MA, Kent State University, 2024, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of Sociology and Criminology

Feeling a sense of belonging positively impacts many facets of life, including educational and professional outcomes. For college students, a strong sense of belonging can influence their career paths and intentions to stay in college. However, women and racial/ethnic minorities often struggle with belonging in computing, which can diminish their desire to stay in the field. Existing research on belonging in college emphasizes the role of faculty and peers in promoting belonging, yet few studies have examined the relative impact of these different type of relationships. Furthermore, I could not find any studies that have examined the relative importance of faculty versus peer relationships for belonging within the field of computing. My thesis aims to fill this gap by exploring how relationships with faculty and peers uniquely impact students' sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and, in turn, their persistence intentions in computing. Additionally, I evaluate how these processes are moderated by students' gender and racial/ethnic identities. I find that for the overall sample, positive relationships with faculty have a greater direct impact on students' sense of belonging in computing and computing self-efficacy than relationships with peers. In addition, I find that positive relationships with faculty also have a greater indirect impact on students' computing persistence intentions than do positive relationships with peers. While these results are generally replicated across students of varying gender and racial/ethnic identities, there are some notable exceptions. This research increases our knowledge of how faculty and peer relationships impact students' feelings of belonging, self-efficacy, and, in turn, persistence in a field of study. It also helps inform future interventions to broaden participation in computing by highlighting the relative importance of faculty relationships for marginalized students.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

The present study utilized Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis in order to examine the lived experiences of young adult, cisgender women and the development of internalized sexism. Eight participants completed semi–structured interviews focused on their relationships with other women and subsequent views of womanhood. Themes found were (a) womanhood is taught by women throughout the lifespan, (b) women are sexually responsible for men, (c) women are emotional caregivers, (d) there are biological bases of womanhood, (e) women are expected to “do it all,” (f) expectations of women are fueled by media portrayal, (g) traditional femininity is seen as oppositional to the feminist movement, and (h) womanhood is a community. The results of the study found that young adult women hold similar beliefs and attitudes surrounding what it means to be a woman. Additionally, young adult women's perceptions of womanhood are similarly influenced by common external factors that stem from society's sexism and misogyny and lead to behaviors of internalized sexism. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

Recent political movements such as the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements have brought renewed attention to the social roles of White women and their unique position of intersectional privilege and oppression. White women experience the benefits of whiteness while simultaneously experiencing the gendered oppression of womanhood. However, there is a lack of research exploring how White women conceptualize and respond to their own positionality as both White individuals and as women. This study utilizes constructivist grounded theory to examine how White women navigate their social location within the context of working in the nonprofit sector, a space wherein White women are overrepresented and often in close contact with various elements of systemic oppression. The analysis revealed that White women view nonprofit organizations as protected spaces that allow them to foster careers without encountering overt sexism. However, White women also believe that nonprofits are fragile and easily threatened by external pressures. They seek to protect these spaces by maintaining a homogenous culture that aligns with White womanhood. They view increasing diversity as simultaneously aligned with their personal and organizational values and threatening to the organization's culture and internal stability. As a result, White women engage in a variety of maneuvers that serve to symbolically pursue diversity without altering the fundamental culture of the organization. These maneuvers allow White women to see themselves as benevolent and values driven, while also maintaining their systemic power over People of Color. The findings offer insight into the role White women play in maintaining systems of racial oppression in response to their own fears of gender-based oppression, and guide recommendations for further intersectional deconstruction of oppressive systems. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://e (open full item for complete abstract)

Master of Arts (MA), Ohio University, 2024, Geography (Arts and Sciences)

This study sought to deepen understanding on climate-induced (im)mobilities by examining the ways small holder rice farmers adapt to saltwater intrusion in two riparian rice growing communities in the North Bank Region of The Gambia: Dasilameh and Tambana. The study examined how mobilities or immobilities reflect intersectional differences and how such differences enable or constrict access to the wider set of adaptation options. I employed 24 (N=24) semi-structured interviews, 2 (N=2) community-based workshops, and field observations. The findings showed that there is high heterogeneity and diversity in the adaptation pathways of the farmers, as they reflect a combination of on-, and off-farm practices, short-term and seasonal mobility-dependent opportunities including dependence on remittances from long-term migrant household members. The findings also showed that the majority of the mobility-dependent adaptation pathways that farmers pursued were short-term with only the male farmers engaging in seasonal mobilities for agricultural purposes. The study found that access to and maintenance of adaptation practices are determined by existing socio-economic, cultural and institutional factors.

