Rate My Professor Jay Bettergarcia

Jay Bettergarcia, they/them/theirs, serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and Child Development at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. They hold a Ph.D. in Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara (2016), an M.A. in Social Psychology from San Francisco State University (2011), and a B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Women’s and Gender Studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (2009). Bettergarcia joined the faculty in 2016 and leads the Queer Community Action, Research, Education, and Support (QCARES) research team. They teach PSY 372 Multicultural Psychology and PSY 405 Abnormal Psychology, serve as Chair of the Institutional Review Board, and maintain licensure as a psychologist.

Bettergarcia's research employs community-based action research and mixed-methods designs to examine LGBTQ+ mental health and wellness, including affirming approaches for transgender and non-binary individuals, Latinx/Latine queer and trans resilience and resistance, radical healing with queer and trans people of color, and evidence-based teaching and training on anti-racist LGBTQ+ affirming care. They have authored 14 peer-reviewed publications, often co-authored with undergraduates, such as "Training mental health providers in queer-affirming care: A systematic review" (Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 2021), "Integrating the study of transgender spectrum and cisgender experiences of self-categorization from a personality perspective" (Review of General Psychology, 2014), "Reactions of law enforcement to LGBTQ diversity training" (Human Resource Development Quarterly, 2017), "Re-assessing the role of gender-related cognitions for self-esteem: The importance of gender typicality for cisgender adults" (Sex Roles, 2015), and "LGBTQ diversity training with law enforcement personnel: Receptiveness and resistance" (Human Resource Development Quarterly, 2017). In recognition of these contributions, Bettergarcia received the College of Liberal Arts Early Career Award for Achievement in Scholarship for their community-based social justice research on LGBTQ+ mental health and affirming therapy practices, which has advanced service delivery and policy for underserved communities.