���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� PSI CHI AWARDS AND GRANTS
2024 Psi Chi Diversity Article Award Recipients sponsored by Macmillan Learning
Psi Chi Awards and Grants
Every year, Psi Chi recognizes two individuals for publishing the best diversity-related article in Eye on Psi Chi magazine and Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research. Congratulations to the two latest recipients for their hard work publishing well-written, competent, relevant, original, and impactful articles! Thanks to Macmillan Learning for supporting this initiative. Below, the two recipients explain why writing their articles was important to them. Take a moment to reflect on their dedication to creating equality and helping people honor and celebrate their identities. If you would like to help create a more socially just world, consider submitting your own diversityrelated articles. Submissions are open year-round and are automatically eligible for consideration during next year’s Diversity Article Awards.
Read Dr. Jared Boot-Haury’s Psi Chi Journal article:
Read Dr. Ashley Maureen Diaz’s Eye on Psi Chi article:
“Minority Stress and Psychological Distress Among Asexual Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Individuals.”
“Advocacy Considerations for Addressing Children and Adolescent Mental Health Concerns.”
The intersection of individuals who hold both sexual and gender minority identities has been underresearched. Similarly, the asexual community has been underresearched. Because sexuality is so heavily gendered, research needs to focus on the intersection between asexual and transgender identities. Individuals at the intersection of asexual and transgender identities may face unique minority stressors and risks for psychological distress. However, individuals holding these intersecting identities may also possess unique resilience factors. For these individuals, tailored psychological interventions and practices may be necessary for inclusive and affirming care, as the APA Guidelines for Practice With Sexual Minority Persons and Guidelines for Practice With Transgender and Gender Nonconforming People state. I thank the Psi Chi Diversity Advisory Committee for recognizing this important work at a time when transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people are under increasing legislative and other forms of attack. I hope the recognition associated with the Diversity Article Award brings additional attention to the experiences of underrepresented communities within the broader 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Further, I hope it will inspire other researchers to engage in investigations that will inform therapeutic practice, advocacy, and policy advancement to impact the lives of underrepresented 2SLGBTQIA+ people.
It is an honor to be a recipient of the 2024 Diversity Article Award. As a counselor educator, I am deeply committed to centering social justice principles at the foundation of everything I do. My teaching practices reflect multicultural competencies as I engage in culturally responsive teaching and create interactive lesson plans and experiential activities that foster self-growth experiences for graduate students. My research interests revolve around topics related to equity and inclusivity as well as training considerations for BIPOC students within counselor education programs. Most recently, my research involves training considerations for school and mental health counselors working with diverse children and adolescents in K-12 settings. As mental health counselors and supervisors, it is our ethical duty to enact advocacy skills and develop initiatives that aim to empower our supervisees and clients. It is imperative that we are dedicated to increasing mental health access for marginalized communities on a systemic level and passionate about connecting marginalized communities to every possible opportunity and resource that will promote their well-being. I hope that my article motivates other mental health professionals to continue to work toward cultivating equity in all spaces and shows them that they are not alone in this work.
Dr. Jared Boot-Haury (he/they) is the Goldblum-Carr LGBTQ+ Research Fellow at Palo Alto University and an adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco for their Clinical Psychology PsyD program. He is an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and a World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH) GEI SOC8 Certified Member and Mentor. Their research to date has also focused on improving mental health care experiences for 2SLGBTQIA+ communities and exploring minority stressors within 2SLGBTQIA+ populations with an emphasis on asexual and TGD communities. He was recently awarded the APA Division 44 Transgender Research Award for his work.
Dr. Ashley Maureen Diaz is an assistant professor in the Online MA in Clinical Counseling Program at Alliant International University. She graduated with a PhD in counselor education from the Pennsylvania State University, with a specialty in counseling children, adolescents, and families. She is dedicated to social justice advocacy through teaching, clinical work, and service. In addition, Dr. Diaz regularly presents her research at regional, state, and national conferences. Her clinical experience includes English-Spanish bilingual mental health counseling services in multiple settings, and she has also worked as an Equity Liaison and clinical counselor in a K-12 school district.
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