Doctor of Education , University of Dayton, 2024, Educational Administration

This research study sought to identify barriers that hinder a group of marginalized parents who live in (LIEM) low-income, economically marginalized communities overcome barriers that hinder them from being able to support their children's early literacy development. As well as how the intersectionality of societal factors contributes to the parents and families who cannot provide meaningful support to their young children's literacy development. These children, who attend an inner-city charter school in a Mid-West state with a 100% free and reduced lunch rate, are in urgent need of support from the school. Their parents, identified as members of a marginalized group, need immediate assistance to enhance their children's early literacy development by the time they enter the Fourth grade. It is crucial to provide support to the children and accurate information to their families regarding the low ranking their children receive of the STAR Early Literacy assessment data the students receive on these quarterly assessments administrated to these students. As a result of the individual interviews the researcher had with each of the six parent participants, another theme that emerged from these interviews was that the parents did not clearly understand what their children's STAR Early Literacy scores and classifications meant. The majority of the parents interviewed believed the teachers were doing a good job teaching their children to read. However, the majority of parents did not have a clear understanding of what their children's assessment score data meant. The fact that children of these parents all had STAR Early Literacy scores ranged from early to late literacy readers and probable readers by the time the children entered the Fourth grade. This information underscores the need for the teaching staff to give the parents of these children clear, direct information on their children's STAR data, as well as specific materials they can use to work with their childre (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Linguistics

Sociolinguistic variationism has contributed much to our understanding of identity and identity construction, including with respect to gender, showing that identity is not simply one's self-identification but constructed through sociolinguistic elements including indexicality and style. However, much research on sociolinguistic style and indexicality within variationism has studied fairly homogenous populations of language users, and even variationist language and gender research has focused primarily on speakers with only one degree of separation from the unmarked white, straight, middle class, cisgender norm (i.e., gay, cisgender white men), leaving open questions about the application of the social meaning of variables to those whose identities place them more than one degree outside of this norm. Though it is known that social meaning is shaped in the interface between production and perception within variationist sociolinguistics, little work has integrated the two, especially for marginalized speakers. Since racialized and gender non-conforming speakers must rely in large part on normative social meanings of sociolinguistic variables in order to construct their non-normative identities, ideology, power, and identity at the production-perception interface impact how these individuals navigate the sociolinguistic landscape. This dissertation thus explores how ideology and power manifest in the sociolinguistic identity construction of Black and white nonbinary speakers through both qualitative and quantitative analyses of both sociolinguistic production and perception, questioning the semiotic tools that these individuals use for resistance to hegemonic gender norms, with a focus on fronted /s/, a variable robustly tied to gender in previous work. The first study uses qualitative, grounded theory analyses of interviews with twenty Black and white nonbinary speakers to develop a picture of the styles that these individuals orient to, situating them within grea (open full item for complete abstract)

MA, University of Cincinnati, 2024, Arts and Sciences: Communication

This paper examines the complexities and challenges of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) policies within higher education institutions, focusing specifically on the experiences and perspectives of international students. Through qualitative analysis of interviews, the study highlights the limitations of existing DE&I policies, revealing themes of insensitivity towards students' intersectionality and structural marginalization. Intersectionality emerges as a significant challenge, as international students navigate a myriad of intersecting identities, including language, nationality, and socio-economic status, which shape their interactions and engagement with DE&I initiatives. To address these challenges, the paper proposes solutions aimed at prioritizing international students' voices, increasing discourses of intersectional identities, and implementing regular assessments of DE&I programs. Also, concrete suggestions are offered to mitigate marginalization and foster environments that embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion for all students. By addressing these issues, higher education institutions can strive towards creating more inclusive and equitable learning environments that honor the diverse experiences and perspectives of international students.

