Rachel Chickerella grounds her teaching philosophy in authenticity, humor, and pragmatism. In her work as Core Faculty in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology on Antioch’s New England Campus, she emphasizes creating a classroom atmosphere where students feel comfortable engaging deeply with challenging concepts.
“I try to show up fully as myself, or as fully as I feel like I can, based on the context,” she explains. “Humor is really important to me, and I try to ground my examples to pragmatic applications related to students’ work in the field.”
This philosophy comes through in courses like “Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods,” “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Advanced Seminar,” and a doctoral seminar on writing the dissertation. These courses often have a deep grounding in statistics—a skill that some students lack confidence in and may try to avoid. Chickerella encourages students to proceed with the belief that they will eventually master these skills, especially because they have such practical importance for psychologists, from interpreting research to passing licensing exams.
Students often surprise themselves with their ability to master seemingly difficult subject matter in her classes—which she partly attributes to a teaching approach grounded in Antioch’s experiential style. This learn-by-doing pedagogy allows her to connect deeply with her students and witness their “Aha!” moments as concepts click.
In this classroom work, along with her new role managing the Health Psychology Grant program, working as a practicing psychologist, serving as a mentor, and conducting her own clinical research, Chickerella strives to encourage the development of skills, confidence, and thoughtfulness around mental health treatment. Her work exemplifies the potential of academia to be a space for fostering inclusivity, challenging systemic norms, and empowering students to become skilled and conscientious professionals themselves.
Using Research to Center Bi+ Communities
Chickerella’s personal identity as a bisexual woman informs her research interests and advocacy. She serves as the Program Coordinator for the Bisexual Issues Committee of the American Psychological Association’s Division 44, where she promotes visibility and research on bi+ communities. (The umbrella term bi+ describes those who identify as being attracted to genders like theirs and different from theirs.) In this role, she organizes symposiums at the APA conference and fosters community among bisexual professionals and researchers.
“Bi invisibility is so intense, even within LGBTQ+ spaces,” says Chickerella. “Creating community and promoting visibility through these symposiums has been incredibly meaningful.”
The mental health needs of people who identify as bi+ are acute and, at the same time, not often discussed. As Chickerella et al. write in a recent paper, “Bisexual people had the highest rates of moderate to severe psychological distress (40.1% for men and 46.4% for women) compared with gay and lesbian individuals (25.9% and 28.4%, respectively) and heterosexual men and women (16.9% and 21%, respectively; Gonzales et al., 2016). Bisexual individuals also report high rates of mood disorders, substance use, and suicidality.” Yet these statistics are little known, and bi+ folks continue to face discrimination.
Chickerella’s recent research, undertaken alongside many of her graduate students, has been examining the representation of bisexuality in media and the impact that these media depictions can have on bi+ folks. The study quoted above, “Janelle Monáe vs. Katy Perry: Depiction of Bi+ Identities and Relationship to Depression and Stigma,” compared the portrayal of bisexuality in the music videos for Janelle Monáe’s song “Make Me Feel” and Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl.” The study found that exposure to negative media representation may impact mental health and internalized stigma, while as the study put it, “being exposed to positive media representation may be related to reported reductions in identity uncertainty among bi+ individuals, particularly for those with high levels of identity uncertainty prior to exposure.”
In collaboration with her students, Chickerella is currently conducting a content analysis of Reddit threads discussing Taylor Swift’s potential queerness.
Through her research lab, Chickerella provides students with opportunities to engage in long-term projects. Her goal, she says, is “demystifying the research process and inspiring students to see its potential for driving change.”
“I believe research is important and compelling,” she says. “I want to bring in students who share that interest and show them how research can champion marginalized communities.”
The Importance of Mentorship
Mentorship is also a key part of doctoral study in psychology and one that Chickerella takes seriously. However, she approaches it with a clear intention to foster individuality. “I’m very careful not to create ‘mini-me’s,’” she says. “It’s important to empower people to find their own interests and what excites them. They should pursue careers that align with their passions, not just what they think will earn my approval.”
This perspective stems from Chickerella’s awareness of the power dynamics inherent in academia. Chickerella has collaborated with colleagues like Kate Evarts to address institutional challenges and foster a culture of cultural humility in psychology both at Antioch and in the wider world. Her research and teaching often incorporate liberation psychology, which critiques traditional diagnostic models as being rooted in white supremacy. She advocates for listening to the voices of marginalized communities and prioritizing systemic change over individual pathology.
Antioch is a predominantly white institution, Chickerella notes, and as a white person herself, she strives to navigate and challenge the dynamics of privilege and systemic oppression that can emerge. In order to cultivate cultural humility, Chickerella practices ongoing self-reflection.
“I think cultural humility and a willingness to learn and grow are so important,” she says. “We all have things to learn.”
