Skill building session presented at the convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C.
Awais, Y.J., Blausey, D., & Reim Ifrach, E. (2016, November). The supervision tree: Generational transmission of knowledge & skills. Panel presentation at Expressive Therapies Summit, New York, NY.
Awais, Y.J. & Yali, A. M. (2015, August). Efforts in increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the field of art therapy. Poster presented at the convention of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.
Awais, Y.J., Adelman, L., Paul, J., & Buseman, R. (2014, September). Art as a bridge: Crossing the borders of artist - educator - therapist - offender - community member. Panel presented at the conference of the Arcus Center for Social Justice and Leadership, Kalamazoo, MI.
Robb, M., ter Matt, M., Stepney, S., & Awais, Y.J. (2014, July). Advancing multicultural/diversity competency through education, practice, and research. Panel presented at the conference of the American Art Therapy Association, San Antonio, TX.
Awais, Y.J., Deisher, S., & Reim, E. (2014, July). Group process in a non-traditional setting. Workshop conducted at the conference of the American Art Therapy Association, San Antonio, TX