Rachael is a PhD student who earned her undergraduate degree at UConn. Interested in sexual health, sexuality, and adult and adolescent pornography usage, she is currently planning a dissertation on the conversations parents and caregivers have with adolescents about pornography consumption. This work is informed by Rachael’s extensive background in mental health, as she owns a private practice helping individuals and couples work through substance abuse and other mental health issues, and she works at Pineapple Support—a company that provides free mental health services to adult industry workers.

Additionally, Rachel serves on a mentorship committee for the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists; offers pro bono supervision to individuals pursuing a Marriage and Family Therapist License; and volunteers to review research abstracts for the conferences of many organizations including: the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR), American Association of Sexuality Educators (ASSECT), and the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS). At UConn, Rachael is a Teaching Assistant for HDFS 4007W—Professional Communication in Human Development and Family Studies—and a Graduate Assistant for the Early College Experience program.

Her outstanding academic and professional work has led her to receive the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Graduate Fellowship and the Human Development and Family Studies Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. As well as continuing her private practice and providing sex therapy, Rachael’s prospective plans include pursuing a position as a tenure track faculty member in a university department focused on human development or marriage and family therapy.