Presenter: Catherine Butler

Friday 25^th April 2008

£85.00

This one-day workshop aims to provide participants with up-to-date relevant information to feel confident and curious about working with clients from sexual and gender minorities. We will explore the issues that are pertinent for these clients and our own prejudices concerning these. Such issues include the pervasiveness of heterosexism as a cultural context, concerns throughout the lifespan (including "coming out" and parenting) and relevant legislation for therapists to be aware of. In addition, issues of working as a sexual or gender minority therapist will be explored, including dual roles and disclosure. This is relevant for both sexual and gender minority therapists and their heterosexual colleagues. We will use a mixture of didactic teaching, group discussion and role play.

We will learn to deconstruct and question our own ideas about gender and sexuality and how these can influence therapy and supervision. Sexual and gender minority affirmative therapy and supervision is described, and models of good practice provided. We will put these into practice and hopefully develop a language, confidence and understanding to discuss sensitive issues with clients.

At the end of the workshop participants will have an experiential understanding of what it would be like to live day-to-day as someone from a sexual or gender minority. They will understand the impact of heteronormativity and how our practice can create this. This understanding will hopefully develop a curiosity and interest in working with this clients group and provide affirmative and enabling therapy.

Participants will have opportunities to apply their learning to cases involving sexual and gender minority clients from the perspectives of supervisor and therapist. There will also be some experiential exercises to put participants 'into the shoes' of such clients.

Who is the presenter? Workshop Facilitator: Catherine Butler

Catherine works in HIV and sexual health services in the NHS as a clinical psychologist and systemic psychotherapist and in private practice through Pink Therapy. She teaches lesbian and gay awareness on psychology training courses and Pink Therapy.

Butler, C. and Byrne, A., (2004). A Clinical Psychological Perspective in Countering Sexual Prejudice in Institutional Systems and Clients' Lives. Lesbian and Gay Psychology Review, 5 (3), 89 B 95.

Butler, C. and Byrne, A., (2007). Queer in practice: therapy and queer theory. In L. Moon (Ed.). Feeling queer or queer feelings?: Radical approaches to counselling, sex, sexualities and genders. London: Routledge.

University of Bedfordshire, Park Square, Luton, Bedfordshire LU1 3JU

£85.00 Includes tea and coffee

at the University of Bedfordshire, Luton