PUBLICATIONS
Below, you can find a list of all publications, abstracts for each project, and a link to the ResearchGate full-text. Check out ResearchGate for more details about co-authors, too.
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2022
#14| Micro- to Macro-Interventions: Dialogue to Lobbying in a Multicultural Counseling Course
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Multicultural Counseling is a foundational requirement for students in applied psychology programs (e.g., Counseling, Clinical Psychology), with an emphasis on building knowledge and awareness about client populations and skills for working with multicultural considerations in therapy. We describe a combination of two requirements in such a class that together empower students to be change agents. Intergroup dialogue allows students to develop their understanding of self and others (intra- and interpersonally) and fosters space for practicing communication around difference, while social action engagement assignments are designed to assess students’ application of multicultural knowledge to advocate for systems-level change.
2022
#13| Expanding Critical Thinking: A Methods Course Themed Around Race-Related Research
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Research Methods (RM) is an introductory course for undergraduates majoring in psychology and other social science majors. This course offers opportunities for teaching the skills necessary for consuming and designing research and a critical analysis of the ways that psychology contributes to a societal understanding of systems-level issues. We discuss the structure of an anti-racism themed RM course. The use of weekly Dialogue Discussion Groups (DDG) to help students develop skills for talking about race and racism, employing research, and gaining dialogic communication skills to address racism is described as a catalyst for student engagement in change.
2020
#12| Intergroup Dialogue: A Justice-Centered Pedagogy to Address Gender Inequity in STEM
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Gender inequities in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields persist and calls have been made for continued efforts to challenge systemic sexism in STEM. In response to these calls, we examined the experiences of undergraduate and graduate STEM students who participated in an intergroup dialogue (IGD) focused on gender and sexism in STEM. We conceptualize IGD as a form of “justice-centered” STEM pedagogy (Morales-Doyle, 2017), designed to bring together individuals from different social identity groups with a history of tension between them (in this case, women and men in STEM) for sustained, face-to-face communication. The goals of the dialogue included: (1) building relationships and understanding across genders, (2) developing a critical awareness of male privilege and systemic oppression (i.e., sexism), and (3) promoting capacities to work toward gender equity in STEM. The dialogue followed a modified version of an empirically validated model of IGD. Eight students participated in the IGD and post-IGD interviews. Through grounded theory analyses of these interviews, four themes emerged including: Barriers to Dialogue, Facilitative Factors, Cognitive and Attitudinal Outcomes, and Behavioral Outcomes. Ultimately, we engaged in theoretical integration around a core theme of Perspective-Taking to characterize these young scientists’ experiences in IGD. We explore the implications for STEM education and research and practice of IGD and conclude that IGD on gender, sexism, and intersecting forms of privilege and oppression in STEM has potential to challenge inequitable cultures.
2020
#11| Suicide Ideation Among Southern U.S. Sexual Minority College Students
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Sexual minority individuals are at higher risk for suicide ideation compared with heterosexual individuals. We tested whether the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide explains increased suicide ideation among sexual minority college students living in the southeastern region of the United States. The cross-sectional study assessed correlates of suicide ideation in a convenience sample (n = 82) of sexual minority college students. Perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness correlated with suicide ideation. However, only perceived burdensomeness correlated with suicide ideation while controlling for depressive symptoms. Pending replication, perceived burdensomeness may be a target for suicide prevention and intervention among sexual minority college students.
2020
#10| "Sincerely Held Principles" or Prejudice? The Tennessee Counseling Discrimination Law
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In 2016, Tennessee became the first state to allow counselors and therapists in private practice to deny services to any client based on the therapist’s sincerely held principles. The law’s proponents framed mental health care ethics as infringing on counselors’ religious liberties; its critics denounced the bill because it apparently targeted LGBT+ individuals. This exploratory study is the first statewide assessment of LGBT+ Tennesseans’ (N = 346) perceptions of the law and how it may affect their help-seeking attitudes and behaviors. Evidence suggests widespread awareness of the law among our respondents and deep skepticism toward mental health care. Further, most respondents view the law as cover for discrimination. We stress the need for broader research on conscience clauses and call for advocacy against these laws, which have the potential to engender widespread harm to multiple minority groups.
