Tania Israel (born 1966)Tania Israel. (n.d.). Psychology's Feminist Voices. Retrieved July 29, 2020. is an American psychologist and professor in the Gevirtz Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). Her research focuses on the development and implementation of interventions to support the mental health and well-being of LGBTQ individuals and communities. Israel has presented about dialogue across political linesCarlson, K. (2017, June 28). 6.25.17 – Tania Israel: Beyond the bubble: How to engage in dialogue across political lines. Indivisible Santa Barbara. Retrieved July 29, 2020. and is the author of Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work (American Psychological Association, 2020)Lefferts, D. (2020, May 1). Agree to disagree: PW talks with Tania Israel. Publishers Weekly. Retrieved July 30, 2020. Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work. (n.d.). American Psychological Association. Retrieved July 30, 2020. and Facing the Fracture: How to Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation. She is also known for writing song lyrics,Buffering the Vampire Slayer. (2017, December 27). I love a podcast [Video]. Youtube. memoir,Personal stories. (2018, February 1). Edhat Santa Barbara. Retrieved July 30, 2020. and bisexual haiku.Israel, T. [@Tania_Israel]. (2018, July 20). I am not confused/I am not indecisive/I’m bisexual #bisexual #haiku #biku [Tweet]. Twitter.

Early life and education Israel was born in Pomona, California to a Chinese-American mother and Jewish-American father, and she grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia. In 1988, she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) with a double major in Psychology and Women's Studies after having been exposed to intersectional feminism by Michelle Fine.

After graduating, Israel worked at the Cherry Hill Women's Center in New Jersey and then oversaw AIDS education programs at the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania. Israel returned to Penn and received a master's degree in Human Sexuality Education in 1992. She earned her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from Arizona State University in 1998, receiving awards for her dissertation on training counselors to work with LGB clients.Past ACA award winners. (2005, May 2). American Counseling Association. Retrieved July 30, 2020.Past recipients . (n.d.). Society of Counseling Psychology, American Psychological Association Division 17. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

Academic career Israel has been a professor at the Gevirtz School's Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology (CCSP) since 2000 where she became the Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in 2022. She is also an affiliated faculty member in UCSB's Department of Feminist Studies.People: Affiliated faculty. (n.d.). Feminist Studies University of California Santa Barbara. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

Israel is the director of Project RISE (Research & Interventions for Sexual and Gender Minority Empowerment).PFLAG Santa Barbara chapter meeting. (n.d.). Noozhawk. Retrieved July 30, 2020. Projects include online interventions that help LGBTQ people persevere in the face of stigmas and effective LGBTQ-inclusive training for law enforcement and therapists. The local LGBTQ community research her team conducted in collaboration with Santa Barbara nonprofits resulted in a mandatory LGBTQ-focused training for City of Santa Barbara police officers.Carbajal, S. O. (CA). Recognizing Dr. Tania Israel. 165 Cong. Rec. E432 (daily ed. April 9, 2019). Retrieved July 30, 2020. The training sessions fostered awareness and better understanding of LGBTQ needs and concerns and were found to improve LGBTQ community-police relations.Crosier, K. (2012, May 22). LGBT safety concerns prompt police department to conduct new training. Daily Nexus. Retrieved July 30, 2020. In 2013, Israel testified at a U.S. Congressional briefing, speaking in support of expanding the Violence Against Women Act to include LGBTQ women's needs.Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues. (2013). SPSSI Congressional briefing on the Violence Against Women Act. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

She is recognized as an expert on bisexuality,Tourjée, Diana. (2016, January 7). Bi country tis of thee: Basically everyone in America is bisexual. Vice. Retrieved July 30, 2020. having participated in the inaugural White House Bisexual Community Policy Briefing in 2015, presented at the 2019 National Institutes of Health (NIH) Bisexual Health Research Workshop,Bisexual health research workshop. (n.d.). National Institutes of Health Sexual and Gender Minority Research Office. Retrieved July 30, 2020. and presented an invited plenary on bisexuality at the 2016 American Psychological Association Annual Convention.Memory, civility, sexuality and drugs. (2016, May). American Psychological Association Monitor on Psychology, 47(5). Retrieved July 30, 2020. Israel's 2015 TEDxUCLA Talk, “Bisexuality and beyond,” has amassed over 100,000 views on YouTube as of May 2021.TEDx Talks. (2015, July 7.) Bisexuality and beyond | Tania Israel | TEDxUCLA [Video]. Youtube. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

Israel's book, Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work, grew out of a workshop that she provided to non-profit and faith organizations. She aims to help people articulate their thoughts about difficult issues and facilitate understanding between people from different political backgrounds.Mackley, B. (2020, June 12). Crossing the political divide. Santa Barbara News-Press. Retrieved July 30, 2020. In her 2021, TEDx Talk “How to Win a Political Disagreement,” she asserted that “winning an argument is not about asserting one's position, but rather about strengthening a connection.” In her 2023, TEDxTalk “What Halibut Fajitas Taught Me About Bridging the Political Divide” she described biases that narrow our view and noted that “a single perspective is limiting.”

