Personal Summary

Notice to Applicants for the Ph.D. Program in Clinical Psychology:

Both Dr. Bryan Cochran and myself will be reviewing applications for those applying for fall 2024 admission with interests in LGBTQ+ health. Applicants can note either one of us as a potential mentor in their personal statements. Applications are due 12/1/2023. Please don't hesitate to reach out to me with questions at hillary.powell@umt.edu or to Dr. Cochran at bryan.cochran@umontana.edu.

About My Work:

My ongoing lines of research focus on mechanisms of risk and resilience that affect gender and sexual minority (GSM) individuals’ well-being, with a particular emphasis on the intersections of aging and rural identity. My primary goal in this work is to better understand how to promote resilient, well-resourced communities that benefit the mental health of GSM individuals and families. Through this line of work, I am curious about what we can learn from the experiences of GSM older adults–how have they fostered support networks over time and across changing sociopolitical landscapes? Similarly, how do rural GSM people find community and develop identity pride in spite of geographic isolation? Further, my work seeks to answer what it means for psychotherapy if ‘resilience’ is characterized as a community – rather than an individual – attribute. I am interested in how mental health providers can facilitate access to affirming communities, and how the field of psychology can conceptualize advocacy as a professional competency. 

Some prior research projects have explored perceptions of affirmative practice across therapist-client dyads, transgender veterans’ experiences of minority stress within the VA, and the protective role of intergenerational friendships for LGBTQ older adults. I am currently designing a life story project to learn about community building and queer survival from the experiences of rural GSM Montanans. 

Clinically, I am experienced in cognitive-behavioral interventions for adults, with an emphasis on transdiagnostic applications of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Rather than focusing on symptom reduction as the end goal of treatment per se, ACT practitioners seek to increase psychological flexibility–or the ability to make contact with the present moment and engage in values-consistent behaviors. My work in ACT is an extension of my approach to affirmative practice; it allows me to focus on helping my clients live a life that feels meaningful to them in spite of (or alongside of) variables outside of their immediate control, such as societal transphobia and housing insecurity. ACT also challenges the idea that there is a single paradigm of wellness and flourishing; as a contextual behavioral science, it explores the function of behavior given individual and situational factors–such as personal values, cultural expectations, and environmental demands. Finally, I am also practiced in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), as well as Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy (IBCT).

It is important to me that my work is filtered through a queer lens, both theoretically and practically. I am interested in how clinical practice and the research-making process can challenge hetero- and cisnormative power structures, as well as how it can best reflect the experiences and priorities of GSM people.

Education

Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, The University of Montana, 2020
M.A., Clinical Psychology, The University of Montana, 2015
B.A., Psychology, Women's and Gender Studies, Clark University, 2011

Pre-doctoral internship, Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, 2020
Post-doctoral residence, Psychology Specialists of Maine, 2022

Teaching Experience

Assistant Professor, The University of New England, Fall 2020 - Spring 2022
Graduate Instructor, The University of Montana, Fall 2013 - Fall 2018

Research Interests

• LGBTQ minority stress and community resilience
• Affirmative practice and interventions for minority stress
• LGBTQ experiences of agining and rurality
• Advocacy as a professional competency
• Informal caregiving and found families 

Publications

Powell, H. A., Lavallee, M., & Meuser, T. (In preparation). Integenerational friendships, mental health, and aging well among LGBTQ older adults. 

Powell, H. A., Stinson, R. D., & Erbes, C. (2021). Transgender and gender diverse veterans’ access to gender-related health care services: The role of minority stress. Psychological Services, 19(3), 455-462.

Powell, H. A., & Cochran, B. (2020). Mental health providers’ biases, knowledge, and treatment decision-making with gender minority clients. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 8(4), 451-457.

Smith, A., Hallum-Montes, R., Nevin, K., Zenker, R., Sutherland, B., Reagor, S., . . . Gleason, H. A., & Brennan, J. M. (2018). Determinants of transgender well-being, mental health and suicidality in a rural state. Journal of Rural Mental Health, 42(2), 116-132.

Gleason, H. A., Truong, D., Biebel, K., Hobart, M., & Kolodziej, M. (2017). Perceived barriers to and facilitators of engagement in reverse integrated care. Journal of Behavioral Health Services & Research, 44(1), 1-8.

Gleason, H. A., Livingston, N., Oost, K., Peters, M., Reeley, E., & Cochran, B. (2016). Effects of state nondiscrimination laws on gender minority individuals’ perceived community stigma and mental health. Journal of Gay and Lesbian Mental Health, 20(4), 350-362.

Oost, K., Livingston, N., Gleason, H. A., & Cochran, B. (2016). Gender performance stress and risk for psychopathology: Looking beyond sexual orientation. Journal of LGBT Youth, 13(3), 1223-1248.

Livingston, N., Heck, N., Flentje, A., Oost, K., Gleason, H. A., & Cochran, B. (2015). Sexual minority stress and suicide risk: Identifying resilience through personality profile analysis. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2(3), 321-328.

Gleason, H. A., Tonelli, M., Hobart, M., Bradley, L., Landers, J., Langenfeld, S., & Kolodziej, M. (2014). Gender differences of mental health consumers accessing integrated primary and behavioral care. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 19(2), 146-152.

Gleason, H. A., Hobart, M., Jellison, M., Seward, G., & Bradley, L. (2012). Implementing tobacco education and cessation services at a large community mental health center: Lessons learned. Journal of Dual Diagnosis, 8(2), 140-147.

Professional Experience

Staff Psychologist, Remote Team, Psychology Specialists of Maine, 2020 - present
Grant Consultant, The Caregiver Foundation, 2021 - present

Hobbies

I enjoy hiking, playing video games, watching anime, and adventuring around Montana with my family.