Ph.D., Counselor Education, Virginia Tech
Graduate Certificate, Educational Research and Evaluation, Virginia Tech
M.S., Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Northeastern State University
B.S., Psychology, Northeastern State University

My research focuses on structural and individual factors that impact mental health and mental healthcare access for marginalized populations, especially LGBTQIA+ people, older adults, and LGBTQIA+ older people. I am especially interested in how people in these communities access and benefit from mental health services like counseling. Older adults, LGBTQIA+ people, and LGBTQIA+ older adults have unmet mental health needs and face unique barriers to accessing services like counseling. Using a community-engaged approach, I hope to address unequal access to mental healthcare for these populations by addressing barriers to services and enhancing availability of culturally responsive, effective mental healthcare in the eastern Tennessee area and beyond. I also research counselor advocacy as an avenue for addressing structural factors that negatively impact mental health outcomes and mental healthcare access for these and other marginalized populations.

I launched the Counseling for Access, Resilience, and Equity (CARE) Lab in Spring 2024 to coordinate my research. The CARE Lab’s mission is to advance access to equitable mental health services and outcomes through research and advocacy for marginalized people, especially LGBTQIA+ and older adult populations. Using the Counselor-Advocate-Scholar (Ratts & Pederson, 2014) framework, we use community engaged scholarship to meet the needs of community members and inform counseling practice. You can learn more about our work here: https://www.counselingcarelab.org/

LGBTQIA+ mental health
Older adulthood
LGBTQIA+ aging
Mental healthcare access

I am actively involved in professional counseling leadership. Presently, I chair the American Counseling Association (ACA) Public Policy and Legislative Committee, dedicated to advancing the counseling profession and addressing client needs through public policy and advocacy. I also serve as the Trustee for Research and Scholarship for the Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE), where I work to advance research and scholarship focused on LGBTQIA+ individuals, families, and communities in the counseling profession. I serve on the SAIGE Education Committee as well, following my tenure as Co-Chair of the committee. I partner with the Contact Care Line to support suicide prevention and intervention efforts for older adults. I am an active Editorial Board member for the Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling, ADULTSPAN Journal, and Trauma Counseling & Resilience. My past leadership engagements include additional service with ACA, SAIGE, the Southern Association for Counselor Education and Supervision, the Association for Adult Development and Aging, and Chi Sigma Iota.