Mario J. Barfield

A Bit about Me

I have had the privilege of working at CAPS since 2013 and remain grateful to the resilient commitment of Black students who demanded more representation within various campus departments aimed at supporting their academic success and wellness. I truly believe the therapeutic relationship is co-constructed and my goal is to hold a warm, welcoming, non judgmental, and affirming space that allows students to show up safely and authentically in their efforts to seek support. I work from a collaborative, strength-based, integrative perspective informed by a lens that centers multiculturalism, social justice and the intersecting nature of identity. My areas of professional interest include destigmatizing mental health and help seeking behaviors amongst students of color, specifically Black students, race related trauma within the Black community, cultural identity development, interpersonal difficulties, familial stress, grief and loss, adjustment difficulties (first gen/transfer students), anger/stress management, depression, anxiety, and training/supervision.