Appreciation for Human Differences

The Counseling Services Staff is a diverse, multidisciplinary and multicultural group of professionals. We continually strive to provide UCSB students, faculty, and staff with professional services which demonstrate sensitivity and respect for human differences (e.g., age, gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, language, and socio-economic status), as evidenced by a commitment to receiving the additional training and consultation necessary to ensure the provision of responsive and culturally-competent services.

For many students of color at a predominantly white institution, there exist differing values, beliefs, and cultural expectations which may impact the decision to seek support. Issues of diversity, ethnicity, and culture are important subjects of discussion within the therapy relationship. The following are additional sources of support for students of color at UCSB:

MultiCultural Center	EOP
Black Studies	Chicano/Latino Studies
Asian American Studies

In the past, the helping professions frequently neglected the distinctive cultural realities of women's life patterns, psychological processes, and personality development as female. Women continue to face special barriers to their full development, both as a result of external forces, and of the internalization of inequities. The psychological staff at Counseling Services strives to provide services which are sensitive to, and affirming of women's unique experiences. For more information about sources of support for women on the UCSB campus:

The Women's Center

Disabilities transcend all lines of gender, race, culture, age, and sexual orientation. Frequently, there are special social, educational, and physical access issues which impact students with disabilities at UCSB. For more information about sources of support for students with disabilities at UCSB:

Disabled Students Program

The social stigma long associated with gay, lesbian, and bisexual identities still results for some in the internalization of a negative self-concept. Counseling Services psychological staff can be characterized as gay-affirmative. For more information about sources of support for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning individuals and their allies at UCSB:

UCSB Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity

Womens' Center