LGBTQIA+ Studies Concentration
LGBTQIA+ Studies
Deliver high-quality care to the LGBTQIA+ community and their families
The LGBTQIA+ Studies concentration aims to increase the number of mental health providers who specialize in providing care for the LGBTQIA+ community and their families. Students enrolled in a graduate degree program at William James College are eligible to participate in the LGBTQIA+ Studies concentration.
The program provides mental health professionals with the language, cultural sensitivity, and clinical competence that will enable them to deliver high-quality care to LGBTQIA+ populations. By training mental health leaders who can create, direct, and deliver high-quality services, the program hopes to aid in eliminating societal disparities that exist in relation to access and quality of mental health care.
Offered in the following academic programs
For more information on our LGBTQIA+ Studies concentration, please contact our Admissions Office
info@williamjames.eduCongratulations to our 2024 Graduates of the LGBTQIA+ Studies Concentration!
“I am excited to be part of the LGBTQIA+ concentration and address this significant need for high-quality and supportive care. I hope to use my expertise to provide care to and help to empower members of the LGBTQIA+ community as well as to address related policy issues and systemic inequities.”
Stephanie Traver Narahara
LGBTQIA+ Studies
How to enroll and curriculum overview.
The concentration focuses on teaching cultural competence through didactics and practice that allow students to learn about cultural and sociopolitical factors that influence the lives of LGBTQIA+ people.
Upon completion of the program students will have the knowledge, skills, and awareness to not only provide culturally competent direct services to members of the LGBTQIA+ community and their families, but they will also learn how to be social justice advocates for the LGBTQIA+ community by learning about channels for advocacy and how to effect and promote public policy.
The LGBTQIA+ Studies concentration is open to all WJC students as a 9-credit concentration (3, 3-credit classes). There is no option to complete this concentration as a major vs. minor area of study.
All doctoral level students in the Clinical Psychology program or master’s level students in Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) program (in the General track) can use electives to fulfill LGBTQIA+ Studies requirements. Master’s level students in the School Psychology MA/CAGS or in the CMHC program (who already have another area of emphasis) will graduate with extra credits. Students in the Leadership Psychology PsyD program are also welcome to participate.
To enroll, students should download and complete the Declaration Concentration Formbefore the deadline (usually November 1, though the date is subject to change). This form should be reviewed and signed by the student’s advisor and then submitted to Jessica Stahl via email (Jessica_Stahl@williamjames.edu).
Doctoral students can apply in the fall of their first or second years; they typically begin courses in the Spring of year 2 or 3. Full-time MA level students should enroll in the fall of the first year and begin taking courses in the Spring of their first year.
The concentration includes 3 required courses, 3 credits for each, for a total of 9 credits:
COU CN631 - Foundations in LGBTQIA+ Mental Health (credits: 3)
COU CN632 - Interventions When Working With LGBTQIA+ People and their Families (credits: 3)
COU CN633 - LGBTQIA+ Intersectionality, Public Policy, and Advocacy (credits: 3)
Courses are offered synchronously via Zoom to make it more accessible to students from different programs with varied schedules.
Students who elect this concentration are required to have experience with the population within settings where they are completing their practicum or internship. There is no set percentage of hours required. Sites that serve LGBTQIA+ populations are designated as such in Sonia.
Doctoral-level students in this concentration are required to complete a DP on a topic germane to LGBTQIA+ people. At least one of the doctoral project committee members must be a LGBTQIA+ Studies faculty or a professional with substantial experience or expertise in the field.
A Pair of WJC Alums Take Pride in Working with the LGBTQIA+ Population
On the eve of Pride Month, six students from the William James College class of 2024 received rainbow-colored cords to honor their completion of the LGBTQIA+ Studies Concentration. The new tradition of rainbow cord distribution, conceived of to recognize what has become a burgeoning area of study on campus, was more than apropos: Since last June, when Colleen Deely became the first student to graduate with a concentration in LGBTQIA+ Studies, the cohort has grown exponentially to include one PsyD in Clinical Psychology and five MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling graduates—a figure that’s poised to double come fall.Concentration Faculty
Concentration Director
Jessica Stahl, PhD
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Sheldon G. Aaron, MS, LCPC (IL), NCC
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Lindsey Davis, PhD
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Around campus, in the community, in the news—William James College community members are leading the conversation.
William James College Launches College-Wide LGBTQIA+ Studies Concentration
Students can elect to enroll in the 9-credit hour concentration to gain focused understanding of the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community.
Read MoreRainbow Alliance Hosts Virtual Event Recognizing Pride, Allyship and Social Justice
In a landmark ruling the Supreme Court determined that the language of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which bans employment discrimination based on race, religion, national origin or sex, applies to LGBTQIA+ employees.
Read MoreJoin Our Rainbow Alliance Student Group
William James College offers a number of student-led organizations. Organizations are open to all students. The Rainbow Alliance at William James College is a group of students who want to provide support for one another, engage in LGBTQIA+ advocacy/awareness, and plan events (for either purpose).
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