Kim VanNorman
Community Liaison for LGBTQ+ Students, Counselor/Therapist
Pronouns: She/her/hers
Certifications/Degrees/Licensure:
- Licensed Master Social Worker, NYS
Education:
- B.A. in Women’s Studies from Wells College
- M.A. in Social Work from SUNY Binghamton
Professional interests:
Kim values working with college students, and enjoys the privilege of being able to support students during such an important time in their life. Kim works with clients to identify their goals, resources, skillsets, and areas where they'd like to grow and learn more about themselves. She values the therapeutic relationship that evolves with each client while navigating the therapy process together. She utilizes a variety of approaches and skills when supporting her clients. She has a background in Solution-Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and the use of mindfulness/meditation as strategies to support the therapeutic process. She often shares resources/tools for students to use between sessions.
Kim has a passion for supporting individuals who, like herself, identify as LGBTQ+. She has the privilege to be the CAPS LGBTQ+ Liaison on campus, a position she is proud to hold. She has spent many years advocating for her LGBTQ+ community and is excited to be able to support Cornell students as they navigate issues related to sexuality and gender identity. She is a member of the Gender Services Coalition and also participates in a national group related to LGBTQ+ student mental health. She co-facilitates one of the CAPS LGBTQ+ support groups. Kim also enjoys working with students who identify as Autistic and has been supporting Neurodiverse folx for most of her professional career.
Personal interests:
Kim has lived in Ithaca for over 20 years, having come to the area to attend college. She fell in love with all that Ithaca has to offer, especially activities such as hiking, kayaking, and swimming. Kim has a deep love of all animals, having grown up on a small dairy farm here in New York. She currently has many pets at home and values the bond that can develop between humans and animals. She’s played many sports over the years, including karate and softball in college, and appreciates the life lessons learned from being engaged in sports.