Psy. D., Antioch University, 2024, Antioch Seattle: Clinical Psychology

The present study investigates the phenomenon of climate denial through a new theoretical framework of privilege. The analysis utilizes a feminist orientation that builds on a historical interpretation through the lens of colonialism. Through the dissection of current multidisciplinary understandings of climate denial and new concepts discovered in the review of academic literature and popular media, a compilation of theory, relationship, and connection is made. Systems of power and privilege are examined and connected to the mechanisms and maintenance of climate denial. The resulting analysis illuminates that settler colonialism, supported by connected ideologies of White supremacy, ableism, and patriarchy inform the creation and perpetuation of climate denialism. Privileges grant invisibility, insulation from climate change and discomfort, and innocence in the maintenance of climate denial and subsequent power structures. Implications of communication and dismantling climate denial and systems of power are discussed. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu). Keywords: climate denial, climate change, privilege, settler colonialism

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Educational Studies

The purpose of this study was to analyze the role of intersectional oppression in the social-emotional development of Black LGBTQ+ youth. Three research questions guided this study: (1) How does the intersection of race and sexuality/gender expression play a role in social-emotional development components for Black LGBTQ+ youth?; (2) How do Black LGBTQ+ individuals discuss their schooling experiences as influential to their identity development?; and (3) What supports do Black LGBTQ+ youth need in school settings to promote positive social-emotional development? To answer these questions, this study utilized narrative inquiry as its methodology (Josselson & Hammack, 2021), and was further guided by the tenets of Intersectionality as theory (Collins, 1990; Duran et al., 2020). Four participants, who identified both as Black and a member of the LGBTQ+ community and was also currently enrolled in a graduate program related to education or psychology, took part in this study. By engaging in storytelling, participants shared their perceptions of their social-emotional development as a child. Findings show that Black LGBTQ+ youth display a varied presence of social emotional skills that are influenced by the marginalization they have faced due to their race and sexuality/gender expression. Themes found in data analysis reflect skills related to core social-emotional competencies: self-awareness, self- management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision making. Participants discussed tools and supports necessary for positive social-emotional development for marginalized youth. Implications for research and for practice are discussed.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, EDU Teaching and Learning

Race and racism have and continue to shape public education (Kendi, 2016) and teacher education (Carter Andrews, 2021) in the United States. This qualitative case study, informed by Stake (1995) and Esposito and Evans-Winters (2022), explores how race shows up in social studies teaching and learning. Specifically, the participants and I engaged in interviews and focus group conversations to examine how racial identity and racialized experiences inform secondary social studies educators' career choices, professional goals, and perceived roles and responsibilities in the classroom. At its core, social studies education studies history, culture, geography, economics, and politics. These topics have become increasingly politicized in this era of historic political polarization (Stoddard & Hess, 2024). History and social studies educators are asked to navigate issues related to pedagogy, policy, and politics in today's teaching climate. In paying attention to how identity informs social studies educators' engagement with the curriculum and the profession in general, teacher education programs can provide individualized and more meaningful support. Furthermore, given the diversity among the participants, this work offers insight into addressing the teacher education gap (Love, 2019) between the nation's eighty percent White teaching force and the steadily diversifying student population (National Center for Education Statistics, 2023).

Doctor of Philosophy, Case Western Reserve University, 2024, Sociology

Sociologists have long investigated the enduring link between place and health. Despite prolific research in this field, health issues remain obscured in the sociology literature. This dissertation examines the spatial-health relationship(s) between place of residence and burn injuries using fundamental cause theory, intersectionality, and social vulnerability. Fundamental cause theory asserts that one's ability to either avoid health risks or minimize the consequence of those risks requires access to flexible resources (i.e., knowledge, money, freedom, power, prestige, and social networks) that are differently distributed across populations according to social categories like age, race-ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and neighborhood structure. Intersectionality theory is used alongside fundamental causes to analyze the distribution of flexible resources at the contextual- or community-level, emphasizing the cumulative health effects of discrimination as carried out through spatial development practices. Lastly, social vulnerability measures are employed to quantitatively measure the distribution of health resources within and between communities. Using geographic information systems (GIS) software, this single-site, retrospective registry review explores the social and geographic relationships between accidental, at-home burn (i.e., those treated in a burn unit) injury and fundamental causes between 2014-2021 using measures from the Center for Disease Control's Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) as a proxy for the distribution of flexible resources under fundamental causes. Patient-level characteristics and burn injury outcomes including race, ethnicity, sex, total body surface area (TBSA), mortality, and discharge disposition were collected from a burn registry at a Mid-West county hospital. Findings from this dissertation show that people experiencing burn injury in this region are more likely to live in more vulnerable neighborhoods. These findings are par (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2024, Gerontology

