Category Archives: Advocacy

Supporting Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Colleagues and Clients: Why It’s Essential and How to Start

By Liz Deibel, APAGS Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Member

(Curious to learn more about this topic? Check out the APAGS upcoming webinar: Impact with Pride: Leveraging Political Resources to Thwart Anti-LGBT Laws. Register here.

The United States can be a really scary place for individuals of sexual orientation and gender diversity, particularly in the current political climate and rise of anti-trans legislation sweeping the country. It can be difficult for Transgender and Gender Nonconforming (TGNC) students to continue going about their daily responsibilities, as well as the clients we are working with. During this stressful time, it is important that both those of us in the LGBTQ+ community and our allies come together to support each other and advocate for equal rights. With each day, more states are attempting to strip the rights of LGBTQ+ people, particularly transgender and nonbinary individuals. If you know of a colleague or classmate who is being affected by the changing legislation, it may be helpful to reach out to them and ask if there is anything you can do to support them. 

How to Support TGNC Colleagues?

Graduate school is tough enough as it is without political strife piled on top of everything else. It is important that allies or privileged members of the LGBTQ+ community participate in advocacy to help protect their peers’ rights and safety. Emailing your representatives, signing petitions, and sharing resources can be a quick way to contribute to building protections for transgender and nonbinary community members. Additionally, encouraging professors or program directors to incorporate education on LGBTQ+ psychology can increase the number of gender-affirming psychologists going into the field, leading to more support and strength in numbers in the years to come.

Outside of the professional sphere, it can be really encouraging to simply check in with individuals in your life who identify as LGBTQ+ and ask how they are doing and if they need a supportive friend to talk to. Many queer folks feel frustrated with how little these discussions are occurring outside of LGBTQ+-majority spaces, and showing awareness of what is going on and how much it is affecting people’s mental health can provide validation to their experiences.

How to Support TGNC Clients?

The American Psychological Association has released a list of guidelines for working with LGBTQ+ clients, divided into sexual orientation diversity and gender diversity. Many of these guidelines touch on understanding the differences between biological sex, gender identity, and gender expression. They also acknowledge intersectionality, the way that gender and sexual orientation intersect with other facets of identity such as race, ethnicity, religion, and socioeconomic status. It is essential that psychologists understand the ways in which their implicit biases and the power dynamics in society influence the way of life for TGNC people. 

Psychology as a field needs to continue adapting to the changing times to ensure that we can provide affirming and compassionate care. In addition, individuals within our field should continue to address their own unconscious biases and prejudices about gender and sexual orientation to avoid bringing them into the room with a client. At practicum sites, students can initiate conversations about gender-affirming care and ways to ensure the site is adhering to professional guidelines and standards of care for TGNC clients.

In the same way that showing awareness of the situation with colleagues can be validating, it can have the same effect with clients. If the clinician can take the onus to approach the topic, even though it can be uncomfortable to bring up, it removes that additional responsibility from the client’s plate and acknowledges that you see them as a piece of a larger system. Clients do not exist in a vacuum, and being able to address macro-level issues or concerns can instill a feeling of being seen that the client may really need at this time.

References:

Liz Deibel (she/her/hers)
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student, Roosevelt University

When You Said You See Me

This blog post is a part of the series, “So Good,” developed by the APAGS Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. This series will discuss current events and how these events relate to LGBTQ+ graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the “So Good” series, please contact Mallaigh McGinley (they/them).

When You Said You See Me

By Aldo M. Barrita

“But do you see me?” – this is the question I often ask as I navigate academic spaces that were never meant for people like me. Exploring the intersectionality of my salient identities as an immigrant Latinx queer graduate student while facing gaslighting statements of inclusion from a system that fails to acknowledge the harm of their oppression is a daily routine in my existence. For some, choosing how to “show up” in academic spaces is as simple as choosing what to wear for the day, for others like me, the process is much more complex as, I must moderate parts of who I am in white-hetero spaces to prevent yet another attack. Being queer and Latinx means having to negotiate pieces of my soul, in order to make it through a heterosexist, heteronormative, white supremacist world. 

