Cafe PhD Values
My values are the heart of my business.
I’m not just here to help with college admissions. I want to create a safe place where students can get trauma-sensitive and identity-affirming help with academics and disability.
- Disabled students are as valuable as non-disabled students. At more than 25% of the American population, it’s time to stop asking if disabled people are smart and capable.
If you or your student has a career dream, I ask what would be necessary to achieve that dream. Usually this is a combination of medication, therapy, academic accommodations, and sometimes advocacy letters. I also work with students to build practical skills such as how to use a planner, use of cellphone alarms to help with executive functioning, techniques to organize academic notes and belongings, etc.
My work accommodates students with mood disorders, autism, PTSD, and other forms of neurodiversity. I am also familiar with EDS, dysautonomia, and life-threatening allergy, should your student need help accessing accommodations. - Racial discrimination is real. We don’t need to keep questioning whether it exists or pretending that it’s historical. I learn about white privilege and racial microaggressions because racial inclusivity is the bare minimum that educators should offer students. I am also aware of the discrimination that mixed race people face. I am happy to help you navigate identity disclosure and diversity and inclusion essay questions when you encounter them on your applications.
- I am LGBTQIA+ friendly. Let me know if you need help evaluating safe campuses for you or your child.
I also believe that trans people should have access to affordable gender-affirming medical care at any age. Trans people are valuable members of our community. I am a cisgender person and I use she/hers. You are welcome to let me know your pronouns whenever you’d like (verbally, through text, or through email).
I discourage students from applying to conservative Christian colleges with active policies against LGBTQIA+ students. I consider hostile campus environments to be a safety risk for LGBTQ students. - I am immigrant friendly. Most of my loved ones are immigrants, as are many of my relatives. I love working with international students.
- I support medical rights for people with uteruses including abortion access and birth control access.
- I believe in science, evolution, vaccines, and medicine.
- I am also aware that the medical community is still a safer place for white people, men, heterosexual cisgender people, people in smaller bodies, and people who are able-bodied.
- Teens and college students often ask me about taboo subjects. I don’t offer routine sex education as part of packages, but if your teen asks how birth control and STDs work, I will tell them. I also want them to understand consent so that they can keep themselves safe, and so that they grow up to be people who are caring and trustworthy. I believe that if we hide medical information from teens they will be unable to protect themselves.
- I am committed to keeping my practice safe for people with eating disorders. I do not promote food restriction of any kind. Modern eating disorder science actually does not recommend restricting food types to “healthy fats” or many of the other messages we hear in the media. Academic evidence suggests that eating disordered attitudes are particularly prevalent among doctors and dieticians.
- I don’t believe in “no pain no gain” strategies. Your child doesn’t need to push themselves until they collapse. Expect that I will tell your student to protect their sleep, schedule days off, take time to wind down before bed, and make time for friends and hobbies. We’ll work hard, but we’ll also respect the capacity of your student’s body and mind.
If this sounds like a good fit, check out my consulting services page for more details on how I can support your family. You may also email hello@cafephd.com to apply for a college consulting spot or to enroll in a disability advocacy package.