Honoring and Identifying the Cultural Wisdom of LGBTQ+ People of Color for Healing and Transformation

Ana Guadalupe Reyes, Ph.D., LPC, NCC, CHST (elle/le/they/them) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Counseling at California State University, Fullerton. Dr. Reyes has a master’s in Counseling from Marymount University and a Ph.D. in Counseling from the University of North Texas. They are a National Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of Texas, and Certified Humanistic Sandtray Therapist. Dr. Reyes is also a Usui Reiki Master/Teacher who practices various forms of energy healing. With over 13 years of experience working with marginalized and racialized communities in multiple settings, Dr. Reyes integrates somatic, liberatory, and holistic approaches into their work as a scholar, educator, advocate, and counselor. In these roles, they practice anti-oppressive and emancipatory approaches to counseling and research. Inspired by these approaches, Dr. Reyes engages in ongoing reflexivity, dialogue, and action with other researchers and clinicians to promote liberatory research approaches in counseling. They have extensive training in various qualitative research methods, including but not limited to phenomenology, photovoice, and heuristic inquiry.

Brenda Godoy (she/her/hers) is a graduate student in the Department of Counseling at California State University, Fullerton. Brenda is part of the Ánimo Latinx Emphasis, which aims to provide future counselors with the tools and awareness needed to provide care to Spanish-speaking communities. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Kev Holmes, BS (they/them/theirs) is a graduate student in the Department of Counseling at California State University, Fullerton. They completed their Bachelor of Science at California Lutheran University, majoring in Psychology with an emphasis on Clinical and Behavioral Assessment and minoring in Biology. Kev has a first-hand understanding of how research and practice affect co-researchers and clients when it does not account for their diverse lived experiences. Their experience as a queer client in the mental health field sparked an interest in inclusive practices as they dedicate themselves to understanding the diverse stories of marginalized communities. Kev hopes to unite their love of neuroscience, psychoeducation, fiction, and holistic healing to create a space where individuals from all walks of life feel safe expressing the vulnerability needed for healing.