Jeevanjot (JJ) Kapur

JJ Kapur (he/him) is a third-year doctoral student and trainee in the Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Iowa. He joined the SHAW team in 2026. Born and raised in West Des Moines, Iowa, JJ received his BA in Theater and Performance Studies from Stanford University.Before entering the doctoral program, he returned to Iowa through AmeriCorps to serve with the nonprofit CultureALL, where he helped build Open Book, a human library that bridges cultural divides through personal storytelling. That work continues to shape his research, which explores storytelling and therapy as tools for empathy, connection, and healing.

In his clinical work, JJ believes every person has a story worth hearing. He sees therapy as a collaborative space where clients can explore their experiences at their own pace. For JJ, people are the heroes of their own lives and thus the experts on their own stories. JJ works to help clients draw on their existing strengths as they move toward the changes that matter to them.

Grinnell holds special meaning for JJ. Grinnellians remind him of the students he knew back at Stanford: quirky, kind, and eager to make a positive difference in the world. His own first experience in therapy was at Stanford's counseling center as a freshman, so practicing at SHAW feels full circle for him.

In his free time, JJ enjoys hanging out with his two-year-old cat Rico, learning new songs on his classical guitar, kicking around a soccer ball, and drinking cups of tea.