Quality end-of-life care necessitates that patient preferences be known and honored by family and health care providers, as well as that care is both accessible and affordable. However, patient preferences are not always assessed, nor is the quality and cost of end-of-life care consistent throughout the United States. For individuals with multiple marginalized identities, achieving high quality end-of-life care is even more challenging, as compounding issues like systemic discrimination on the basis of race/ethnicity and gender are prevalent. The intersectional impact of race/ethnicity and gender on end-of-life care quality is largely understudied. To address this gap, I studied a sample of White, Black, and Hispanic US decedents (N=1,410; representing a weighted sample of nearly six million US adults) with data from the Health and Retirement Study core survey, leave behind questionnaire, and exit survey. Using binary logistic regression analyses, I explored how goal-concordance and satisfaction with end-of-life care are impacted by end-of-life care circumstances and aspects of power and privilege. Race/ethnicity and gender were used as moderating variables. Significant end-of-life care circumstances (i.e., discussing end-of-life care options, receiving home care, and longer length of hospice enrollment) reveal the importance of further integrating person-centered care practices into end-of-life care, educating patients on end-of-life care options, and addressing barriers to hospice enrollment for racial/ethnic minority populations. Several aspects of power and privilege were associated with greater quality of care, including not being eligible for Medicaid and absence of depression, which highlight policy and practice areas in need of reform. Further, race/ethnicity and gender were found to moderate the relationships between adverse childhood experiences and goal-concordant care, and perceived discrimination and satisfaction. These findings may help older adults, c (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Education, Cleveland State University, 2023, College of Education and Human Services

Urban ethnic churches across the nation continue to be beacons of light in communities throughout the United States. The people within have endured the same centralized struggles found in every impoverished urban neighborhood, be it crime or gentrification. Many, like the millions of Latinos across America, find respite in belonging to ethnic spaces where they can preserve parts of their cultural identities as they navigate the duality of their culture, what it means to be Latino, while navigating acculturation, what it means to be American. Whether they are immigrants, English Language Learners, or second-and-third-generation Latinos, the meaning-making found in faith-based affinity groups, like ethnic churches, where faith and ethnicity intersect, can serve as a source for understanding leadership and social mobility among minority groups. The leaders of these communities, or pastors, have a unique ability to function as transformational leaders, gatekeepers of social capital, and agents of social and economic advancement in addition to their role as spiritual leaders. This hermeneutic phenomenological study conducted in the Midwest region of the United State States, questions whether urban pastors perceive themselves as social and economic transformational agents, and how keen they are on discovering the meaning-making that happens within the walls of their often small but mighty congregations. When urban Latina/o pastors and their churches discover the intersection of their ethnic and religious identity and their ability to use their social capital through trust (Coleman, 1988), networks (Bourdieu, 1986), and resources (Putman, 2000), they may not only empower their congregations spiritually but also socially and economically.

