QTRL Lab

The Queer Thriving and Resilience Lab is dedicated to fostering the holistic well-being and thriving of LGBTQ+ individuals. Our research focuses on resilience, wellness, and the creation of meaningful lives within the LGBTQ+ communities. We aim to highlight the strengths and adaptive strategies that LGBTQ+ people use to navigate life's challenges, emphasizing the life cycle, family dynamics, and personal growth. Utilizing a diverse array of methodologies and theoretical frameworks, we seek to uncover the pathways to thriving and the construction of meaning in the lives of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Dominguez, V. N., Wheatley, J., Listrom, O, Rosile, J. (2024, October). Coming out at midlife: A guide to advocacy and liberatory counseling. Education session submitted to the 2024 SAIGE 2024 Annual Conference in Denver, CO.

Wheatley, J., Dominguez, V. N., Listrom, O, Rosile, J. (2024, October). Blended under the rainbow: Framework and considerations for working with queer blended families. Education session submitted to the 2024 SAIGE 2024 Annual Conference in Denver, CO.

Rosile, J. (2024, October). Queerly defined boundaries: Navigating multiple relationship dilemmas as LGBTQ+ counselors. Poster session submitted to the 2024 SAIGE 2024 Annual Conference in Denver, CO.

Dominguez, V.N., Listrom, O., Mackay, T., Wheatley, J. (2025, November). Strengthening LGBTQ+ Families Through Advocacy and Resilience. Education session submitted to the 2025 SAIGE 2025 Virtual Biannual Conference.

Wheatley, J., Rosile, J., Biche, H., Dominguez, V. N. (2025, October). Supervising with Pride: LGBTQ+ Identities, Intersectionality, and Boundary Ethics. Education session submitted to the 2025 ACES Conference in Philadelphia, PA.

Dominguez, V. N., Listrom, O., Mackay, T., Wheatley, J. (2025, October). Building Resilience and Advocacy in LGBTQ+ Families: Implications for Counselors. Education session submitted to the 2025 ACES Conference in Philadelphia, PA.

Research assistants (RA) can assist with empirical scholarship, qualitative and mixed methodology and design, IRB application, creating study procedures and protocol, data collection and coding, and manuscript preparation and revisions. RAs also can participate in professional presentations at counseling conferences, in addition to completing writing projects informed by the data produced in the QTR lab. Students dedicate 5-10 hours per week on tasks mentioned above.

Please contact Drs. Vanessa Dominguez and Jake Wheatley with questions or if you are interested in working in the QTR Lab.

Current Research Assistants

Jack Rosile

Jack Rosile (he/they) is a graduate student working toward a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health counseling at Counseling@Northwestern. He has an interest in supporting the needs of queer and transgender individuals, particularly youth, and is pursuing a specialization in counseling children and adolescents. Prior to changing career direction, he worked in the software engineering industry in a variety of individual engineering and leadership roles. Jack holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Tatum Mackay

Tatum Mackay (she/her) is currently a graduate student at Northwestern University in her final year of study. Tatum is an Emerging Scholar within Northwestern University’s Masters in Counseling program. Her professional experience includes working as a Leadership Development Trainer where she worked with individuals facing career challenges. In addition, as a Leadership Development Trainer, Tatum has worked with survivors of sex trafficking to help them build leadership skills as they rebuild their lives.

Robin Shanholtz

Robin Shanholtz (she/her) is currently pursuing her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Northwestern University. Though raised in Illinois, Robin now calls New York City her home. She is particularly passionate about research topics involving the queer community. As a former Software Engineer with a big tech background, Robin also has a research interest in the effects of technology on people.

Alum Members

Olivia Listrom

Olivia Listrom (she/her) recently graduated from the Counseling@Northwestern program at Northwestern University and completed her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a concentration on counseling children and adolescents. Currently, she works as an intern at a Level I Outpatient Treatment Facility for adults struggling with substance use. Some of her professional interests include family therapy and working with LGBTQ+ youth and juvenile offenders. Olivia received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a second major in Chemistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She then gained research experience as a Lab Manager and Clinical/Social Research Assistant in the Department of Psychology and Neuroscience investigating goal motivation and the intention-behavior gap as it relates to health behaviors and addiction. During this time, she also worked with faculty and staff to promote departmental DEI initiatives in creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for people from underrepresented groups and those with minoritized identities.

Hayes Biché

Hayes Biché (he/him) is a graduate student at Northwestern University, aiming to graduate with a Master's of Mental Health Counseling. His primary interests include counseling LGBTQ+ folks, especially couples and families, and couples and families navigating grief. Recently, he has taken an interest in early career counselor financial education and career preparation. In past lives, after graduating from Oberlin College with B.A.s in Theater and Biology, Hayes wrote, produced, and directed theater and film in New York City, and worked as an EMT during the COVID-19 pandemic.