Professor Tania Israel’s book Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work was chosen as the Next Generation Indie Book Awards winner in the Self-Help category and also was a finalist in the General Non-Fiction category. The judges’ review of hailed Beyond Your Bubble as, “A much-needed and very intelligent and thoughtful approach for opening lines of communication and dialogue between people who disagree on political and social issues, by an author who appreciates the psychological and emotional complexities involved.”
The Next Generation Indie Book Awards is the largest international awards program for indie authors and independent publishers. In its fifteenth year of operation, the Next Generation Indie Book Awards was established to recognize and honor the most exceptional independently published books in over 70 different categories for the year.
Dr. Tania Israel is a professor in the Department of Counseling, Clinical and School Psychology at UCSB who has provided leadership in the Santa Barbara community and beyond for decades. U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal, who represents California’s 24th District, chose Israel as one of the 2019 Congressional Women of the Year. Israel leads dialogue skill-building workshops to help people connect across political differences and teaches about helping skills, leadership, and community collaboration. She has also facilitated educational programs and difficult dialogues on a range of topics, including abortion, law enforcement, religion, and sexual orientation.
Dr. Israel’s scholarship focuses on interventions to support the mental health and well-being of sexual and gender minorities (LGBTQ people); bisexuality; privilege and oppression; intersections among gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation; and social justice. She has received honors for her research and advocacy from the American Psychological Association, the California Asian & Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus, and her local LGBT community.
She is engaged in professional organizations and activities. She served as 2010-11 President of the Society of Counseling Psychology (Division 17 of the American Psychological Association), as a member of the American Psychological Association’s Committee for Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, and as Lead Coordinator for the 2009 National Multicultural Conference and Summit.
Dr. Israel’s scholarship is relevant to policy, practice, and community. She delivered a TED Talk on “Bisexuality and Beyond,” participated in the first White House Bisexual Community Policy Briefing, and presented at a Congressional briefing on the Violence Against Women Act. Dr. Israel is the Director of Project RISE, a research team at UCSB that develops and studies interventions to support the psychological health of LGBTQ individuals and communities.