SEBASTIAN MITCHELL BARR

Who is Sebastian Mitchell Barr? To start, I am someone who doesn't like the look of large bodies of text (unless they're in a manuscript), so I'll try to keep this short.

• I'm in the middle of my third year in University of Louisville's Counseling Psychology Ph.D. program.

• I am in awe of the beauty of life (hence the video I've included above).

• I love being a therapist and particularly enjoy working with clients who are struggling with post-traumatic mental health issues.

• I'm still sorting out my theoretical orientation, but principles of cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and existential schools resonate with me. I believe two key components of therapy are client empowerment and the processing of shame.

• I'm a natural-born researcher, inquisitive to a fault a times, and my research interests include trauma psychology, transgender identity development, community belongingness, and transgender issues in psychotherapy.

• I'm also a natural-born nerd and love all things data. I'm currently developing my skills as a methodologist and have assisted with data analysis on multiple quantitative projects.

• I have a good deal of experience in qualitative research, as well, both in conducting semi-structured research interviews and in using grounded theory analysis techniques.

• You can read more about my experience and publications in my CV.

• I believe in using my privilege to work toward social justice and empowerment of oppressed peoples.

• I am on a constant and evolving quest to better myself and achieve greater insight into what gives my life meaning.

• Whenever I can, I live by a mantra borrowed from Flannery O'Connor: “I can, with one eye squinted, take it all as a blessing.”

• I used to be a professional DJ and believe that human beings (myself included, of course) connect to and are affected by music in powerful ways.

• I'm partnered to an amazing person with whom I share a home and four cats.