Biography
Debra M. Kawahara, PhD, is the associate dean of Academic Affairs and distinguished professor at the California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University. She manages over 20 programs in psychology and mental health across six campuses in California, as well as online. Additionally, she has an independent practice where she sees individuals, couples, and families, and conducts trainings for organizations.
As the 2025 president of the American Psychological Association (APA), Kawahara aims to bring her campaign slogan, “Strength in Unity,” to fruition. She is the first Asian American woman and the first Japanese American to serve in this role.
“Because I believe an ethos of strengths-based unity provides us with an opportunity to continue to build inclusive structures within our communities, my action plan will be to amplify all our voices and create and support initiatives that illuminate all of our expertise and strengths in APA and psychology,” she said. “I want psychologists to feel that APA is a welcoming professional home that empowers all of its members.”
Known as a feminist and multicultural scholar, her work centers on intersectionality, women's issues, Asian American mental health, and the application of feminist and multicultural values and social justice principles. She is widely published and has presented at the state, national, and global levels. Her most recent scholarship focuses on connecting the foundations of Early Buddhism to current mindfulness and meditation practices used in psychotherapy, with a forthcoming book, “Buddhist Psychotherapy: Connecting Early Buddhism to Mindfulness and Western Psychotherapy” (July 2025).
In 2018, she became the editor of Women & Therapy. Under her editorialship, she has commissioned special issues geared toward BIPOC and historically marginalized groups from a feminist perspective. Recent issues include Anti-Racist Feminist Practice, Advocacy and Activism; Feminist Therapy with Transgender, Nonbinary, and Gender Expansive People; and Special Issue on BIPOC and LGBTQ Feminist Radical Visionaries. Additionally, she has served as chairperson on many dissertations and enjoys mentoring aspiring feminist, multicultural, and first-generation psychologists.
She has previously served as a member-at-large on the APA Board of Directors, a representative on the APA Council of Representatives, an APA Finance Committee member, an Advisory Committee member for the Leadership Institute for Women in Psychology, a Divisions of Social Justice representative, and a National Council of Schools and Programs in Professional Psychology delegate.
Kawahara is a fellow of APA Divisions 12, 35, 45, and 55, and the Asian American Psychological Association. In recognition of her work, she was awarded an APA Presidential Citation and the Shining Star Award at the National Multicultural Conference & Summit. She also received Div. 45's Distinguished Career Contributions for Service Award and Division 35's Pioneer Award (Section 5, Asian Pacific Islander Women).