            Every time I talk, there must be control: “Don’t move like that, don’t sound like that.” It never stops! It wasn’t enough growing up in a traditional macho Latinx house where femininity was simply unacceptable; it continues to replicate in academic spaces where there seems to be a clear preference for and comfort with normative gender roles. I am a cis-queer man who often benefits from hetero/cis-normative spaces. This has led to a lot of internalized homophobia, especially when I am reminded of it with things like “I couldn’t tell you are gay,” while thinking what that would even mean and what I unconsciously have done to silence a part of me in an effort to exist. I remember being asked on a professional interview, “so you identified as queer, is that like gay?” triggering an internal negotiation, thinking what would make them feel safer to accepting me and then responding “Yes!”while losing another part of myself. You see, the beauty for me about being queer is that I do not conform, yet with every question, I am being asked to, fit into a box less threatening for them. When would it be enough, when would I be enough?

            Being Latinx – from an indigenous background of Zapotecan heritage from the beautiful region of Oaxaca, Mexico – comes with other layers of continuous invalidation: the anxiety before speaking up in a class or in a presentation, thinking about the “proper” colonial pronunciation I must adhere to before saying a word. “Interesting accent”, someone says as I realize I have been identified; I have been othered – knowing that my audience has focused on the discomfort of hearing my immigrant accent, the dare to sound different, instead of the message, the knowledge I tried to communicate. How am I supposed to excel in academia, when my own voice is used to keep me from fully entering these spaces of knowledge? When I first immigrated at the age of 16, I was warned by a Latinx school counselor, “You should work on losing your accent.” feeling betrayed, as I was asked by someone who looked like me to let go of who I was in order to fit. I resented them; I still do.  

            I was told grad school would be difficult, and I knew being a first-generation student would present additional challenges. However, the difficulty does not manifest in the rigorousness of the academics, but in the effort to erase people like me. I am a Latinx queer person, who is minoritized by a system that keeps trying to make me small, a statistic. I am not under-represented in these spaces; these spaces are systematically and intentionally excluding people like me. 

As long as conversations of inclusion and equity are made about the person impacted and not about the system that impacts them, the real issue is avoided, and white cis straight academia lives another day. Using performative rhetoric to claim that we belong while continuing to see only what is safe and comfortable harms marginalized students – forced to choose between leaving their dreams of higher education or staying while continuously giving up part of themselves in order to exist. Perhaps it’s time for academic programs to SEE the systems of oppression that surrounds marginalized students, the ways they foster it, perpetuate minoritized students, and replicate the harm. Perhaps it’s time for these institutions to first SEE themselves for who they are and acknowledge the damage they continue to cause (and often ignore to recognize), to those they describe as “minority”. Perhaps it’s time to be intentional and action-oriented when condemning systems of oppression, increasing funds for D&I initiatives, and adding value to the invisible labor marginalized scholars constantly engage in in order to survive academic spaces.

So, I ask again, when you say you see me, do you see me, do you REALLY see me?

By Aldo M Barrita

View other posts in the So Good series:

CARED Perspectives: COVID-19 Pandemic Unearthing Challenges and Exposing Disparities

This post is a part of the series, “CARED Perspectives,” developed by the APAGS Committee for the Advancement of Racial and Ethnic Diversity (CARED). This series discusses current events and how these events relate to graduate students in psychology. If you are interested in contributing to the CARED Perspectives series, please contact Aleesha Young, Chair of APAGS-CARED.

By Sarah Gubara, MS

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has made our worlds a little smaller. With the majority of individuals confined to their homes, the chaos of the first couple of weeks has created white noise that has become increasingly overbearing. Most importantly, this pandemic has highlighted the significant disparities prevalent across our communities. While many are hunkering down in the safety of their homes with loved ones, there are  other vulnerable families in our communities that are contending with economic and health disparities, food and financial insecurity, and isolation from resources and social support. 

Interestingly, the economic disparities related to this pandemic are shared among some graduate students and their clients alike. During these uncertain times both practicum students and clients may be contending with lost wages, uncertainty about the future, and experiencing increased anxiety. This emotive weight on the therapeutic relationship compounds with existing challenges for marginalized clients and therapists. While many student trainees are receiving excellent supervision to process these changes, there are some that are navigating this process alone. It is at this point that a clinician’s ability, or lack thereof, in multicultural responsiveness is highlighted as the fallout of this pandemic requires higher levels of cultural insight and sensitivity, self-efficacy, and awareness of social injustices and disparities. In addition to the therapeutic adjustments we need to make, the call to mobilize services quickly to telehealth further exposes the depth of the economic divide. 

