About

Brandon L. Velez, Ph.D. (he/him), is an Associate Professor of Counseling Psychology in the Counseling Psychology program at Teachers College, Columbia University. He earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Florida in 2014. Dr. Velez's research focuses on the associations of experiences of discrimination and identity-related attitudes with psychosocial outcomes such as psychological distress, well-being, job satisfaction, and body image among people with marginalized identities. He is particularly interested in how multiple forms of oppression, including racism, sexism, and heterosexism, may contribute additively, interactively, or intersectionally to the psychosocial functioning of people with multiple marginalized identities, such as sexual minority people of color. An emerging area of interest for Dr. Velez is exploring how counseling psychology can best foster and support graduate trainees' involvement in social justice-related training. In addition to his research, Dr. Velez currently teaches courses including Career Counseling and Development, Evaluation and Research Methods in Counseling Psychology, and Multicultural Counseling and Psychology. Outside of his professional work, he enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, reading science fiction and fantasy novels, and catching up on television.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Clinical psychology
• Psychology
• Social psychology
• Psychoanalysis
• Psychotherapist
• Medicine
• Developmental psychology

Selected publications

• Is it the Doubt?: Exploring Differences in Belief, Minority Stress, and Mental Health Amongst Demographically Diverse Agnostics and Atheists

  International Journal for the Psychology of Religion · 2026-02-24

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Racism, acculturation strategies, and PTSD symptoms among Latinx people: A person-centered approach.

  Journal of Latinx Psychology · 2026-03-16

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Unpacking the Varieties of Nonbelief within US-Based Marginalized Populations

  Secularism and Nonreligion · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access

  The present study sheds light on the unique experiences of demographically diverse nonbelievers who do not fit the “stereotypical” privileged-atheist schema on which most nonbelief research has centered (Zuckerman 2009). Using data from 888 nonbelieving participants with marginalized identities (either people of color and/or LGBTQ+ identities), we conducted latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify subgroupings of our secular sample. Profiles were estimated using the continuous variables that addressed aspects of belief and practice (i.e., salience of nonbelief, New Age beliefs, religious service attendance). Additionally, categorical variables assessing current/prior beliefs about God and secular community involvement were also used to estimate profiles. These analyses resulted in three profiles with distinct characteristics across the variables of interest: (1) Adamant Nonbelievers (n = 549, 61.82%), (2) Ambivalent Maybelievers (n = 132, 14.86%), and (3) Spiritually Inclined (n = 207, 23.3%). The role of more internalized, individual-level factors (i.e., intolerance of uncertainty, pressure to conceal one’s secular beliefs) and demographic differences within these profiles are discussed alongside directions for future research.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Development and validation of the Gender Identity and Expression Microaggressions in Therapy Scale (GIEMTS).

  Psychotherapy · 2024-04-18 · 5 citations

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  = 151) found evidence for the test-retest reliability of GIEMTS scores over a 2-3-week period. Overall, the GIEMTS emerged as a robust and psychometrically sound instrument that captures the experiences of TNB individuals in therapy settings. The study concludes with valuable recommendations for training and clinical practice to bolster TNB mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

  PublisherDOI

• Intersectionality in Research

  The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies · 2024-01-01

  reference-entry1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Privilege and distress intolerance at the margins: Exploring the role of critical consciousness and entitlement.

  American Journal of Orthopsychiatry · 2024-01-01

  article

  With a U.S.-based sample of 219 people of color with diverse sexual orientations, the present study aimed to reveal how perceived privilege may be associated with distress intolerance, and the mediating roles of critical consciousness and entitlement. Data were also used to explore the interaction of sexual orientation status (heterosexual or sexual minority) with these paths. Via path analysis, we found that privilege was unrelated to critical consciousness, yielded a positive direct link to entitlement, and had a negative direct link to distress intolerance. Tests of indirect relations showed that privilege had a significant indirect relation to distress intolerance via entitlement but not critical consciousness. Regarding moderation analyses, the Privilege × Sexual Minority Status interaction predicting entitlement, privilege was significantly positively associated with entitlement among both heterosexual and sexual minority participants, but the association was significantly stronger for heterosexual participants. For the Critical Consciousness × Sexual Minority Status interaction predicting distress intolerance, the association of critical consciousness with distress intolerance was nonsignificant for both heterosexual and sexual minority participants, but the association changed direction and was significantly stronger for sexual minority participants. Indirect relations did not differ for sexual minority or heterosexual participants. Implications for future research and intervention are addressed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

  PublisherDOI

• Gender Identity and Expression Microaggressions in Therapy Scale

  PsycTESTS Dataset · 2024-01-01

  dataset1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Inaugural editorial for Journal of Counseling Psychology.

  Journal of Counseling Psychology · 2024-01-01 · 1 citations

  editorial

  The Journal of Counseling Psychology serves as the premier journal for critical and rigorous research within the field and beyond. In their inaugural editorial for Journa, Liu is joined by their associated editors and inaugural JCP fellows who have agreed to share authorship and their positionalities. In considering the Journal of Counseling Psychology for research, the editors encourage authors to reflect on these positionalities and how they might integrate their own into their publications. The editorial provides direction and some suggestions on submitted articles and research directions for JCP in the following areas: positionality and critical reflexivity; theoretical and conceptual advancement and clarity; body ideas, frameworks, and conceptualization; data clarity; and cultural validity of research instruments. The editors look forward to working with their communities as they transform their scholarship. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

  PublisherDOI

• Sexual orientation and gender diversity research manuscript writing guide.

  Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity · 2024-05-02 · 40 citations

  articleOpen access

  Research on 2SLGBTQIA+ people is relatively new and often marginalized within the field, which can make it hard for researchers to learn how to do this research. We thus wrote this article as a way to provide support and direction for researchers, mentors, reviewers, and journal editors. Rather than providing hard-and-fast rules for how to write about 2SLGBTQIA+ topics, we hope to encourage researchers to be thoughtful and to ensure they keep the needs of the community at the top of their minds.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Sexual and gender minority career psychology.

  American Psychological Association eBooks · 2023-01-01 · 1 citations

  book-chapter1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Melanie E. Brewster

  Columbia University

  27 shared

• Bonnie Moradi

  University of Florida

  16 shared

• Cirleen DeBlaere

  Georgia State University

  7 shared

• Aaron S. Breslow

  7 shared

• Robert W. Cox

  6 shared

• Laurel B. Watson

  5 shared

• Sanaz Nosrat

  4 shared

• Wei Motulsky

  Columbia University

  4 shared

Labs

• Stigma, Identity, and Intersectionality Research LabPI

  Focuses on the associations of experiences of discrimination and identity-related attitudes with psychosocial outcomes among people with marginalized identities.

Education

• B.A., Religion

  University of Florida

  2009

• B.S., Psychology

  University of Florida

  2009

• Other, Anthropology

  University of Florida

  2009

• M.S., Psychology

  University of Florida

  2011

• Ph.D., Counseling Psychology

  University of Florida

  2014

• Other

  Georgia Institute of Technology Counseling Center

  2014