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2024, Sociology

Returning to the community after incarceration is characterized by many barriers that make reentry more difficult. With scant programing and resources available to women leaving prison, research routinely finds previously incarcerated women rely heavily on family and friends to help them get back on their feet. Of note, research has yet to examine how the nuances of social connections impact if and how women leverage social support. This dissertation explores how the varied facets of women's social relationships impact reentry through 20 in-depth interviews focusing on three key factors: type of relationship, relationship complexity, and life stage. I first investigate which social relationships provide the most social support to women and whom women are most likely to seek support from across their formal and informal social networks. Findings demonstrate women seldom have access to formal support, instead relying almost entirely on their personal social networks. Moreover, women most commonly turn to their parents, siblings, romantic partners, and friends for support. Next, I discuss the role of tie-complexity. Prior work notes that many women have positive or negative ties, in other words social network connections who are helpful or harmful to the women's reentry success. Building on this, I find that women leaving prison have far more complicated relationships than simply “positive” or “negative”. Indeed, many women had ties that were supportive of their reentry efforts in some capacity, but that made their reentry more difficult in other respects. This “tie-complexity” adds a level of intricacy to women's ability to access needed social support during their reentry that has yet to be thoroughly explored. I demonstrate that tie-complexity is not only common in the support networks of women leaving prison, but that it restricts women's willingness and ability to request social support from members of their social network and reduces mental health. Notably, tie- (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2023, Educational Studies

This qualitative study used Microethnographic Discourse Analysis (MEDA) to examine how graduate students, particularly Black women attending a master's level counselor education program at a predominately White Institution, navigate equity and inclusion during a practicum course and field experiences. The study took place over four months, and data collection included 58 hours of video and audio recordings of practicum classes, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews. Intersectionality theory, Sociolinguistics theory, and Whiteness served as complimentary theoretical frameworks. Three findings and two sub-findings emerged from the study. 1) The culture of Whiteness enabled those with historically privileged identities to be leveraged and re-purposed in ways that created adverse experiences for students of Color. Within this finding, a sub-finding emerged demonstrating the impacts of how a culture of Whiteness and the phenomenon of White gaze function and impact course curricula and curricular interactions. 2) Students of Color use verbal and non-verbal communication in ways that create solidarity and agency when navigating predominantly White spaces. 3) MEDA: Facilitating spaces for Black women to process and share their lived experiences led to an awareness of how they experience and navigate multiple taxes due to their intersecting identities. Within this finding, a Sub-finding emerged where Black women share their experiences of triple jeopardy as a result of their intersecting oppressed identities. In sum, these findings demonstrate how a culture of Whiteness and the phenomenon of White gaze can function simultaneously to obscure macro and micro power dynamics that can facilitate adverse experiences for students of Color. Furthermore, this research makes visible how students of Color, particularly women of Color, create solidarity and agency when navigating predominantly White spaces. This research study answers the following questions. 1) What are the (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Ohio University, 2023, Industrial/Organizational Psychology (Arts and Sciences)

Over the past several decades, there has been a gradual increase in the number of faculty of color in the academy. However, no data on LGBT+ identity among faculty are widely available. While research exists on occupational stressors among faculty (e.g., pressures to publish, student course evaluations), less quantitative work has investigated stressors for faculty who hold identities where discrimination exists at the intersection of their race, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity (i.e., intersectional stressors). Therefore, the primary aim of this research was to develop the Faculty Intersectionality Stressors Scale (FISS), which measures the frequency and perceived intensity of stressors among LGBT+ faculty of color. Additional aims were to determine if FISS could differentiate between stressors in the two data collection groups: a target group of LGBT+ faculty of color and a comparison group of cisgender heterosexual White faculty. Next, two aims centered the use of contextual variables to understand, for example, how FISS scores varied across institution types, geographic regions of the United States, and tenure status. Data were collected, using an online survey, from 208 participants in the target group and 95 participants in the comparison group. It was hypothesized that a 5-factor structure would exist when measuring disrespect displayed by students, research discredit by colleagues, identity-based service commitments and mentorship responsibilities, and bullying across three levels of the positional hierarchy (students, colleagues, administrators). Exploratory factor analysis revealed a 7-factor solution that was closely aligned to the hypothesized factors, whereby academic disrespect was split into identity and non-identity stressors and academic bullying was split into stressors based on the positionality of the bully (i.e., student versus colleagues/administrators). The remaining three factors aligned with the hypothesized structure: research (open full item for complete abstract)

Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, 2023, Educational Leadership

