Katie Brammer (she, her, hers), PhD, LPC, RPT is a Counselor Educator with a background in Mental Health Counseling, Play Therapy, and School Counseling. Katie has a private practice on the land of the Illini, Osage, and Missouria people, what is now known as St. Louis, MO. She tailors transformational approaches into her work with the anticipation that the needs of each student and client are met. She is intentional about advocating for systemic change and providing trauma-informed spaces focused on cultural humility—valuing and affirming those who have been historically marginalized and impacted by ecological systems and cultural hegemony. Katie aims to facilitate culturally responsive learning spaces that create future counselors who are change agents able to effectively advocate for clients and support making improvements to the counseling field on local, national, and global levels. As a white cisgender woman, she continues to critically evaluate her privilege and unlearn her own socialized biases, unknown objectives, and stereotypical beliefs. Specifically, Katie’s work with Transgender and Gender Expansive Folx and those whose affectional orientation or romantic attraction defy heteronormativity continues to influence her own personal and professional development as an antiracist, culturally responsive counselor educator, scholar, counselor, play therapist, and supervisor.

Cortny Stark, PhD, LPC, LAC(CO), LPCC, LADAC(NM), CRC (she/her/hers) is an Assistant Professor with the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) Department of Counseling and Human Services, and Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Fellow. Dr. Stark is the coordinator for the substance use and recovery counseling undergraduate and graduate emphases at UCCS, and the project director for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) substance use disorder practitioner education expansion program. Dr. Stark’s research foci include LGBTQQIA+ issues in counseling, advocacy for transgender and gender-expansive youth, public perception of professional counselors, and the integration of trauma processing models in the treatment of diverse populations. In addition to academic pursuits, Dr. Stark practices as a substance use counselor, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) trained clinician with the Trauma Treatment Center and Research Facility in Rio Rancho, NM.