Cultivating Community: Mentorship among LGBTGEQIAP+ Students and Faculty

In spite of progress towards acceptance and inclusion, the LGBTGEQIAP+ community continues to face hostility, discriminatory practices, heterosexism and cissexism, and unwelcoming environments in higher education, particularly in rural areas. In this presentation, counselor educators and a student from a rural area share their experience of creating and participating in an affinity mentorship group for LGBTGEQIAP+ counseling students. In this group, counseling students participate in processing their experiences in higher education and in their clinical work with clients, and receive mentorship from faculty members who identify as LGBTGEQIAP+. A discussion of ethical issues, as well as advocacy efforts to create equitable educational environments will be presented. Attendees will be provided with actionable steps based on the presenter's experience in order to facilitate similar learning environments in their educational settings.