While telehealth and remote education are both blessings during this time, they are also a privilege. Within weeks, graduate practicum students and their clients were privy to the sharp economic inequalities that exist. For instance, in my work with survivors of torture I was blessed to work with a responsive team that provided thorough and consistent supervision, and strategies to accommodate our clients. However, in speaking with clients I began to understand the dearth of resources that exist for them and the obstacles that remain ahead. Session after session with clients led to similar concerns that included loss of work, reduced transportation, limited community support, and so on. While my agency ensured that we were prepared to deliver services, I  realized that my entire caseload may not have the resources to readily receive those services. Some of my clients share rooms with two to three other people and privacy is an issue. Other clients may not have smartphones or wi-fi to download Zoom or any other virtual meeting application. Yet others are parents who are now contending with sharing devices, teaching, and managing their child(ren) without the support of the school day structure.  

Furthermore, the existing protective factors that clients often turn to, such as churches, are now no longer an option. Many of my clients are refugees and asylum seekers, some of whom are new to the community. Without the access of community gatherings like churches or local centers, clients feel isolated and untethered, particularly when language acquisition is a challenge. Given the timing of this pandemic, many practicum students are now terminating with clients as it is the end of the semester for most of us. The loss of identity, resources, and support continues to be compounded at a high cost for our most vulnerable clients. 

Together, graduate practicum students and their clients are having to adjust to the challenging landscape and process its shared trauma, while simultaneously developing new coping strategies. While in some circumstances, there is no certainty at the present, let us not forget the glaring disparities that we now see and let’s do what we can to help while also taking care of ourselves.  For now, we must applaud, encourage, and support the resilience, perseverance, and creativity of our clients and fellow graduate students.

Sarah Gubara, MS is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University (BA’11, MS ’17) and a practicum student at TASSC International working with survivors of state-sponsored torture in Washington, DC. She is in the final year of her combined PhD in Counseling Psychology and School Psychology at Florida State University and will be starting her APA-accredited internship with the Treehouse Child Advocacy Center in July 2020.

An Almost-Win for Student Voting Privileges


The American Psychological Association of Graduate Students (APAGS) Committee is disappointed that members did not pass the proposed bylaw amendment to grant graduate students voting privileges in APA. APAGS will, however, keep mobilizing to advance this issue and ensure increased representation for students. 

Here’s the background: In 2018, APAGS proposed a measure that would enable graduate students to vote on the same issues after one year that all full APA members, and associates after five years of membership, are eligible to vote for: Elections for APA President-Elect and Board Members-at-Large, bylaw amendments like this one, and apportionment ballots. The measure would have also aligned the voter-waiting period for associate members with that of graduate student members.

The Council of Representatives agreed to put the matter before the current voting bloc this fall. The ballot closed Dec. 16, 2019, resulting in 8,436 total votes, with 5,566 (65.98%) in favor. Because this item is a bylaw amendment, it requires not a simple majority but a two-thirds majority (66.67%) in favor to pass. Translation: The measure was 58 votes shy of passage.

This was an incredibly close outcome. Our committee is so glad that a groundswell of voters supported this measure, including many who otherwise would not have voted at all (in fact, the turnout for a bylaw amendment vote has not been this high since 2011). We recognize the support of the APA Board of Directors, the Council Leadership Team, the Council of Representatives, many APA presidential candidates, and a number of APA Divisions and State Psychological Associations that came out favoring the measure. 

Of course, our sincerest thanks are to our fellow students who could not vote, but encouraged their professors, supervisors, and colleagues to do so. We believe most members would agree with us that enfranchising graduate students is the right thing to do for APA. This is, in fact, reflected in today’s results. This outcome is not a verdict on our competency to vote, but on readiness for change. In my tenure as 2019 APAGS chair, I am reminded that everything takes the time that it takes. In less than one-and-a-half years, our committee moved an issue from idea into action, challenging traditional timelines, and falling a tiny bit short – 58 votes, to be exact. Stick with us as we regroup, because we’ll need you!

