Surveys show that almost half of bisexual folks report experiencing moderate to severe psychological distress in the last year. These rates are roughly double that of straight, gay, and lesbian populations. So why isn’t it being treated as a crisis? In this conversation with the psychologist and researcher Rachel Chickerella, we discuss this mental health crisis; the many factors leading to it; how everyone, and especially mental health professionals, can be bi-affirming; and why it’s important both to face the crisis and, at the same time, to celebrate bi+ joy.

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Visit Antioch’s website to learn more about the PsyD in Clinical Psychology that Rachel teaches in.

You can read our recent profile of Rachel on Common Thread, “PsyD Core Faculty Helps Students Challenge Power Structures and Bi+ Stigma.”

Rachel’s recent publications include “Is It Worth It? A Grounded Theory Analysis of Navigating the Decision to Come Out as Bisexual,” “Predictors of Psychological Distress for Bi+ Individuals during the COVID-19 Pandemic,” and “Janelle Monáe vs. Katy Perry: Depiction of Bi+ Identities and Relationship to Depression and Stigma.” You can read Rachel’s faculty bio to find more of her scholarship.

Rachel’s own podcast is Reality Test. She co-hosts it with her fellow PsyD faculty member Kate Evarts. (Learn more about Evarts in our Common Thread profile, “For Kate Evarts, Relationships Are ‘The Key to Working Toward Social and Racial justice’”)

This episode was recorded April 10, 2025 via Squadcast and released May 14, 2025.

The Seed Field Podcast is produced by Antioch University

Host: Jasper Nighthawk

Editor: Nastasia Green

Web Team: Jen Mont, Amelia Bryan, and Jonathan Hawkins.

Work-Study Assistants: Stefanie Paredes, Lauren Arienzale, Dani LaPointe, and Liza Wisner.

Additional Production Help: Karen Hamilton, Melinda Garland, and Laurien Alexandre.

To access a full transcript and find more information about this and other episodes, visit theseedfield.org. To get updates and be notified about future episodes, follow Antioch University on Facebook.

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To access a full transcript and find more information about this and other episodes, visit theseedfield.org. To get updates and be notified about future episodes, follow Antioch University on Facebook.

Today, Antioch University is announcing our next President: Lori Erica Varlotta. In preparation for this announcement, we sat down with Lori for a wide-ranging conversation about what makes Antioch special, her experiences and wisdom drawn from decades as a leader in higher education, and the challenges and opportunities that she, as our next university leader, sees for our institution during a time when colleges and universities across the U.S. are being pressured and threatened in unprecedented ways.

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To learn more about Lori, visit the Incoming President webpage on Antioch’s website, where you’ll find the announcement and welcome video, press release, a brief bio, her CV, selected publications, and a form where you can leave a note for the Incoming President.

The two essays referenced in the episode are “Lipstick Leadership in Higher Education” at the Chronicle of Higher Education and Lori’s blog post on “Experiential Adult Education: Living and Practicing Democracy in Higher Learning.”

This episode was recorded April 28, 2025 via Squadcast and released May 7, 2025.

The Seed Field Podcast is produced by Antioch University

Host: Jasper Nighthawk

Editor: Nastasia Green

Web Content Coordinator: Jen Mont

Work-Study Assistants: Stefanie Paredes, Lauren Arienzale, Dani LaPointe, and Liza Wisner.

Additional Production Help: Karen Hamilton, Melinda Garland, and Laurien Alexandre.

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To access a full transcript and find more information about this and other episodes, visit theseedfield.org. To get updates and be notified about future episodes, follow Antioch University on Facebook.

Our society places high value on advanced degrees. So what happens when students are able to claim the growth experiences that naturally occur in the course of a human life—from a career change to an experience of oppression—and bring it into their graduate studies, not just reflecting on what they learned but also earning credits towards their degree? This practice, known as Prior Learning Assessment, has transformative potential, says today’s guest, longtime Antioch faculty member Joe Cronin. In this wide-ranging conversation, we talk about the nuts and bolts of Prior Learning Assessment, examples of how students have used this in their studies, and the educational philosophy that disrupts the teacher-student hierarchy.

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Visit Antioch’s website to learn more about the Individualized Master of Arts program. You can also read our page about Prior Learning Assessment. And you can read the profiles of two IMA alums here: “A Champion for Peace,” which is about President José Ramos-Horta, and “For Emma Lombardi, Individualized Study Meant Listening to Her Ancestors.”

This episode was recorded March 24, 2025 via Squadcast and released April 16, 2025.

The Seed Field Podcast is produced by Antioch University

Host: Jasper Nighthawk

Editor: Nastasia Green

Web Content Coordinator: Jen Mont

Work-Study Assistants: Stefanie Paredes, Lauren Arienzale, Dani LaPointe, and Liza Wisner.

Additional Production Help: Karen Hamilton, Melinda Garland, and Laurien Alexandre.

To access a full transcript and find more information about this and other episodes, visit theseedfield.org. To get updates and be notified about future episodes, follow Antioch University on Facebook.

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To access a full transcript and find more information about this and other episodes, visit theseedfield.org. To get updates and be notified about future episodes, follow Antioch University on Facebook.