The Affirmative Couch publishes an online magazine, Out on the Couch, which will be written entirely by mental health professionals with expertise in working with these populations. Out on the Couch will help fight stigma through disseminating current, accurate information to these communities about their unique mental health needs. If you are a subject matter expert on a topic related to the mental health of LGBTQIA+, consensual non-monogamous, or kinky clients, we encourage you to complete the application to propose an article for the magazine.
Examples of Topics:
- Working with clients with intersectional identities (sexual, gender, and/or relationship expansive identity(ies) intersecting with race, ability, class, immigration status, etc.)
- Various issues (family planning, bullying, suicidality, aging, incarceration, HIV/AIDS, bisexual/pansexual/queer erasure, navigating relationships between asexual partner and sexual partner, prepping for surgery for transgender and gender nonbinary clients, dealing with medical providers for intersex clients, navigating jealousy with metamours, consent and safety with BDSM, etc.) with sexual, gender, and/or relationship expansive people
- How-to guides (how to find an affirmative therapist, how to deal with microaggressions, how to know when to seek help for a particular issue, how to navigate insurance, etc.)
- Current events (specifically related to sexual, gender, and relationship expansive communities and mental health)
- Exploration of a character in film, television, literature, etc. from a mental health perspective (e.g. exploring their journey from a mental health lens, how therapy could have been helpful for that character, why visibility matters in the media, etc.)
- Current research trends (e.g. what new literature is saying and what it may mean for their own mental health)
- Any other topic related to the intersection of sexuality or gender, and mental health
Details:
- Authors must have at least an MA/MS and be license-eligible. PhD/PsyD/MD and licensed applicants are preferred.
- The Affirmative Couch, LLC will consider proposals for short (500-1000 words), medium (1000-1500 words), and long (1500-2500 words) articles.
- The proposal must be appropriate for community members and their friends and family, not for other mental health professionals.
- Authors from the communities about which they are writing are strongly encouraged to apply.
About the Position:
- Prospective authors need to submit a separate application with a 100-200-word abstract for each proposed article.
- Compensation ranges from $35-$60 for short articles, $50- $85 for medium articles, and $75-$125 for long articles. The compensation amount is dependent on licensure and years of clinical experience. Article lengths will be agreed upon ahead of time.
- Authors will get a free one-year membership to our trainings for therapists if they publish at least five articles of any length, and a lifetime membership to the site if they publish at least 15 articles of any length.
- Authors will be classified as independent contractors.
- Articles are required to include citations and references in APA format.
- Articles should be approachable for community members.
- The Affirmative Couch, LLC is an Equal Opportunity Company and is committed to fostering diversity within its staff. Applications are encouraged from those with diverse backgrounds in regards to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, religious creed, medical/physical/mental condition, sexual orientation, veteran status, and/or age.