Research Interests

Black Spirituality and Creativity, Black Relationship Intimacy, Expressive Arts with the Black Community

Biography

Danielle Drake, PhD is Dean of Faculty Development, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the California Institute of Integral Studies. She earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University with her dissertation study focused on the use of creativity and spirituality among African Americans. As a result of her dissertation research, she developed and conducted an initial validation of the Black Spiritual Creativity Scale (BSCS) which is now in use in several research projects and studies. Dr. Drake was Associate Professor and Program Chair of the Counseling Psychology, Expressive Arts Therapy MA program. As a psychologist at Rafiki Coalition, Dr. Drake focuses on holistic health and psychospiritual wellness of clients in the Bayview / Hunters Point community of San Francisco. Dr. Drake’s clinical work as an Expressive Arts Therapist engages clients individually and groups in creative writing, music, and visual arts processes. She uses a liberatory informed theoretical approach that incorporates Womanist, and Black/African-centered psychologies with Narrative Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, and contemplative practices. Dr. Drake additionally holds two decades of previous administration experience in corporate human resource management, and in nonprofit management. Dr. Drake has hosted a conversation with Angela Davis for CIIS Public Programs on Dr. Davis’ life of activism, and as a spoken word artist is a former Oakland Poetry Slam Champion, and author of Cast Iron Life: A collection of poems and recipes.

Education

BS in Business Administration, concentration Human Resource Management, Cal Poly, San Lusis Obispo; MA in Counseling Psychology, concentration Expressive Arts Therapy, CIIS; PhD in Clinical Psychology, Fielding Graduate University

Publications

Womanism, Creativity, and Resistance: Making A Way Out of "No Way" -- Link: https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/4318142?tab=2; Drake, D., Mizock, L., Allen, C. & Bryant-Davis, T. Spirituality and creativity among African Americans: A legacy of empowered community liberation. To be published in Jean Lau Chin, Yolanda E. Garcia, and Arthur W. Blume, Editors, The Psychology of Inequity: Strategies and Solutions, Praeger, 2023. Courtesy ABC-CLIO

Drake, D. & Hicks, D. S. R. (In press: Spring 2023). Sexual intimacy in Black heterosexual couple relationships: Challenges and creative opportunities towards relational intimacy. In Y. Cooper & E. Holmes. (Eds.), Black Couples Therapy: Clinical Theory and Practice. Cambridge.

Drake, D. (2021). Entering a career in expressive arts therapy. In S. Bailey. (Ed.), Creative arts therapy careers: Succeeding as a creative professional (Perform). Routledge.

Drake, D. Y. (2019). Spiritual Creativity among African Americans (Doctoral dissertation, Fielding Graduate University).

Drake-Burnette, D., Garrett-Akinsanya, B. M., & Bryant-Davis, T. (2016). Womanist psychology, creativity and resistance. In T. Bryant-Davis & L. Comas-Diaz. (Eds.), Voices of fire and acts of courage: Womanist and mujerista psychologies. American Psychological Association.