About

Melanie Elyse Brewster is a Professor of Counseling Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is also a Co-Founder of the Sexuality, Women, & Gender Project. Her scholarly expertise includes counseling and clinical psychology, with a focus on gender and LGBTQ+ issues, race and ethnicity, and the psychological aspects of minority stress for marginalized groups in the United States, such as queer people and people of color. Brewster holds a Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Florida, an M.S. in Psychology from the same institution, and a B.S. in Psychology as well as a B.A. in Criminology from the University of Florida. Her educational background also includes a pre-doctoral clinical internship at the University of Utah. She has authored a book titled 'Atheists in America' and has published numerous peer-reviewed articles. Brewster's research interests include collective action and community engagement, measurement development and evaluation, and the psychological impacts of minority stress. She is actively involved in research teams such as identityLORE and maintains a personal website for her latest publications.

Research topics

• Sociology
• Psychology
• Political Science
• Social Science
• Social psychology
• Clinical psychology
• Pedagogy
• Gender studies
• Law
• Statistics
• Demography
• Mathematics
• Epistemology
• Psychoanalysis

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

  article
  PublisherDOI

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

  Secularism and Nonreligion · 2026-01-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  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

• “Oh, Are You Just Kinky in Bed?”: Tying Together the Personal, Interpersonal, and Sociocultural Dimensions of BDSM

  Journal of Positive Sexuality · 2025-04-21 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This study explored multifaceted functions of BDSM in practitioners' well-being by contextualizing their experiences in nested environmental systems through the lens of Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological theory.Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) was used to analyze interview data from 19 BDSM practitioners.The results demonstrated three dimensions of well-being: Personal, Interpersonal, and Sociocultural.The tripartite analysis suggested that (a) BDSM fostered personal growth, emotion regulation, sexual discovery, and sexual consciousness development, (b) BDSM strengthened safety, intimacy, pleasure, attunement, and communication in partnerships, and (c) BDSM facilitated community engagement, resource sharing, and power analysis.Additionally, participants mentioned how BDSM intersected other aspects of their identities and social structures, reinforcing shame and stigma about their sexuality.The findings affirm the need to further examine and promote positive sexuality, especially alternative sexuality such as BDSM, to resist oppressive power structures.

  PublisherDOI

• Nonbelief among ex-Muslims in the United States: A critical grounded theory study.

  Journal of Counseling Psychology · 2025-11-20

  article

  Few studies have examined religious exiting among people from marginalized faith groups, including ex-Muslims. Accordingly, the present study explored two research questions: (1) How and why do people raised within Muslim families and/or communities adopt a nonbelieving worldview? and (2) how, if at all, are hegemonic Christianity and related axes of oppression (e.g., Islamophobia) in the United States related to the development of nonbelief among people raised in Muslim families and/or communities? Using a critical, grounded theory approach, the present study interviewed 11 people who previously identified and/or were socialized as Muslim about the development of their nonbelief. Qualitative interviews resulted in six core categories: (1) the fear of religious exiting, (2) a misalignment of values, (3) catalyzing transition from doubt to nonbelief, (4) difficulty maintaining connection to Muslim community and culture, (5) reimagining the worldview without limits, and (6) comfort and peace with secularization. Participants described intrapersonal and cultural challenges related to the development of their ex-Muslim identity, identified incongruence between their personal values and the values rooted in Islam, and outlined the manner by which they constructed a personalized approach to life. They noted the ways in which their nonbelief contributed to living more authentically despite difficulty remaining connected to community and culture. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

  PublisherDOI

• Intentionally Childfree: A Methodological Review and Content Analysis of Peer-Reviewed Scholarship

  Journal of Feminist Family Therapy · 2025-12-15 · 1 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherDOI

• Gender Affirmation at Work

  The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies · 2024-01-01 · 1 citations

  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

  article1st authorCorresponding

  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

• Traumatic life events, everyday discrimination, and posttraumatic symptoms among sexual minority men.

