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  • Presentation Abstracts

    • Pinto, S. A. (under review). The Intersectional Labeling Framework, 2021 American Counseling Association Conference, Orlando, FL.
      • Description: Labels carry much more information than their definitions may suggest. The Intersectional Labeling Framework (ILF) positions an individual’s label as a product of their intersecting identities with the capacity to offer insight into personal experiences beyond expectation. Original research related to the self-labeling process for non-heterosexual identities supports the ILF’s multidimensional perspective of the process and proposes five illuminating themes related to label selection.
    • Pinto, S. A. & Lardier, D. T., Jr. (under review). The influence of social connection on depression among (non)LBGQ+ Young Adults of Color, 2021 American Counseling Association Conference, Orlando, FL.
      • Description: Community belongingness, familism, and alienation have associations with the mental health of young adults. This study examines these associations specifically among young adults of color (i.e., Hispanic, Native American) alongside the moderating effect of queer identity. Findings highlight the importance of community belongingness and familism on mental health outcomes. Implications suggest counselor focus on community- and family-based interventions may improve outcomes for this population.
    • Pinto, S. A. & O’Malley, J. (2020, October). Emphasizing intersections: Teaching counselors to leverage intersecting identities, 2020 Rocky Mountain Association of Counselor Education, Virtual.
      • Description: The privilege and oppression inherent in each of our individual identities come together to influence the language we use to express our intersecting identities. This presentation introduces a framework through which counselors can access and understand their clients' identities, experiences, and values via their chosen language and label(s). The framework is introduced in a practical, application-based format allowing for seamless integration into counselor education and practice.
    • Pinto, S. A. & Blueford, J. (2020, October). Designing powerful online counseling courses, 2020 Rocky Mountain Association of Counselor Education, Virtual.
      • Description: Online course development carries incredible opportunities and unique challenges – particularly in a discipline like counseling. While the challenges vary between courses and technology, this task requires an approach characterized by resourcefulness, optimism, and flexibility. This interactive presentation, with a focus on counselor education, identifies benefits, basics, common challenges, and potential solutions within online counseling course development.
    • Pinto, S. A. (2020, October). An introduction to the Intersectional Labeling Framework, 2020 Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities Conference, Virtual. (Featured Presentation)
      • Description: In a society that is preoccupied by labeling to the point of division, building an understanding of what labels could mean, beyond their definitions, helps to build our ability to move past the words themselves toward understanding individual experience. The Intersectional Labeling Framework (ILF) suggests that an individual’s label is a product of their intersections and can provide a window into their experience. Derived from original research, the ILF suggests that an individual may select their sexual identity label based on the interaction of five themes: the nature of their identities, the salience of their identities, their knowledge of labeling options at the time of selection, the audience for the label, and internalized stigma/bias. By applying a lens of intersectionality to the process of sexual identity label selection, we gain a multidimensional understanding of an individual’s label, offering directives for practice, instruction, advocacy, and future research.
    • O’Malley, J., Neuweiler, A., Leeper, E., & Pinto, S. A. (2020, October). Rainbows and rosaries: Experiences of LGBTQ+ people practicing Catholicism, 2020 Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities Conference, Virtual.
      • Description: Leave with practical skills to help clients integrate their Catholic and LGBTQ+ identities. Participants will leave with rich lessons from original research on how people identifying under the umbrella of LGBTQ+ who are practicing Catholicism navigate these intersecting identities. Because many people approach conversations around religious traditions from a lens of only looking at what one believes, it can be confusing that someone with a positive LGBTQ+ identity still identifies and practices Catholicism. This presentation will focus on how to improve the practice of Professional Counselors to help them work with clients who hold these intersecting, and at times conflicting, identities.
    • Christian, N., Pinto, S. A., & Kooyman, L. (2020, February). Counselor education & supervision: Avenues of advocacy for LGBTQ+ populations, The 37th Annual Teachers College Winter Roundtable, New York, NY.
      • Description: This presentation will explore counselor education and supervision as ideal, yet underutilized, professional practices to advocate for LGBTQ clients and by extension the LGBTQ community-at-large. Despite the counseling profession’s attention to multiculturalism and social-justice advocacy, minimal attention has been dedicated to LGBTQ issues within counselor education and supervision academic literature, particularly by empirical research. This roundtable will explore a variety of practitioner-focused counselor training and supervisory practices and frameworks through the lens of the domains of advocacy, as identified within the American Counselor Association (ACA) Advocacy Competencies. It will emphasize the role of ongoing self-reflection for the practitioner, address the needs of LGBTQ clients in the counseling relationship, and explore how a lack of competency and/or population-specific training and experience can have a negative impact on the client.  Implications for future research will also be explored.
