Personal profile
Biography
Supritha is currently working as a Senior Lecturer in Counselling and Psychotherapy & CAMH, Applied Health and Social Care, Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine, Edge Hill University. In 2012, she graduated from All India Institute of Speech and Hearing, Mysuru with an integrated (research and clinical practice) dual degree called speech and hearing with the license to work with two protected health care professional titles (Audiologist and Speech & language therapist). Following this Supritha completed a Master's degree in Indian Classical Dance and simultaneously worked as a Speech-language therapist across the hospital, mainstream, and special educational needs settings with a diverse client population. With an intention to explore the benefits of arts to enhance communication and health, she completed a certification course in dance movement psychotherapy. Supritha joined Edge Hill University in 2017 as a Graduate Teaching Assistant with a scholarship to carry out doctoral research. She investigated the contribution of dance movement psychotherapy towards the wellbeing of children with an autism spectrum disorder and their caregivers. She also completed the PGCTHE course with distinction and became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Research interests
As a result of these several influences and contexts of work, Supritha's research work remains diverse, ranging from arts-based research to systematic reviews and meta-analyses. She is a mixed-methods researcher with interests in exploring the contribution of Arts within Health, Education and Community contexts.
Teaching
At the Faculty of Health, Social Care and Medicine, Supritha currently teaches in the MSc Psychotherapy and Counselling – Contemporary Creative Approaches programme.
Previously, at the Department of Creative Arts, she has contributed to the modules on
Dance in Education and Community Settings (DAN1101, DAN1106)
Devising Projects in Education and Community Settings (DAN21101)
Body & Performance (DAN 2102)
Explorations into Dance Writing (DAN 1104)
Dance Techniques (DAN3105)
Cultural Perspectives in Dance (DAN 2103)
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, Contribution of Dance Movement Psychotherapy towards the Well-being of Children with ASD and their Caregivers , Edge Hill University
Award Date: 14 Dec 2020
PGCert, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, Edge Hill University
Award Date: 17 Jan 2019
MA, Indian Classical Dance, Bharathidasan University
Award Date: 14 Apr 2014
BSc, Speech Language Pathology and Audiology , University of Mysore
Award Date: 28 Apr 2012
Other, Certification in dance movement therapy , Artsphere, Pune & CID UNESCO, Paris, France
Keywords
- NX Arts in general
- Arts therapies
- Dance Movement Psychotherapy
- BF Psychology
- Mental Health
- Psychotherapy
- Speech Language Pathology
Research Groups
- Children and Young People Research Network
- Higher Education Research Network
- Sport, Work and Health Research Group
- Inclusion, Diversity and Identity Research Network (Education)
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Fingerprint
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Evaluating an online peer support and acceptance and commitment therapy (act) informed intervention for caregivers of adults with asd and learning difficulties: a mixed-methods study
SANZ GALVAN, E., AITHAL, S., Karaminis, T., Karkou, V., TAN, A. J. Y. & Fong, C., 15 Nov 2025.Research output: Contribution to conference › Speech › peer-review
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Online Peer Support and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Informed Intervention for Caregivers of Autistic Adults with Learning Difficulties in Peru
SANZ GALVAN, E., AITHAL, S., Karkou, V., Karaminis, T., TAN, A. J. Y. & Fong, C., 13 Sept 2025.Research output: Contribution to conference › Poster › peer-review
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Student Psychotherapists' Experiences of Self‐Empathy: An Interpretative Poetic Inquiry
Jack, K. & Aithal, S., 1 Mar 2025, In: Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. 25, 1, p. 1-12 12 p., e70001.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (journal) › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)44 Downloads (Pure) -
Digital Psychotherapies for Adults Experiencing Depressive Symptoms: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Omylinska-Thurston, J., Aithal, S., Liverpool, S., Clark, R., Moula, Z., Wood, J., Viliardos, L., Rodríguez-Dorans, E., Farish-Edwards, F., Parsons, A., Eisenstadt, M., Bull, M., Dubrow-Marshall, L., Thurston, S. & Karkou, V., 21 Oct 2024, In: JMIR Mental Health. 11, p. 1-34 34 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (journal) › peer-review
Open AccessFile39 Downloads (Pure) -
Mental health coping strategies and support needs among marginalised further and higher education students in the UK: A cross-sectional study
LIVERPOOL, S., Moinuddin, M., Bracegirdle, K., Eddison, J., Joseph, S., AITHAL, S., Allen, E., Carmichael-Murphy, P., MARSDEN, J., MCKENZIE, H., MURPHY, C., OWEN, M., Patel, T., Raji, N., ROOCROFT, L., Fletcher, K. & Karkou, V., 17 Jun 2024, In: PLOS Mental Health. 1, 1, p. 1-23 e0000046.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (journal) › peer-review
Open AccessFile6 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)216 Downloads (Pure)
Projects
- 4 Finished
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A feasibility study examining if attending pregnancy yoga reduces stress and improves psychological wellbeing for women with GDM.
ABAYOMI, J. (PI), MATHIYA, T. (PI), AITHAL, S. (CoI), GIBSON, L. (CoI) & Karkou, V. (CoI)
1/09/22 → 31/08/24
Project: Research
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Using choice experiments to inform the design and development of suitable mental health and wellbeing interventions for children and young people
LIVERPOOL, S. (PI), AITHAL, S. (PI) & Karkou, V. (PI)
1/08/22 → 31/08/23
Project: Research
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Superbrains
KARAMINIS, T. (PI), OCCELLI, V. (CoI), TSE, D. (CoI), AITHAL, S. (CoI) & WILSON, H. (CoI)
25/06/22 → 21/07/24
Project: Research
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Arts-based interventions for workplace mental health of helping professionals
AITHAL, S. (PI), LIVERPOOL, S. (CoI) & Karkou, V. (CoI)
18/10/21 → 1/08/22
Project: Research
Prizes
Thesis
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Dance Movement Psychotherapy for the Wellbeing of Children on the Autism Spectrum and their Caregivers: A Mixed-Methods Study
AITHAL, S. (Author), Karkou, V. (Director of Studies), GREIG, J. (Supervisor) & MAKRIS, S. (Supervisor), 14 Dec 2020Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
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