Dasha Carver has won the Council of Counseling Psychology Training Programs 2025 Outstanding Graduate Student Award, one of the most prestigious student awards in the field of counseling psychology. Carver, a doctoral student in counseling psychology, said she was grateful, proud, and honored to be given an award that acknowledges the dedication and contributions of counseling psychology graduate students.
Carver chose the field of counseling psychology for the opportunity to be more person-centered, holistic, culturally-responsive and social justice oriented in her work with marginalized and underrepresented communities.
“As a first-generation student of color who comes from a community with very few resources, I was driven by a desire to help my community through mental health. As a result of my journey into the counseling field, I can not only help give back to my community by being a mental health provider, but by also being a sex-positive and trauma-informed educator, aeas that many marginalized communities need, but are not able to afford,” she said, adding, “In addition to giving back to my community I can also provide and participate in mentorship of other first-generation students whether they are high school students, undergraduates, or graduate students. I hope to continue building upon the legacy of mentorship that has made me a better counseling psychologist and advocate for others.”
Carver is currently working on several research projects, including one with colleagues at IU that examines the racial fetishization of people of color when pursuing dating and romantic partnerships. She was also invited to attend and collaborate with Black Feminist Scholars examining several datasets on Black American sexual health in December and is currently collaborating with scholars at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health on manuscripts related to sexual pleasure, developing a trauma-informed curriculum for medical undergraduate students, and how to utilize liberation psychology and sex positivity within a relational sex therapy training model.