CV

Education • Experience • Invited Speaking • Conference Presentations • Publications & Research • Advocacy & Volunteer Work

Ph.D. Student in Counselor Education and Supervision | 2023- Current

Certificate for University Teaching | Completed 5/2026

University of Missouri – St. Louis (CACREP accredited), St. Louis, MO

Master of Education in Educational, School, & Counseling Psychology, Emphasis in K-12 School Counseling | 2021 - 2023

University of Missouri – Columbia, Columbia, MO

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology | 2017 - 2021

Truman State University, Kirksville, MO

Psychology Major with Departmental Honors | Minors in Child Studies, Disability Studies, & English 

Education

Relevant Experience

Pre-Licensed Professional Counselor, Multiple Sites | 2025 - Present

  • Supported clients of all ages as a mental health therapist, utilizing RCT and CBT, grounded in a person-centered, trauma-informed lens

Graduate Research Assistant, University of Missouri - St. Louis | 2023 - Present

  • Served as the Program Manager for a $3.1 million DOE grant: Partnership for Antiracist Counselor Training (PACT)

    • Partnered with a local school district to implement and evaluate a new school counseling program on antiracist and trauma-informed practices in counseling

  • Served as a researcher for the department of education

    • Supported educational history research and worked on a grant serving those with intellectual disabilities

Graduate Instructor, University of Missouri - St. Louis | 2026

  • Independently taught CNS ED 6030: Foundations of Multicultural Counseling to master’s level counseling students

  • Co-taught CNS ED 6010: Theories of Counseling to master’s level counseling students

Substitute Teacher and School Counseling Intern, Rockwood School District | 2022 - 2024

  • Gained over 600 hours as a school counseling intern at the elementary and high school level

  • Planned classroom lessons, created and led skill-based groups, and supported those with behavioral needs

  • Assisted with social/emotional support, scheduling, and college/career counseling

Invited Speaking Experiences

NAMI Group Facilitator and Expert Speaker, Nationwide Sharing Hope Initiative, Chai & Chat | 2025 - Present

  • Regular speaker supporting the mission of destigmatizing the conversation around mental health in South Asian communities of all ages

  • Providing mental health education virtually all over the nation, and collaborating to provide ongoing resources, trauma-informed education, and support

  • Speaking engagements include: NAMI IL: Chicago & St. Louis; SC: Greenville; TX: Kaufman & Frisco; FL: Tallahassee ; WA: Seattle

SakhiSTL Volunteer & Speaker, St. Louis Alliance for Indian Women | 2026 - Present

  • Recruited to organize and lead an open forum for South Asian high school students, supporting themes around mental health, stigma, and bicultural identity

  • Organizing a series of adolescent and teen events of differing themes

AAPI Mental Health Summit Panelist: From Awareness to Action: Asian American Families Supporting Neurodivergent Youth | 2025

  • Recruited through Support Network for South Asians (SN4SA) to speak as a panelist supporting families and youth

Selected Conference Presentations

Chronic Pain in the Counseling Room: Trauma-Informed, Client-Centered Approaches, Inaugural Center for Chronic Illness Symposium Content Presentation | 2026

Khorana, A. (2026, April). Chronic pain in the counseling room: Trauma-informed, client-centered approaches for mental health counselors [Content presentation]. Chronic Illness Symposium, Virtual.

Addressing Weight Stigma as a Social Justice Issue in Counselor Education, NCACES Content Presentation | 2024

Moore, M., & Khorana, A. (2024, October). Addressing weight stigma as a social justice issue in counselor education [Content presentation]. North Central Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Rosemont, IL, United States.

The Role of Community and Culture: Building Belonging an Women Scholars, AARC Content Presentation | 2024

  • Discussed building belonging, the impact of intersecting identities, and community, cultural, and self-care

Mizutani, Y., Moore, M., Khorana, A., & Campbell, S. (2024, September). The role of community and culture: Building belonging as women scholars in early career development [Content presentation]. Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

Strategies for Relational and Supportive Research Teams, AARC Roundtable Presentation | 2024

Waalkes, P., DeCino, D., Khorana, A., Ray, R., Moore, M., & Mizutani, Y. (2024, September). Strategies for relational and supportive research teams [Roundtable session]. Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling Conference, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

Stress, Success, and Personality Process, MPA Poster Presentation | 2021

Khorana, A., & Taylor, A. (2021, April). Stress, success, and personality process [Poster presentation]. Midwestern Psychological Association Conference, Chicago, IL, United States.

Stress, Success, and Personality Process, TSU Symposium Poster Presentation | 2021

Khorana, A., & Taylor, A. (2021, April). Stress, success, and personality process [Poster presentation]. Student Research Conference at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, United States.

The Effect of Parenting on Personality and Perceptions of Stress, TSU Symposium Poster Presentation | 2021

Khorana, A., & Taylor, A. (2021, April). Stress, success, and personality process [Poster presentation]. Student Research Conference at Truman State University, Kirksville, MO, United States.

Publications & Research

Using Relational Cultural Theory to Address Weight-Based Oppression, Journal of Creativity in Mental Health | 2025

Moore, M. W., Stice, B. L., Thelen, D. M., & Khorana, A. (2025). Using Relational Cultural Theory to Address Weight-Based Oppression. Journal of Creativity in Mental Health, 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/15401383.2025.2577439

Research Interests (youth, adolescents, and adults):

  • Expressive arts and creativity in counseling

  • South Asian mental health

  • Self-compassion interventions

  • Trauma-informed counseling

  • Multicultural counseling topics

  • Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT)

Advocacy & Volunteer Work

NAMI Group Facilitator and Expert Speaker, Nationwide Sharing Hope Initiative, Chai & Chat | 2025 - Present

SakhiSTL Volunteer & Speaker, St. Louis Alliance for Indian Women | 2026 - Present

Support Network for South Asians (SN4SA) Volunteer and Mental Health Advocate | 2026 - Present

NCACES Award and Grant Reviewer | 2025