Melanie Elyse Brewster
Assistant Professor of Counseling Psychology
212-678-7441
Personal Website
Office Hours: Wednesdays 3pm to 5pm, or by appointment.
Office Location: Thorndike 950C; Phone number (212) 678-7441
Expertise
- Counseling and Clinical Psychology
- Cultural Competence
- Diversity
- Gender and Authority Issues in the Workplace
- Measurement
- Microagressions
- Quantitative Research
- Religion
- Research Design and Methodology
- Stress and Coping
- Women/Feminism
Melanie Elyse Brewster
Professional Background
Educational Background
University of Florida (APA accredited), Ph.D Counseling Psychology
Concentration: Sexuality, gender, and race
Dissertation: The roles of cognitive flexibility, bicultural self-efficacy, and minority stress in the mental health of bisexual individuals.
University of Utah (APA accredited), Pre-doctoral Clinical Internship
University of Florida, M.S. Psychology
University of Florida, B.S. Psychology
University of Florida, B.A. Criminology
Scholarly Interests
- Mental health correlates of discrimination and stigma
- Intersections of personal identities (e.g., sexual orientation, gender, race, religion)
- Social justice in the workplace
- Atheism and nonreligious identities
- Measurement development and evaluation
Selected Publications
Articles in Refereed Journals, bold denotes student collaborators
11. Brewster, M.E., Moradi, B., & DeBlaere, C. (in press) Navigating the borderlands: Cognitive flexibility, bicultural self-efficacy, and minority stress in the lives of bisexual individuals. Journal of Counseling Psychology
10. Velez, B.L., & Brewster, M.E., Moradi, B. (in press). Testing the Tenets of Minority Stress Theory in Workplace Contexts. Journal of Counseling Psychology
9. DeBlaere, C., Brewster, M.E., Bertsch, K., DeCarlo, A., Kegel, K., & Presseau, C. (in press). Perceived discrimination experiences and psychological distress among sexual minority women of color: The moderating role of collective action. Psychology of Women Quarterly.
8. Robinson, M. & Brewster, M.E. (2013). Motivations for fatherhood: Examining internalized heterosexism and gender role conflict with childless gay and bisexual men. Psychology of Men and Masculinity.
7. Moradi, B., Martin, A., & Brewster, M.E. (2012). Disarming the threat to feminist identification: An application of personal construct theory to measurement and intervention. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 36, 197-209.
6. Brewster, M.E., Velez, B.L., DeBlaere, C., & Moradi, B. (2012). Transgender individuals' workplace experiences: The applicability of sexual minority measures and models. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59, 60-70.
5. Brewster, M.E., & Moradi, B. (2010). Perceived anti-bisexual prejudice experiences: Scale development and evaluation. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 57, 451-468.
4. Brewster, M.E., & Moradi, B. (2010). Personal, relational, and community aspects of bisexual identity in emerging, early, and middle adulthood. Journal of Bisexuality, 10, 1-25.
3. DeBlaere, C., Brewster, M.E.. Sarkees, A., Moradi, B. (2010). Conducting research with LGB People of Color: Methodological challenges and strategies. The Counseling Psychologist, 38, 331-362.
2. Huang, Y. P., Brewster, M. E., Moradi, B., Goodman, M. B., Wiseman, M., & Mennicke, A. (2010). Content analysis of literature about LGB of Color: 1998-2007. The Counseling Psychologist, 38, 363-396.
1. Moradi, B., Wiseman, M., DeBlaere, C., Goodman, M., Sarkees, A., Brewster, M.E., & Huang, Y-P. (2010). LGB of Color and White individuals' perceptions of heterosexist stigma, internalized homophobia and outness: Comparisons of levels and links. The Counseling Psychologist, 38, 397-424.
Peer Reviewed Book Chapters
3. Smith, L., & Brewster, M.E. (forthcoming, 2013). Counseling in the Context of Poverty, Homelessness, and Classism. In P. Pedersen, J. Draguns, W. Lonner, J. Trimble, & M. Scharron del Rio (Eds.). Counseling Across Cultures, 7th Edition. New York, NY: Sage Publications
2. Brewster, M.E. (in press). Atheism, Gender, and Sexuality. In S. Bullivant & M. Ruse (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Atheism. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
1. DeBlaere, C.D., & Brewster, M.E. (in press). Diversity Across the LGBTQ Community. In E. Fisher (Ed.), Creating School Environments to Support Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Students and Families: A Handbook for School Professionals. New York, NY: Routledge
Books
Brewster, M.E. (under contract). Atheists in America: Narratives from an Invisible Minority. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
biographical information
Melanie Brewster, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Education at Columbia University, earned her Ph.D from the University of Florida. Her research focuses on marginalized groups and examines how experiences of discrimination and stigma may shape the mental health of minority group members (e.g., LGBTQ individuals, atheists, people of color). Dr. Brewster also examines potential resilience factors, such as bicultural self-efficacy and cognitive flexibility, that may promote the mental health of minority individuals. To date, most of her research has centered on the experiences of sexual minority people. Specifically, Dr. Brewster has focused on groups who occupy the "margins of marginalized populations" -- including bisexual individuals, LGB people of color, and transgender persons.
