Physical Environment as an Indicator of Cultural Validation in Counseling and Psychological Services and the Center for Human Growth at Indiana University

Abstract

With minority groups constituting roughly forty percent of the United States population (Miller & Garren, 2017), there is a growing number of students on college campuses with non-majority identities. Psychological well-being is a critical component of overall college student success, and individuals of underrepresented identities still experience perceptions of marginalization and isolation that accompany barriers to receiving psychological support (Ahmed et al., 2011). This study uses the Culturally Engaging Campus Environments (CECE) Model to examine cultural validation through the physical space of two offices that provide mental health services for students on the Indiana University Bloomington campus. The study names elements of each physical space that validate minority identities within the counseling space. Additionally, the study outlines areas of improvement for both services to offer to represent or support specific non-majority identities.