Kristen Benson, Ph.D., LMFT, is an Associate Professor and Program Director of the Marriage and Family Therapy at Appalachian State University. She earned her B.S. in Family Science from Florida State University, M.A. in MFT from Appalachian State University, and Ph.D. in Human Development from Virginia Tech with an emphasis in MFT. Her research, clinical, and teaching centers on social justice and inclusion, with a focus on providing inclusive and supportive therapy to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer (LGBTQ+) people and relationships. She has published and presented her research nationally and internationally. Dr. Benson is a clinical fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a member of the National Council on Family Relations. She is a contributor in the forthcoming AAMFT Systemic Family Therapy Ethics textbook and was recently appointed to the AAMFT CEO Workgroup on Identifying Guidelines for LGBTQ+ Affirming Therapy.