Our enthusiasm for APA’s future is undeterred. And our desire to strengthen APA through our voices is only increasing!

Yours in solidarity,
Roseann Fish Getchell, PsyD
2019 APAGS Chair 

Careers in Science-Related Policy, Part 1: Balancing Research with Policy Interests in Graduate School

Mary Fernandes, Melanie Arenson, Elyse Mowle

The number of PhD graduates that pursue traditional tenure-track faculty career paths is declining yearly (Horn, 1999). Many graduate students choose to pursue “alternative” careers in business, industry, policy, education, practice, and more. Unfortunately, while most PhD training programs adequately train students for research-based careers, few are able to support the needs of students with alternative goals. As a result, graduate students are left to supplement their training with experiences aligned with their career goals. But how? Well, if you’re interested in pursuing a career that integrates science and policy, you’re in luck! Below, we have listed some helpful educational and training resources to help you build your policy-related skill-set, as well as some tips to help you balance your research responsibilities with such opportunities. 

Resources/tips for students interested in policy 

  1. Look for policy trainings locally and/or at the conferences that you attend (e.g., SPSSI’s 2019 Policy Workshop). 
  2. Get involved in policy-making or policy-influencing bodies at your university (e.g., Graduate Association of Student Psychologists, University Executive Committees, etc.). 
  3. Get involved in your local Psychological Association and/or other mental health organizations that include a strong advocacy or policy component. Ask to get involved in these roles. 
  4. Seek advice from psychologists in your area of study who currently hold policy positions of interest to you. Ask them what their path to their position was and try to emulate it. 
  5. Align your research and practice work with your career goals as much as possible. In your research, think about the policy implications of your work (see this blog post for more information). Stay updated on policies relevant to your clients. 
  6. Apply for training grants that might allow you to pursue a more full-time educational experience while in graduate school (e.g., the Predoctoral Fellowship in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services). 

Tips for balancing policy interests with research and clinical work

  1. For most students, the ability to pursue opportunities outside of graduate school will likely require the approval of a mentor or department head. Be prepared to justify the experiences that you wish to pursue and how they align with your career goals. Consider ways to gain buy-in from your mentor. 
  2. Prioritize your interests. If you have a clear picture of your ideal career endpoint, that might help you prioritize. If you do not have a clear endpoint, do not panic! Consider prioritizing experiences that might help you explore potential careers of interest. 
  3. Practice saying no in an assertive and kind manner. In order to make room for the experiences that you wish to gain, you will need to say no to ones that are less aligned with your goals.
  4. Budget your time. As a graduate student, you’re probably already well-versed in this skill. However, adding additional responsibilities might require more skills. Consider blocking out chunks of time or days for different responsibilities (i.e. research: Friday-Monday, practicum: Tuesday, clinical work: Wednesday, policy work: Friday). Make a plan, and stick to it. Try to arrange your policy-related educational experiences around times when you can truly gain the most out of them. This might be during the summer, during a semester when your course load is lower, or during a “gap” year. 
  5. Consider ways in which your policy interests can be integrated with your research interests. This might serve the dual role of 1) having your research inform your policy, and vice versa, and 2) gaining buy-in from your advisor in the form of publications, conference presentations, etc.
  6. Self-care! Adding more to your plate means expanding your mental, physical, and emotional resources. Family time, sufficient sleep, healthy eating, and exercise are important. The more you stretch your limits, the more important these will become. 

Benefits of pursuing policy-related experiences in graduate school

  1. Skills you learn (writing and presenting information for a variety of audiences, speaking to stakeholders and policymakers) are applicable across many fields, whether you go into research, a clinical career, industry, or policy full time.
  2. Sharing your passion about a particular area of interest (eg. specific population, pathology, social-justice issue, etc.) could help you stand out during internship and postdoc interviews.
  3. Networking! Getting involved at the university, local, state, and national levels means meeting and developing professional relationships with more psychologists in your field and area of interest.
  4. Exploring and narrowing down career interests. You might find novel ways to use your skills and pursue an interest that you hadn’t thought about before delving into a policy opportunity. 
  5. Gain a different perspective. Engaging in policy work might allow you to form a more macro-level perspective than is typically afforded when primarily working with individuals in clinical or research settings. A more systems-based perspective, might, in turn, inform your research and clinical practice.