    • Lardier Jr., D. T., Opara, I., Pinto, S. A., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R. J. (2019, November). Cognitive and Psychological Empowerment among Queer and non-Queer Youth of Color: The Role of Sense of Community, Ethnic Identity, Community Participation, and Social Justice Orientation. Paper presentation at the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) 80th Conference, Fort Worth, TX.
      • Description: Studies among both queer and non-queer youth of color (YOC) indicate that empowerment has been associated with well-being, a critical perspective, and in combating social oppression. However, we know less about the path toward empowerment for queer YOC with multiple marginalized identities. Using SEM path analysis techniques, and multi-group analyses, this study examined the association community participation (CP), psychological SOC, and ethnic identity have with social justice orientation (SJ) as a mediator, and in-turn intrapersonal psychological empowerment and cognitive empowerment among a sample of queer and non-queer YOC (N = 383). Findings illustrate that higher levels of ethnic identity, CP, and SOC have a positive impact on SJ, and in-turn empowerment outcomes. Paths also varied between queer and non-queer youth.
    • O’Malley, J., Pinto, S., O’Halloran, L., & Silipo, J. (2019, October). 12 tips for effective supervision of school counseling interns, 2019 Colorado School Counselor Association Conference, Loveland, CO.
      • Description: “You’ll learn it on the job.” A phrase that is familiar to many of us from our formative years in education and employment. As the first opportunity to be “on the job,” school counseling practicum and internship experiences should be a time of immense professional development. However, significant professional development can only take place when the perspectives of the intern, counselor educator, and school counseling intern supervisor align. This presentation first builds a foundation of knowledge by providing a review of the literature related to the supervision of school counseling interns, discussing school counseling intern supervision from a variety of perspectives, and exploring relevant models of supervision. With this foundation, the presenters will deliver 12 tips for effective supervision of school counseling interns. These tips will allow school counseling intern supervisors to evaluate and, potentially, adjust their supervisory practices in order to help prepare the next generation of school counselors. The presentation will also provide an opportunity for networking with other school counseling intern supervisors in Colorado.
    • Pinto, S. & O’Malley, J. (2019, October). School counselor onboarding, 2019 Colorado School Counselor Association Conference, Loveland, CO.
      • Description: Hiring a new school counselor is exciting for both the school counselor and the school itself. However, as a new member of the school’s community, the school counselor can often have a lot to learn. Regardless of the quality of the school counselor’s preparation or experience, the new school counselor will need to learn about school-specific norms, culture, policies, and issues of concern. This presentation provides a review of the literature related to onboarding school counselors, discusses practices for onboarding school counselors from both an administrative and counselor education perspective, reviews original research related to the onboarding efforts of one rapidly growing Colorado school district, and provides an interactive opportunity to share methods and approaches to successfully onboarding school counselors.
    • Pinto, S., Kooyman, L., Lardier Jr., D. T., & Dzik, P. (2019, October). Counseling sexual minority identified clients: Implications for training and supervision, 2019 Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Seattle, WA.
      • Description: Sexual minority identified clients can be an invisible minority group. Through discussion of how the needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) population intersect with counselor training and supervision, this presentation provides a foundation for the education and supervision of counselors with LGBQ clients. The program will address psychosocial issues and differences within LGBQ populations and unique characteristics of LGBQ individuals in counseling. It will also address how both instructional approaches and models of supervision can be adjusted and/or implemented by instructors and supervisors of to help their students and supervisees meet the needs of their LGBQ client in a way that is practical, inclusive, and clinically sound.
    • Pinto, S. & O’Malley, J. (2019, October). Ten lessons from starting a new CACREP-aligned program, 2019 Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference, Seattle, WA.
      • Description: While graduate education is always evolving, one constant that we can rely on is the presence of accrediting bodies. As colleges, departments, and existing programs make choices about the future of their academic offerings, it is critical to have a full awareness of the challenges that they might face along the way. This presentation reviews lessons learned throughout the process of starting a new, CACREP-Aligned counseling program, based on those challenges. It highlights obstacles and potential solutions, while offering the participants insight into decision-making processes as informed by the 2016 CACREP Standards (CACREP, 2015), and inviting them to critically analyze their own challenges or concerns related to similar processes.
    • Pinto, S. (2019, August). The grass can be greener: Leveraging challenges in online course development, 2019 Colorado Adult Learning Symposium, Denver, CO.
