Consuelo Cavalieri

Consuelo Cavalieri serves as Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Professional Psychology at the Morrison Family College of Health, University of St. Thomas. Her work bridges clinical practice with Indigenous knowledge systems, focusing on culturally responsive mental health interventions for tribal communities and young children.

Her educational foundation includes:

• PhD in Counseling Psychology from University of Wisconsin-Madison
• MEd from University of Idaho
• BS from University of Idaho

Dr. Cavalieri's research pioneers the indigenization of early childhood psychotherapy, emphasizing sovereignty-based frameworks that integrate ancestral knowledge with contemporary clinical practice. Her scholarship challenges Western-centric therapeutic models by centering tribal epistemologies, land-based healing, and community care networks. This approach manifests in trauma interventions for preschool-aged children and culturally grounded mental health frameworks for Indigenous populations.

Her publication timeline (2012-2017) reveals consistent thematic evolution toward decolonizing clinical practice, with increasing emphasis on epistemic justice and cross-cultural knowledge integration. The works collectively establish sovereignty as both theoretical lens and practical methodology for transforming mental health service delivery in tribal contexts.

Award recognition includes:

• Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award from Minnesota Psychological Association

Dr. Cavalieri actively supervises graduate practicum students through intensive counseling courses requiring 700+ clinical hours. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes critical thinking development and technological integration in online learning environments. Community engagement drives her professional practice, including statewide training initiatives for early childhood clinicians developed through partnerships with Minnesota state agencies and tribal organizations.

Her collaborative networks extend to the Minnesota American Indian Mental Health Conference, Indian Health Board of Minneapolis, and University of Minnesota partnerships focused on culturally responsive clinician training across tribal communities.