Currently, she is working on several projects regarding experiences of workplace discrimination among sexual minority populations, as well as projects on identity development and "coming out" as atheist. Her book, Atheists in America: Narratives from an Invisible Minority, will be published by Columbia University Press in 2014.
honors and awards
Research awards
2012 Women of Color Psychologies Award
Presented annually by the Association for Women in Psychology (AWP) and the Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35 of APA) to the best paper that advances scholarship with women of color.
2012 Psychotherapy with Women Award
Presented annually by the Society for the Psychology of Women (Division 35 of APA) to a manuscript on the broad topic on psychotherapy with women on the basis of scholarly rigor, clinical impact, theoretical creativity and innovation, methodological skills, clarity and style of presentation, in addition to its relevance and importance to psychotherapy with women.
2011 Outstanding Major Contribution Award
Presented annually in recognition of the most outstanding Major Contribution published in The Counseling Psychologist
2011 Barbara Kirk Award
The Barbara A. Kirk Award is presented annually by the American Psychological Association Society of Counseling Psychology in recognition of outstanding student-initiated research
2011 Award for Distinguished Student Contribution
Presented annually by the Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues (Division 44 of the American Psychological Association) to a graduate student in psychology who has made a distinguished contribution to research or practice, or who has performed exceptional service to the Division. Recipients of this award represent the future of this Division, and have taken leadership early in their careers to advance LGBT issues in psychology.
2011 Outstanding Counseling Psychology Graduate Student Award
University of Florida Psychology Department; conferred annually upon a doctoral student in counseling psychology for excellence in research and professional work
2010 Outstanding Graduate Student Award
American Psychological Association Society of Counseling Psychology Section for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues
2010 Transgender Research Award Honorable Mention
American Psychological Association Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues
2010 Ted Landsman Award
University of Florida Psychology Department; conferred annually upon a doctoral student in counseling psychology whose projects or initiatives promise to promote an understanding of, or contribution to, positive human growth
2009 Rainbow Alliance Research Award
University of Florida; conferred annually upon graduate students at UF for excellence in research on behalf of LGBT persons
2008 Bisexual Foundation Grant
American Psychological Association Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Issues; conferred annually upon an emerging scholar in bisexuality research
Travel awards
2012 American Psychological Association Division 17, Early Career Psychologist Travel Grant
2011 University of Florida College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
University of Florida Department of Psychology
2010 American Psychological Association Science Directorate
University of Florida College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
University of Florida Department of Psychology
2008 American Psychological Association Science Directorate
University of Florida College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
University of Florida Department of Psychology
2007 University of Florida Department of Psychology
University of Florida College of Liberal Arts & Sciences
professional presentations
current projects
CCPJ 4064: Theories of Counseling
Approaches to counseling; theories and research findings; educational, vocational, and personal counseling; typical problems; illustrative cases.
CCPJ 5062: Career Counseling and Development
General concepts of career development and methods of assessment in career counseling. This course also highlights various issues related to the career development of diverse client populations in light of contemporary socio-political phenomena. Materials fee: $40.
CCPJ 5371: Foundations of counseling
Permission required. Limited enrollment. Prerequisite: For majors section, admission into the Ed.M. program in Psychological Counseling or Ph.D. program in Counseling Psychology, CCPJ 4064 completed or taken concurrently; for non-majors section, CCPJ 4064 recommended but not required. A laboratory experience for counselors and others in the helping professions. Practice in clarifying, understanding, and responding to personal communications. Graduated exercises and videotapes are used to develop counseling and interviewing skills and desirable counselor attitudes. Special fee: $30.
CCPJ 5372: Foundations of counseling skills II
Permission required. Limited Enrollment. Continuing laboratory experience for helping professionals in further development of basic counseling skills with emphasis on increasing ones self-awareness and self-reflective ability. Practice and experience in attending, influencing and helping skills through in-class discussions, experiential activities, weekly journals, and counseling/clinical integration. Exploring assets and defenses that may facilitate or hinder therapeutic transactions.
CCPJ 8900: Dissertation Advisement
Individual advisement on doctoral dissertation. Fee to equal 3 points at current tuition rate for each term.
Documents & Papers
Download: Welcome letter for Atheists in America [PDF]
Download: Contributor Agreement for Atheists in America [Word]
Call for proposals
Download: Atheists in America: Narratives from an Invisible Minority [PDF]
Atheists in America: Narratives from an Invisible Minority is a book that aspires to tell the stories of diverse individuals who identify as atheist in the increasingly conservative religious climate of the United States.
Download: Reposted Atheists in America Call for Submissions [PDF]
Download: Charles Silverstein event [PDF]
Download: CV 042013 [PDF]