      • Description: Designing an online course carries unique challenges. While the challenges vary between content and available technology, generating original online coursework requires a unique approach characterized by resourcefulness, optimism, and a flexible mindset. This presentation identifies types of challenges that course designers may face, provides an opportunity for participants to think critically about their own current or potential challenges, and offers both evidence- and experience-based solutions that assist in not only overcoming the challenges, but transforming them into strengths in the delivery of the course material.
    • Pinto, S. (2019, July). The influence of religious and queer identity intersections on the sexual identity labeling process and implications for practice, Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling Conference, Colorado Springs, CO.
      • Description: The intersection of religious and queer identities has many implications, one of which is expression. Expression is both critical to our ability to connect with one another and regulated by context. A chosen label (e.g., gay; Catholic) lacks the ability to fully convey experience, but the same label provides insight beyond its common definition. Three case studies highlight experiences of oppression, identity salience across contexts, and inform practice related to these intersecting identities.
    • Lardier Jr., D. T., Opara, I., Pinto, S. A., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R. J. (2019, June). The mediating effects of cognitive empowerment and social justice awareness between sense of community, ethnic identity, community participation and psychological empowerment among queer and non-queer youth of color. Poster presentation at the 17th Biennial Conference of the Society for Community Research and Action (SRCA). Chicago, IL.
      • Description: Not available.
    • Pinto, S. & O’Sullivan, N. (2019, May). From obstacle to advantage: Overcoming challenges in developing online courses, Lilly Conference on Designing Effective Teaching, Bethesda, MD.
      • Description: Designing an online course carries unique challenges. While the challenges vary between content and available technology, generating original online coursework requires a unique approach characterized by resourcefulness, optimism, and a flexible mindset. This presentation identifies types of challenges that course designers may face, provides an opportunity for participants to think critically about their own current or potential challenges, and offers both evidence- and experience-based solutions that assist in not only overcoming the challenges, but transforming them into strengths in the delivery of the course material.
    • Lardier Jr., D.T., Opara, I., Pinto, S.A., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R.J. (2019, February). The mediating effects of cognitive empowerment and social justice awareness between sense of community, ethnic identity, community participation and psychological empowerment among queer and non-queer youth of color. Paper presentation at Columbia University Teachers College 36th Annual Winter Roundtable. Columbia University Teachers College. New York, N.Y.
      • Description: Not available.
    • Pinto, S. (2018, September). Advocating toward an intersectional understanding of labels within (and beyond) the queer community, Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling Conference, Portland, OR. [Accepted, canceled].
      • Description: Research and theory regarding the development and nature of sexual identity have been generated, and evolving, for decades (Cass, 1969; D’Augelli, 1994; Mohr & Kendra, 2011; Troiden, 1988). The current body of literature actively identifies the limits of common labels for sexual identity (Few-Demo, 2014), including pervasive inconsistency between an individual’s self-selected label and other associated measures of sexual identity (Diamond, 2005; Korchmaros, Powell, & Stevens, 2013). However, existing research has paid little attention to what, specifically, influences individuals to adopt one label for their sexual identity over another. The dearth of literature and associated understanding of self-selected labels can have negative effects on clients (Rogers, 1959; Rosario et al, 2006) and, subsequently, families and communities. By employing qualitative methods of research, based in Portraiture (Lawrence-Lightfoot & Hoffman Davis, 1997) and informed by intersectionality (Parent, DeBlaere, & Moradi, 2013; Shields, 2008), this study begins to articulate the labeling experience as it relates to sexual identity. The unique experiences of three individuals highlight collective themes toward understanding the self-labeling process. The findings suggest that an individual may select the label for their sexual identity based on the nature and salience of their identities, as well as their knowledge of labeling options, the audience receiving the label, and any internalized stigma or bias. This study provides insight into how an individual selects a label. It implies that an individual’s label is heavily influenced by their intersections and carries meaning along a variety of dimensions, while offering direction for practice, education, advocacy, and future research. Participants will (1) be able to articulate the importance of an individual’s label, (2) identify varied approaches for helping a client to understand their label, and (3) be able to conceptualize steps toward awareness and action in their individual settings.
    • Pinto, S. & Lardier Jr., D. T. (2018, September). “Stand up and Start to Fight:” Enacting the words of Harvey Milk. Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling 2018 Conference, Portland, OR. [Accepted, canceled].