2019
#9| Conscience Clauses and Sexual and Gender Minority Mental Health Care: A Case Study
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Tennessee is one of the first states in the United States to have a law that enables counselors and therapists in private practice to deny services to any client based on the practitioner’s “sincerely held principles.” This so-called ‘conscience clause’ represents a critical moment in professional psychology, in which mental health care providers are on the frontlines of cultural and legal debates about religious freedom. Though the law’s language is ambiguous, it was widely perceived to target sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals. We interviewed 20 SGM people living in Tennessee to understand their experiences with mental health care in the state and their perceptions of the law. Our participants perceive the law as fundamentally discriminatory, though they overwhelmingly conceptualize the conscience clause as legalizing discrimination toward members of all stigmatized groups—not just SGM individuals. They described individual and societal consequences for the law, including an understanding of the conscience clause as harmful above and beyond any individual discrimination event it may engender. We situate these findings amid the research on structural stigma and suggest that counseling psychologists become actively engaged in combatting conscience clauses, which appear to have profound consequences on mental health care engagement, particularly for populations vulnerable to discrimination.
2019
#8| The White Racial Affect Scale (WRAS): A Measure of White Guilt, Shame, and Negation
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The construct "White guilt" is typically defined as motivated by recognition of unearned and unfair racial privileges, the acknowledgement of personal racist attitudes or behavior, and/or a sense of responsibility for others' racist attitudes or behavior. Empirical and conceptual work suggests mixed consequences of White guilt: it may correspond with antiracist attitudes and behavior, but it may also motivate defensiveness and disengagement. The current study addresses weaknesses in existing psychometric tools used to measure White guilt by (a) synthesizing approaches from the scholarship on White racial emotions and self-conscious affect, and (b) attempting to distinguish between White guilt and shame. The results of study 1 yielded a three-factor structure of White Guilt, Negation, and White Shame and initial support for construct validity. In study 2, a confirmatory factor analysis provided mixed support for a three-factor structure. In study 3, results suggest test-retest reliability over two weeks.
2019
#7| Intergroup Dialogue: A Review of Recent Empirical Research and Its Implications for Research and Practice
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Intergroup dialogue (IGD) is a small group intervention that allows for sustained communication between people across social identity groups. It aims to foster intergroup relationships, develop critical consciousness, and increase capacities for promoting social justice. A decade after Dessel and Rogge published their review of the empirical research on IGD from 1997 to 2006, we reviewed the empirical IGD research from 2006 to 2017. We explore research that has examined IGD outcomes, processes, and facilitation, seeking to understand the current state of the research and practice of IGD. We discuss advances and new approaches to IGD, assess growth since Dessel and Rogge’s review, and discuss future directions. We provide five key recommendations for future research on IGD, and five key recommendations for future practice of IGD.
2019
#6| Anti-Bisexual Discrimination as Insidious Trauma and Impacts on Mental and Physical Health
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Using a minority stress framework (Meyer, 2003), and conceptualizing anti-bisexual discrimination as a type of trauma, we examined relations between experiences of anti-bisexual discrimination, trauma symptoms, internalized biphobia, depression symptoms, and physical health in a sample of 387 self-identified bisexual adults from the United States who completed an online survey. Path analysis using structural equation modeling indicated partial support for the hypothesized model. Anti-bisexual experiences from heterosexuals related to physical health and depressive symptoms, both indirectly through trauma symptoms. No support was found for the hypothesized indirect relation between anti-bisexual experiences from lesbians and gay men and physical health or depression. No support was found for the hypothesized relations between anti-bisexual experiences from lesbians and gay men to trauma symptoms, from anti-bisexual experiences and internalized biphobia, or from depression symptoms to general health. Overall, results support the notion that experiencing anti-bisexual prejudice, specifically discrimination from heterosexuals, relates to trauma-symptoms, and these symptoms have implications for physical and mental well-being. Implications for mental health workers, medical professionals, and researchers are discussed.
