As a member of the LGBTQ+ community and a professional with a background shaped by non-traditional and non-mainstream experiences, I am committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in academic, clinical, and community settings. My lived and professional experiences have allowed me to address systemic inequities while supporting underrepresented groups through education, research, clinical practice, and service.

My identity as a trans, nonbinary, and gay individual who came from a disadvantaged background has helped shape my commitment to advocate and work for marginalized communities. During my doctoral program, I served as the Associate Clinic Director for the LGBTQ Counseling Clinic at the University of Iowa, where I developed and facilitated free therapy and support groups, including an LGBTQ+ Parenting Support Group and a general LGBTQ+ support group, and provided free World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) based letters of support for gender affirming medical care. Additionally, I was a nontraditional student and know what it is like to be missing key information when it comes to navigating academic culture and structures. As a result, I now make an intentional effort to help my students navigate those same academic cultures and structures. 

I intentionally integrate diversity and equity into my curricula development. As a primary instructor for the Child Development course at the University of Iowa, I intentionally incorporated culturally responsive teaching strategies and real-world information around diversity representation and inclusion. Additionally, I sought out and earned the Engaging Across Cultures: Professional Development Certificate through the University of Iowa’s International Program to expand my cultural humility teaching competence.

As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), I provide affirming and inclusive care to LGBTQ+ clients and other marginalized populations. My clinical focus includes addressing trauma, identity development, and relationship dynamics through a queer-centered lens. I have additional training and experience in assessing for and providing WPATH-based letters of support for gender affirming medical care and as the Associate Clinic Director of the LGBTQ Counseling Clinic at the University of Iowa. I have sought out training in the multicultural framework and I completed the Culturally Responsive Clinical Supervision: Ethical and Trauma-Informed Multicultural Supervision Strategies taught by Dr. Sonja Sutherland. 

I am actively working towards improving inclusive research contributions and I am a co-author for a book in development with the working title Diversifying Statistical Methods for Couple and Family Therapists: A Practical, Systemic Guide to Data Analysis with SPSS & R. Additionally, my dissertation, Trans-Inclusive and Competent Clinical Practices: Improving Clinical Intakes and Settings, focused on improving clinical forms and environments for trans and gender diverse clients. As well, I was the primary author of How the Compulsory Gender Binary Language in the DSM-5’s Category of Sexual Interest Disorders Interacts Negatively with Patients’ Nonbinary and Genderqueer Identities in the Sexuality & Culture Journal and the second author of Loss of Safe Spaces: Ambiguous Loss and Minority Stressors of BIPOC LGBTQ+ Communities Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Sexual and Gender Diversity in Social Services Journal.

I have evidence of using leadership to advance diversity through university committees and professional organizations. As the Co-Chair of the Graduate Student Executive Committee in the College of Education and the University of Iowa, I and another committee member founded the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Subcommittee. Further, I have helped establish and facilitate multiple LGBTQ+ outreach, support, and therapy groups, such as an LGBTQ+ Outreach Group in a rural Missouri community, addressing the challenges faced by queer and trans individuals in underserved areas.

I am committed to continuing to advocate and work for marginalized communities by combining research, teaching, clinical practice, and service. I am committed to creating environments where students, clients, and colleagues from all backgrounds have space and representation.