      • Description: “Burst down those closet doors once and for all, and stand up and start to fight.” Uttered by Harvey Milk over four decades ago; still meaningful today. The strides toward social justice that have been made in the U.S. since the 1970s are inspiring. However, we still find ourselves in an era of divisiveness. Establishing a sense of community and belongingness, within and beyond counseling settings, is critical for marginalized populations across dimensions (Lardier et al., 2017). Traditional outlets for rigorous academic research (e.g., peer-reviewed presentations/publications) have limited audiences—educated, interested individuals with access to the outlet (Siler, 2017). Knowing that only 11% of the population (U.S. Census, 2017) holds a Master’s degree or higher, it can be inferred that traditional outlets fall short of spreading awareness, and subsequently fostering community and belongingness, where it is needed the most. Ethical researchers are obligated to effect change toward a “healthy and more just society” (ACA, 2014). This requires distribution in accessible formats with a robust audience of academic and non-academics alike. Through intentional dissemination of research findings and implications across contexts, we can impact the general population’s understanding of individuals with queer intersections. This program will unpack (LO1) the need for community and belongingness for these individuals, (LO2) how to promote it in both the classroom and practice, and most importantly, (LO3) how to disseminate this information to populations that are not looking for it. “What set Harvey apart from you or me was that he was a visionary. He imagined a righteous world inside his head and then he set about to create it for real, for all of us” (Kronenberg, 2001, p. 37). It is time for each of us to take the righteous world that we have imagined and fight for it—through community, belongingness, and change.
    • Pinto, S., Gentry, K., & Lardier Jr., D. T. (2018, September). An intentional approach to integrating sexuality into counselor education and practice, 2018 NARACES Conference, Burlington, VT.
      • Description: This session will provide a broad range of information regarding the importance and role of competency in counseling around issues of sexuality. Methods of fostering competency for counselors in training will be offered, and both a primer in vocabulary related to issues of sexuality and models of sexuality counseling will be discussed. Additionally, sexual dysfunction, intimate partner violence, and sexuality as it directly relates to mental health will be explored. This session will be approached through a lens of intersectionality, integrating cultural considerations throughout the presentation.
    • Grant, K., Pinto, S. & Levitt, D. (2018, September). Merging the art and science of counseling through the use of Portraiture as a qualitative method of inquiry, 2018 NARACES Conference, Burlington, VT.
      • Description: Portraiture is an innovative, qualitative research method that enriches the counseling profession by cultivating an in-depth, accessible understanding of populations that are often reduced to assumptions and abstractions.  Combining the aesthetic and empirical, Portraiture promotes an intellectual understanding of a phenomenon, while provoking an emotional response in the reader to amplify connection with and comprehension of the findings and implications. The persistent need for a deep and nuanced understanding of people and their intersections locates Portraiture as a novel technique toward insight and awareness. Informed by the presenters’ experience with the methodology, Portraiture is introduced as an approach to counseling inquiry, highlighting its defining features, application to research design, and providing context for understanding its place in counseling research.
    • Pinto, S. (2018, April). Negotiating a sexual identity: The self-labeling process for non-heterosexual women in early adulthood. 12th Annual Student Research Symposium, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ.
      • Description: The concept of sexual identity has been evolving for decades. While there has been research and theory on the development of sexual identity, little attention has been paid to what, specifically, influences individuals to adopt one label for their sexual identity over another. Approached from a humanistic perspective, this study employed qualitative methods of research, based in Portraiture and informed by intersectionality, to gather and analyze data on three non-heterosexual, self-identified women in early adulthood, from a metropolitan area in the northeastern United States. Each participant’s experience, as it relates to the labeling process for their sexual identity, is presented individually, and subsequently analyzed to highlight collective themes as they relate to the self-labeling process. The findings suggest that an individual may select the label for their sexual identity based on the nature and salience of their identities, as well as their knowledge of labeling options, the audience receiving the label, and any internalized stigma or bias. The insight into how an individual selects a label, provided by this study, implies that an individual’s label carries meaning along a variety of dimensions, and offers direction for practice, education, advocacy, and future research across disciplines.
    • Pinto, S., Gentry, K., & Lardier Jr., D. T. (2017, March). An intentional approach to integrating     sexuality into counselor education and practice, American Counseling Association 2017 Conference & Expo, San Francisco, CA.
      • Description: With the diversity in sexual expression that exists in our society and the prevalence of sexual issues over the lifespan, counselors must acquire a basic knowledge and level of comfort discussing issues of sexuality. This presentation offers foundational information on modern sexuality, models for instruction and practice of sexuality counseling, and discusses sexual dysfunction, intimate partner violence, and sexuality as they relate to mental health.
