Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Committee

Conor Smith, PsyD
Chair, Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity Committee
[email protected]

Mission Statement
The Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (SOGD) Committee supports NCSPP’s mission of advancing the highest quality graduate training in professional psychology. As one of NCSPP’s standing committees, the SOGD Committee focuses on issues related to LGBTQ+ psychology in education, research, training, and professional practice. The committee advocates for continued developments in psychological science related to sexual orientation and gender diversity and for the thoughtful integration of LGBTQ+ concerns into the training of future psychologists in NCSPP member programs, with particular attention to LGBTQ+ populations whose experiences are shaped by intersecting minoritized identities such as race, disability status, age, religious identity, etc.

The committee serves in an advisory capacity to the NCSPP Executive Committee on matters pertaining to LGBTQ+ psychology within the organization and its training programs. In addition, it functions as a liaison between NCSPP and the American Psychological Association’s Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, helping to facilitate communication and alignment between developments in the field and the educational mission of NCSPP programs.

Consistent with NCSPP’s commitment to excellence in professional training, the SOGD Committee promotes the integration of accurate, evidence-based knowledge regarding LGBTQ+ identities and psychological science into graduate education, clinical training, and professional development. The committee supports educational initiatives and research that expand understanding of sexual and gender diversity among faculty, trainees, and training programs, while encouraging best practices that support the well-being of LGBTQ+ students and the diverse populations served by professional psychologists. Through these efforts, the committee promotes the dissemination and application of relevant research in LGBTQ+ psychology, works to challenge misinformation, and advances culturally responsive, ethically grounded psychological practice.

Through this work, the SOGD Committee seeks to strengthen the capacity of NCSPP programs to prepare psychologists who are knowledgeable, responsive, and competent in addressing the needs and experiences of sexual and gender minority individuals, families, and communities.