Israel's professional leadership includes President of the Society of Counseling Psychology, Lead Coordinator for the 2009 National Multicultural Conference and Summit,A milestone conference. (2009, March). American Psychological Association Monitor on Psychology, 40(3). Retrieved July 30, 2020. and member of the American Psychological Association Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.Committee on Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. (2018). Annual report. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

Awards and honors

2025 Award for Distinguished Senior Career Contributions to Psychology in the Public Interest from the American Psychological Association (APA) 2021 Next Generation Indy Book Awards Winner in Self Help and Finalist in General Non-Fiction (for Beyond Your Bubble) Order of the Pearl, Kappa Delta sorority (2021) Congressional Woman of the Year (2019)Carbajal honors 2019 Congressional Women of the Year award winners. (2019, March 29). U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal. Retrieved July 30, 2020. Shining Star from the National Multicultural Summit (2015)Announcements. (2014, December). American Psychological Association Office of Ethnic Minority Affairs Communique. Retrieved July 30, 2020. Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Award of Excellence in Mental Health from the California Asian and Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus (2012)California State legislature recognizes Asian & Pacific Islander American Heritage Month. (2012, May 14). California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus. Retrieved July 30, 2020. Emerging Leader for Women in Psychology from the APA's Committee on Women in Psychology (2012)Committee on Women in Psychology Leadership Award recipients. (n.d.). American Psychological Association. Retrieved July 30, 2020. Woman of the Year Award from the SCP Section for the Advancement of Women (2011) Early Career Award for Contribution to LGBT Psychology from the (SCP) Section for LGB Awareness (2008) Mentored Research Scientist Career Development Award (K01) from the National Institute of Mental Health (2003)Counseling services for underserved clients. (n.d.). National Institutes of Health Grantome. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

Israel is also a fellow in five divisions of the American Psychological Association, including the Society of Counseling Psychology (Division 17)D17CounselingPsych (2015, October 9). APA 2015 - Tania Israel fellows address [Video]. Youtube. Retrieved July 30, 2020. and the Society for the Psychological Study of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity (Division 44).Recently honored fellows. (n.d.) Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

Political and community engagement Israel was a 2008 Democratic National Convention delegate.Jeff in CA. (2008, May 27). List of all 553 members of the California Delegation to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. Daily Kos. Retrieved July 30, 2020. Locally, she has served as a member of the Santa Barbara County Democratic Central CommitteeUnofficial contest/candidate proof list for the presidential primary election June 5, 2012. (2012, February 17). Santa Barbara County Elections Office. Retrieved July 30, 2020. and the Grassroots Organizing Committee.General membership meeting: A day of strategy in defense of freedom. (2011, March 1). Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

In her local community, she has been involved with the LGBT Community Collaborative of the Central Coast,Lerum, J. (2010, February 12). LGBT ed: Vive les differences. Santa Barbara Independent. Retrieved July 30, 2020. the Fund for Santa Barbara BoardThe Fund for Santa Barbara ‘Bread & Roses’ fundraiser 2012. (2012, September 18). Noozhawk. Retrieved July 30, 2020. (of which she was the president in 2013), the Lose Your Appetite for Hate Coalition,Magnoli, G. (2013, February 6). Two sides of the bun on Santa Barbara Chick-fil-A opening. Noozhawk. Retrieved July 30, 2020. and the Santa Barbara County Commission for Women.Santa Barbara County Commission for Women. (2013, May 1). Minutes of the regular meeting. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

Creative activities Israel writes and performs personal memoir live and co-hosted podcast, Dr.Waffle & Friends. Two of her plays were selected for readings in Breakfast with Smartasses, part of Playfest Santa Barbara.PlayFest 2016. (n.d.). Playfest Santa Barbara. Retrieved July 30, 2020.Playfest 2017. (n.d.) Playfest Santa Barbara. Retrieved July 30, 2020. She writes bisexual haiku (#biku).

Israel is a fan of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and credits the show as an inspiration.Israel, T. [Tania Israel]. (2019, December 11). Tania Israel, Congressional Woman of the Year - remarks [Video]. YouTube. She is also a fan of the podcast Buffering the Vampire Slayer, for which she wrote and performed a tribute song.

She practices BuddhismPaige, S. (Host). (2020, February 13). Q&A: Tania Israel In Last Cut Conversations. Retrieved July 30, 2020. and is co-hosted the podcast, Prajna Sparks, for which she wrote songs about Dharma teachings.Prajna Sparks. (n.d.). Prajna Fire. Retrieved July 30, 2020.

Publications

Books

Israel, T. (2024). Facing the Fracture: How to Navigate the Challenges of Living in a Divided Nation. Greenleaf Book Group. Israel, T. (2020). Beyond your bubble: How to connect across the political divide, skills and strategies for conversations that work. American Psychological Association Books. Toporek, R.L., Gerstein, L., Fouad, N., Roysircar, G., & Israel, T. (2005). Handbook for social justice in counseling psychology: Leadership, vision, and action. Sage Publications.

References

External links

Personal website Faculty bio Project RISE website