    • Lardier Jr., D. T., Pinto, S., Bermea, A., Garcia-Reid, P., & Reid, R.J. (2017, March). Sexual minority status and suicidal ideations among urban Hispanic adolescents, American Counseling Association 2017 Conference & Expo, San Francisco, CA. (Featured Education Session)
      • Description: This study uses data from a Drug Free Communities grant to examine the effect that sexual-minority status has on bullying, social support, depression, and suicidal ideations among low-income  Hispanic adolescents (N= 538). Using Structural Equation Modeling techniques, which are guided by Interpersonal Theory of Suicide and intersectionality perspectives as theoretical frameworks, we provide useful recommendations for counselors and researchers.
    • Pinto, S. & Kooyman, L. (2016, September). Counseling sexual minority identified clients: implications for training and supervision, Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling 2016 Conference, San Antonio, TX.  
      • Description: As a counselor educator or supervisor, it is crucial to have an understanding of how to foster competency in students and supervisees. This program will address psychosocial issues with, differences within, and counseling tendencies of sexual minority populations. It will also provide a foundation for knowledge of issues in supervision and training as related to this population, and suggestions for improving effectiveness in training and supervision of counselors with LGBQ identified clients.
    • Pinto, S. (2016, April). What’s in a name: How we label our sexual orientation, and the difference that it makes, American Counseling Association 2016 Conference & Expo, Montreal, QC, Canada.  
      • Description: Sexual orientation self-identification (SOSI) is a complex process. The labels that individuals use to identify their sexual orientation do not consistently represent the intended construct. Assigning a label to one's sexual orientation can impact their movement through the world, influencing various aspects of their expression. This presentation explores how SOSI is shaped, how it impacts lives, and how counselors can use this information to better serve sexual minority and non-sexual minority individuals alike.
    • Wahlstrom, S., Baker, B., & Collins, J. (2014, September). Taking the T out of LGBT: A foundation for counseling the transgender community, Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling Inaugural Conference, New Orleans, LA.
      • Description: The commonly used acronym “LGBT” carries certain assumptions with it. It can lead people to believe that all members of the community are created equally and have similar needs. This session will highlight the unique features of, help participants to better understand the issues and concerns of, and provide strategies for serving the transgender community.
    • Edwards, B., & Wahlstrom, S. (2014, September). The “A” word, Association for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Issues in Counseling Inaugural Conference, New Orleans, LA.
      • Description: An estimated 70 million people identify as asexual, a sexual orientation characterized by an absence of feelings of sexual attraction. Workshop attendees will develop foundational knowledge on asexual terminology regarding romantic attraction and affectional orientation, and will examine and dismantle stereotypes that make it difficult for asexual people to exist openly in society. Participants will acquire a better understanding of their personal gaps in knowledge on asexuality, and be better skilled at creating more safe, inclusive spaces for asexual identified clients.
    • Wahlstrom, S., Baker, B., & Collins, J. (2014, April). Taking the T out of LGBT: A foundation for counseling the transgender community, 8th Annual Student Research Symposium, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ.
      • Description: The commonly used acronym “LGBT” carries certain assumptions with it. It can lead people to believe that all members of the community are created equally and have similar needs. This session will highlight the unique features of, help participants to better understand the issues and concerns of, and provide strategies for serving the transgender community.
    • Edwards, B., & Wahlstrom, S. (2014, March). The “A” word. Safe[r] Space Conference, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ.
      • Description: An estimated 70 million people identify as asexual, a sexual orientation characterized by an absence of feelings of sexual attraction. Attendees of this session will develop foundational knowledge on asexual terminology regarding romantic attraction and affectional orientation, and will examine and dismantle stereotypes that make it difficult for asexual people to exist openly in society. Participants will acquire a better understanding of their personal gaps in knowledge on asexuality, and be better skilled at creating more safe, inclusive spaces for asexual clients.
    • Kooyman, L., Wahlstrom, S., & Baker, B. (2013, June). Addressing current challenges of LGBTQ adults in the counseling process. Association for Adult Development and Aging Conference, New York, NY.
      • Description: Considering the upheavals regarding LGBTQ issues within recent years, counselors need to be aware of the needs in serving these populations. This session will provide a framework for understanding LGBTQ identity development within the context of current legal, religious, and political issues, and provide strategies for counseling LGBTQ populations.

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This portfolio last updated: 02-Mar-2023 7:31 PM