Rita Cola Carroll, PhD, completed her undergraduate and graduate studies in Education and Psychology at Immaculata University. She holds multiple advanced certificates from Drexel University’s Complementary and Integrative Health program and School of Education, and she has a PhD in Organization and Management with a specialization in Higher Education.
Carroll’s clinical areas of expertise are in cognitive rehabilitation and holistic health, designing, providing and overseeing home and community-based services for people dealing with the cognitive effects of acquired brain injuries, multiple sclerosis, autism and other neurological diagnoses. She has worked extensively in leadership for the remote and virtual environments with a focus on educating and supporting therapists and clinical coordinators. Throughout her career, she has served in professional organizations to advocate for the clinical standards and practices that support independence, meaningful engagement and optimal quality of life for people with cognitive disabilities.
Carroll has served as faculty for the graduate Complementary and Integrative Health program since 2016, where she designs and teaches courses. She has had specialized training in multiple complementary modalities including integrative mental health, reiki, healing touch, mindfulness, emotional freedom technique and health and wellness coaching. Carroll has a special interest in integrating healthy lifestyle practices into the prevention and treatment of chronic conditions.
Academic Distinctions
- Provost 2021 Adjunct Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence
- 2024 CNHP Award for Teaching Excellence
Professional Society
Society for Cognitive Rehabilitation, Inc., Board of Governors; Academy for Certification of Brain Injury Specialists, Past Board of Governors; Cognitive Panel, Brain Injury Association of America Brain Injury and the Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine to establish “Guidelines for the Rehabilitation and Disease Management of Adults with Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury,” American Holistic Nurses Association.
Selected Publications
- Carroll, R. C. (2024). Unlocking the Potential of the Brain: Applying Neuroscience Principles to Promote Creativity and Innovation in Healthcare, in Reisman, F. (Ed.), Creativity, Motivation, Neuroscience, AI and Their Future (pp. 66-86). KIE Publications. https://kiecon.org/creativity-books/
- Carroll, R., Murphy, J., & Myers, J. (2024). Mindful transformation: Investigating the effects of a 10-Week graduate-level mindfulness course among nursing students through a mixed methods approach. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 0(0), 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1177/08980101241249792
- Carroll, R. C. (Ed.) (2023) Self-care strategies for health care professionals in these challenging times: How to promote empowerment, a positive outlook and healthy habits for optimal health and well being. Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice [Special Issue]. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice | Self-care Strategies for Health Care Professionals in These Challenging Times: How to Promote Empowerment, a Positive Outlook and Healthy Habits for Optimal Health and Well-Being of the Mind, Body and Spirit | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier
- Carroll, R. (2022), Guided imagery: Harnessing the power of imagination to combat workplace stress for health care professionals. Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice, 28. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xjep.2022.100518
- Carroll, R. C. (ed.) (2021). Complementary and integrative approaches for Substance Use Disorders. Nova Science Publishers.
Editorial Review Board Membership:
Peer reviewer for The Journal of Interprofessional Education and Practice; Peer reviewer Brain Injury Journal
Research Interests
Mindfulness to enhance cognitive function; complementary and integrative approaches to substance use disorders; Cognitive rehabilitation for individuals with cognitive and learning differences: holistic self-care for student well-being; creativity and innovation in the health professions.