More than 17,000 professional staff live where they work in Residence Life and Housing (RL&H). Those staff members live in the dorms with the college students whom they serve, as has been the arrangement of RL&H staff members since the inception of colleges in the U.S. in the 1600s. However, there have been recent shifts in the ways in which students interact with those who oversee the dorms, leading to elevated instances of backlash, especially toward women. This study is a phenomenological study of 15 women who have experience living where they work and who have experienced instances of student backlash related to their performance of job-related duties. Interviews focused on experiences with backlash, perceptions of safety, perception of the field of RL&H, and ways in which these women received support. Patterns emerged from analysis of interviews, including the following: instances of backlash were perpetrated mostly by men; women experiencing a lack of support usually subsequently left the field; and, women noticed substantial changes in their sense of safety as a result of experiencing student backlash. Out of this analysis, this dissertation study concludes with a set of recommendations for future researchers and shares feedback from study participants regarding how institutions of higher education could better support the staff who live on campus.

Master of Arts, The Ohio State University, 2023, Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies

The Romani people are arguably the most ostracized group in Europe. This thesis examines how their minority status intersects with the vulnerability factors for human trafficking. Romania serves as the location of my research as it is not only a dominant sending country of trafficking victims, but it also has the largest Roma population in Europe. My research provides an overview of trafficking in Romani communities, the responses of the Romanian government, non-government organizations (NGOs), and anti-trafficking groups in Romania. I analyze data on the Roma community's access to state services, Roma socioeconomic status, Roma migration patterns, and anti-Roma sentiment among civil society and state actors in order to explain why the Roma are at higher risk of being trafficked. I employ a labor market and human rights approach to anti-trafficking in order to 1) formulate more appropriate responses to anti-trafficking efforts and Roma inclusion initiatives and 2) challenge the notion that human trafficking in Romani communities is inherently a Roma, or ethnocultural, problem.

PhD, University of Cincinnati, 2023, Arts and Sciences: Psychology

Introduction: African American, gay, cisgender men (AAGM) experience unique forms of minority stress which are associated with psychosocial pressure to engage in behaviors which they believe may reduce their exposure to negative evaluations, discrimination, and violence. However, behavioral management of stigma-related stressors has not been operationalized or measured in an intersectional manner. Cultural Consensus Modeling (CCM) is a rigorous, mixed-methodological, multiphase approach to develop a bottom-up, culturally-informed understanding of a set of behaviors shared by a cultural group. Thus, this study sought to elucidate intersectional identity management behaviors among AAGM using Phase 1 free listing data. Method: Participants were 50 AAGM (Mage = 27.9) who completed Phase 1 of a CCM study. Participants identified intersectional identity management behaviors common among similar peers using a free listing format, and responses were submitted to thematic content analyses. Results: There were 137 total valid response items, and the majority of responses (51.82%) were framed in an intersectional manner. Three major themes related to the interpersonal interaction target emerged and there were 15 sub-themes which varied in content, range, and valence. Conclusions: Responses highlighted within group heterogeneity among AAGM's behavioral management strategies and provided preliminary evidence in support of the CCM methodology to inform the development of theory and a novel measurement tool to examine intersectional identity management in this population.

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, 2023, Counseling Psychology

Black women encounter unique oppressive experiences influenced by the intersection of their racial and gender identities. Rooted within an intersectional, Black Feminist theoretical framework, the current study explored gendered racism, adherence to the Strong Black Woman schema, and help seeking intentions among Black women. As there is limited psychological research examining utilization of social support received exclusively within adult friendships, this study introduced perceived social support between Black women friends as a soothing mechanism and help seeking strategy for navigating Black women's identity based experiences including gendered racism and the Strong Black Woman schema. The data collection process included 533 self-identifying adult Black women residing within the United States and globally. Quantitative findings revealed perceived social support from Black women friends as an overarching moderating variable, with adherence to the Strong Black Woman schema mediating the relationship between experiences of gendered racism and help seeking intentions among Black women. Results from the data gathered also identify correlations between all four main study constructs, with participants' age, marital status, and number of close Black women friends adding contextual knowledge to how Black women engage with other Black women within their social networks. Findings from the current study hold theoretical, preventive, and clinical implications as counseling psychologists strive towards providing Black women with social justice oriented, collective care in support of their holistic wellbeing.