2019
#5| Intergroup Dialogue Facilitation in Psychology Training: Building Social Justice Competencies and Group Work Skills
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Although a growing body of research suggests that participation in intergroup dialogue is associated with a wide variety of positive outcomes, much less research has examined the experiences and outcomes of those who facilitate these dialogues. Therefore, using a modified grounded theory approach, we sought to examine the experiences of 10 doctoral students in counseling psychology who facilitated intergroup dialogue groups as a component of their graduate education under a scientist-practitioner-advocate training model. We were specifically interested in determining if and how this training experience related to their development of multicultural and social justice competencies in group work and beyond. Analysis of interview data revealed the following themes related to the students’ experiences facilitating intergroup dialogues: Impactful Prior Experiences, Emotional Engagement, Challenges in Trainee Development, Social Resources, Group Facilitator Development, Critical Consciousness Development, and Positive Outcomes. To help construct meaning from the themes that emerged, we discuss these themes in relation to multicultural and social justice principles and the literature on group theory and practice. Implications for education and training of psychology doctoral students are discussed.
2018
#4| A Typology of Critical Incidents in Intergroup Dialogue: Perspectives of Facilitators-In-Training
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There is a growing body of research on the positive outcomes associated with participation in intergroup dialogue (IGD), a group intervention providing opportunities for sustained communication across social groups (Gurin, Nagda, & Zúñiga, 2013). Less research has examined the experiences of IGD facilitators. To better understand these experiences, we examined perceptions of critical incidents (CIs) in 7 consecutive IGD sessions among 13 IGD facilitators-in-training. We used latent semantic analysis (Landauer & Dumais, 1997) on 77 CI reports to derive pairwise similarity ratings. We then conducted a cluster analysis on these ratings and identified 6 clusters of CIs: (a) managing anxiety and promoting safety, (b) development of the group and the cofacilitator relationship, (c) learning from and with others, (d) vulnerable/meaningful disclosures, (e) difference and conflict, and (f) emotional openness. These clusters of CIs are discussed in terms of their relationships to the IGD literature, the literature on group counseling leadership, and the types of CIs identified by group members in previous research (Kivlighan & Arseneau, 2009).
2018
#3| Internalized Heterosexism, Religious Coping, and Psychache in LGB Young Adults Who Identify As Religious
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We examined psychache, or intolerable emotional suffering, in a sample of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults who identified as religious. Using a minority stress framework, we hypothesized internalized heterosexism (IH) would positively relate to psychache. We also hypothesized that positive religious coping (PRC) would moderate or lessen this association. Finally, we examined whether negative religious coping (NRC) moderated or mediated the relation between IH and psychache. A sample of 617 LGB young adults who identified as religious completed an online survey assessing IH, religious coping, and psychache. Consistent with our hypothesis, IH was significantly related to psychache. IH was also significantly, positively correlated with both PRC and NRC, suggesting that individuals use both forms of religious coping in relation to experiencing IH. Results suggested that NRC, but not PRC, was correlated with psychache. Contrary to our hypotheses, neither PRC nor NRC moderated the relation between IH and psychache. NRC did, however, mediate the relation between IH and psychache. Results suggest clinicians working with LGB individuals may want to attend psychache, in addition to other types of psychological distress, and that they may target their interventions toward reducing the use of NRC.
2018
#2| Correlates of Suicide Ideation and Behaviors Among Transgender People: A Systematic Review Guided By Ideation-to-Action Theory
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Transgender people are at high risk for suicide ideation, attempts, and deaths compared to the general population. Several correlates of suicide ideation and attempts have been identified empirically to understand this increased risk. However, few attempts have been made to systematically review this literature. Further, a theory to understand and identify targetable factors for intervention has rarely been applied to this population. In the first systematic review guided by ideation-to-action frameworks of suicide, we systematically reviewed the literature from January 1991 to July 2017 regarding correlates of suicide ideation, attempts, and deaths among transgender people. To be included in the review, articles must have been reported in English, reported on empirical data, included a sample or subsample of transgender people, and reported separately on correlates of suicide ideation, attempts, or deaths. Two independent reviewers searched three major databases, references of included articles, and unpublished literature, which produced 45 articles for review. The review suggested that ideation-to-action frameworks would be worth investigating within this population, with attention to sources of psychological pain, social connectedness, and capacity/capability for suicide unique to this population. Additionally, other aspects of cultural identity were often studied (e.g., race, religion), suggesting the need to understand intersectionality of identities among transgender people and their effects on suicide risk. Finally, the review highlighted important limitations of the literature, namely measurement of suicide ideation and attempts and sampling method, which future work should seek to improve.
2017
