Aparna Ramaswamy

Aparna Ramaswamy, PhD, EdD, is a counselor educator and community leader in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. She holds two earned doctorates. Her PhD (2012) examined the relationship between Indian classical dance and yoga, drawing connections between the Nāṭyaśāstra and the Yoga Sūtra. Her EdD (2017) explored the role of meditation and mindfulness in the development of multicultural and social justice competence among counselors and counselor educators.

Dr. Ramaswamy serves as core faculty in master's- and doctoral-level counseling programs, with expertise in multicultural and social justice counseling, cultural humility, professional counselor identity, wellness, and ethical practice. Her teaching and supervision emphasize the integration of evidence-informed and culturally responsive counseling approaches, with particular attention to the ethical and appropriate incorporation of indigenous and contemplative healing traditions within contemporary counseling frameworks.

Her scholarship and community engagement focus on counseling applications of dance, music, yoga, meditation, and spirituality, with an emphasis on multicultural counseling competence, counselor education and supervision, and holistic approaches to wellness and prevention.