Michelle D. Vaughan, Ph.D. (she/her) is a white, cisgender, pansexual, queer, able-bodied, polyamorous woman living on the land of the Kaskaski in Dayton, Ohio as an Associate Professor in the School of Professional Psychology at Wright State University. She was raised in a white, working-class, rural farm community on the land of the Kikapoo, Kaw/Kansa, in a fundamentalist Christian community embedded in cisheteronormativity, mononormativity and white supremacy. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Baker University and her M.A. (Psychology) and Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from The University of Akron, as well as post-doctoral fellowship in Addiction at the University of Virginia. She is a counseling psychologist, researcher, author, educator, therapist, and community leader focusing on cultural humility and the strengths of marginalized/oppressed populations throughout her work, centered primarily on queer, transgender and consensually non-monogamous individuals. She also serves as the Executive Director of PolyColumbus, is a member and co-chair within APA Division 44's Committee on Consensual Non-Monogamy.
Theodore R. Burnes, Ph.D. (he/his) is a white, cisgender, queer, able-bodied, man living on the land of the Chumash, Tongva, and Kizh land in Los Angeles, California as a Full Professor in the Clinical Psychology program at Antioch University, Los Angeles in the School of Counseling, Psychology, and Therapy. He was raised in a white, middle class, urban community on the land of the traditional territory of Nacotchtank/Anacostan/Piscataway people in Washington DC. This community was embedded in cisheteronormativity, mononormativity and white supremacy. He earned his B.A. in Psychology and Spanish from Bucknell University, M.S.Ed in Psychological and Community Services from the University of Pennsylvaniaa, and M.A. and Ph.D. in Counseling/Clinical/School Psychology from The University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a licensed counseling psychologist and licensed professional clinical counselor in the state of California, as well as a researcher, author, educator, therapist, and community leader. His professional work focuses on advocacy, cultural humility, and the experiences of marginalized/oppressed populations in receiving mental health services and how organizations can continue to understand these organizations. His work centered primarily on queer, transgender and individuals who work in the sex industry. He is a fellow of the American Psychological Association (in Divisions 17 and 44) and an Associate Editor of Training and Education in Professional Psychology.
