MENTAL HEALTH, SELF-AWARENESS, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: WORKING IN DIVERSE COMMUNITIES

COUNPSY 200

Theories and research concerning the reasons for sexuality and gender mental health disparities; the significance of contemporary and historical debates over inequality; policies and practices to reduce inequality in health care for LGBTQ+ people.

COUNPSY 332

Explore history, theory, and research related to the psychology of gender and sexuality. A feminist approach is used to deconstruct gender and sexuality within the field of psychology and other mental health fields. Discussions include challenging the current system of psychology, while also integrating concepts to work within the system. An applied approach is used to encourage participation in activities to integrate activism and knowledge into professional identity, bringing in experiences from field placements, internship, and/or places of employment.

COUNPSY 225

An introduction to the intersectionality framework in the United States to enhance skills necessary for culturally responsive awareness and interactions, with specific emphasis on how to think critically about and hold multiple perspectives and how to prepare for service learning. In addition to learning how contexts and social histories matter to situate an understanding of experience, develop self-awareness and understanding of social location as well as learn how contextual factors shape identity, opportunities, and barriers for others. Relevant for all students of different identities, backgrounds, and experiences, who are interested in developing their awareness, knowledge and skills with multiculturalism and diversity.

COUNPSY 860

Review of theory and research into social identity and cultural foundations of counseling including: (a) the societal context for bias, discrimination and differential treatment of sociocultural groups including but not limited to diversity of sexual orientation, gender expression, social class, cultural/ethnic/racial groups, ability status among other groups; (b) human diversity in social norms, cultural values, social identities, as well as intergroup and intragroup relations; (c) counselors' roles in developing cultural competence, reducing bias and discriminatory treatment of subgroups, and advocating for social justice; and (d) the practice implications of for providing cultural competence in serving across forms of sociocultural diversity.

PSYCH 808

Becoming competent in working with diverse populations in psychotherapy is a complex interaction of many dimensions that involve broad theoretical, conceptual, research, and practice issues. Build multicultural competencies by increasing knowledge of ethnic, race, gender, sexual identity, religious affiliation, and age differences that contribute to each individual course of therapy. Applied examples of this "knowledge in practice" will be presented. Focuses on introducing the concepts of multicultural counseling and assessment, and more specifically on the diversity characteristics of race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.