Jim Grilli

Jim Grilli is a licensed clinical social worker, artist, and writer. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of the Arts, participated in the Independent Study Program at the Whitney Museum of American Art, and earned his Master of Social Work from Temple University. Since graduating from Temple, Jim has worked as a psychotherapist in outpatient and research settings. Jim’s research interests center on mental health service delivery, especially how various techniques of assessment, diagnosis, and treatment used by mental health professionals conceal cultural, linguistic, and financial structures. Jim’s exploration of how these social forces impact the way clinicians provide care is informed by his ongoing study of the history of psychiatry and social services, critical theory, and psychoanalysis.

In addition to his involvement in the mental health field, Jim has exhibited his art in Philadelphia, New York City, and Berlin. His fiction and art criticism have appeared in p-e-r-f-o-r-m-a-n-c-e and E-Communications of the International Brecht Society. He has contributed illustrations to books released by Brill Academic Publishing. Before transitioning to full-time psychotherapy, Jim taught at Moore College of Art and Design, Samuel L. Fleisher Art Memorial, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Research and Scholarly Interests:

• Mental health service delivery 
• History of psychiatry and social services 
• Clinical and Critical theories
• Psychoanalysis 
• Visual and performing arts
• Urban Studies