  Psychological Trauma Theory Research Practice and Policy · 2024-09-05 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author

  OBJECTIVE: Experiences of everyday discrimination are linked with mental health issues for sexual minority individuals, including posttraumatic symptoms (PTS), yet it is unclear whether experiences of discrimination are linked with PTS after accounting for the influence of traumatic life events. This study sought to increase understanding of the link between everyday discrimination and PTS, among sexual minority men. METHOD: A sample of 290 gay men living in the United States completed an online survey including measures of traumatic life events, everyday discrimination, and PTS. RESULTS: Logistic regressions supported a link between everyday discrimination and meeting the cutoff for PTS, after accounting for traumatic life events. Furthermore, everyday discrimination was linked with higher scores on all symptom clusters of PTS. CONCLUSIONS: Study results provide support for a link between everyday discrimination and PTS at levels exceeding clinical cutoffs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

  PublisherDOI

• Integration and scale-up of a primary healthcare-based chronic wound care package for persons affected by skin-NTDs and other conditions in Ethiopia: a protocol for an implementation research study

  medRxiv · 2024-06-13 · 1 citations

  preprintOpen access

  ABSTRACT Introduction The profound impact of wounds on the quality of life of those affected is often underestimated. Chronic wounds impose substantial burdens on individuals and communities in terms of disability, mental distress, stigma, and economic productivity losses. To effectively address these challenges, an integrated and comprehensive approach to primary healthcare-based chronic wound care prevention and management is essential. This implementation research study aims to assess the integration and scale-up of a comprehensive package of primary healthcare-based wound care and psycho-social support for persons affected by chronic wounds caused by neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and other conditions in selected districts in Ethiopia. Methods The study will be implemented in Central Ethiopia in three stages, utilizing a mixed-methods approach to co-develop a comprehensive care package and progressively implement the care package building on learnings from successive stages of implementation. Stage 1 will encompass the co-development of a holistic wound care package and strategies for its integration into routine health services. Stage 2 will involve a pilot study in one sub-district, to establish the care package adoption, feasibility, acceptability, fidelity, potential effectiveness, readiness for scale-up, and costs. Stage 3 will involve the scale-up of the wound care package and its evaluation in several districts. Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval was obtained for the study from the relevant authorities in both the UK (Ref no: ER-BSMS9D79-6) and Ethiopia [Reference no. 013/23/CDT]. The results of the study will be disseminated through a variety of channels, including publications in scientific journals, conference presentations, policy briefs, and workshops. This will ensure that the findings are disseminated widely to the scientific community, policymakers, and the public. Strengths and limitations of this study Strengths This study will address a critical gap in Ethiopia, where there is a significant health burden due to chronic wounds from skin-NTDs and other conditions, for which primary healthcare integration of wound care could improve accessibility and outcomes for affected persons, their families and communities. The study will use implementation research methods to examine the integration and scale-up of a primary healthcare-based package for wound care and psychosocial support, which is crucial for wider adoption and sustainability. The use of a mixed-methods design will enable a comprehensive understanding of the care package’s feasibility and effectiveness. Limitations Lack of a comparison group (i.e. control group). Whilst the study will include provision of essential medical supplies to bridge local shortages and support disadvantaged patients, provision of care after the study period is beyond the scope of this study. However, the study team will work closely with the local health administration and the Ministry of Health to ensure the sustainability of services.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Romantic attachment, LGB minority stress, and mental health

  Sexual and Gender Diversity in Social Services · 2023-11-23 · 3 citations

  article1st authorCorresponding

  Introduction The impact of attachment styles on mental health has been widely examined across diverse groups, yet the unique roles of these styles within sexual minority populations have only recently begun to be explored. The present study investigated the mediating effect of attachment style on the relationship of one aspect of sexual minority stress (termed negative LGB identity) and two indicators of mental health (i.e., psychological distress, self-esteem).

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Bonnie Moradi

  University of Florida

  27 shared

• Brandon L. Velez

  Columbia University

  27 shared

• Aaron S. Breslow

  16 shared

• Cirleen DeBlaere

  Georgia State University

  15 shared

• Elizabeth Geiger

  Columbia University

  14 shared

• Jacob S. Sawyer

  Alma College

  9 shared

• Aasha B. Foster

  Columbia University

  8 shared

• Matthew A. Robinson

  Harvard University

  8 shared