CNM, Kink & LGBTQIA+ Continuing Education Courses

Psychological Preparation for Medical Transition

Transference/Countertransference dynamics with LGBTQIA+ clients

Identity Development around Sexuality, Gender, and Relationships

Power Dynamics in the Facilitating Environment

Melissa Dellens, MA

6CEs

Community psychology emerged in reaction to clinical psychotherapy; with a fervent belief that if  mental health problems are related to the misuse of power at systemic and institutional levels then individual psychotherapy is not the answer. Community psychology believes interventions in a dyadic relationship do not begin to meet the greater unmet needs of the collective.  We will explore this assertion from a perspective of psychodynamically-informed psychotherapy.

The Black Gay Community and Crystal Meth

Jerry St. Louis, LGSW

2 CEs

Methamphetamine, also known as crystal meth or Tina, has been a health concern for the LGBTQ+ community since the late 1990s. In most recent studies, researcher are seeing an increase in use in the Black/African American Gay community (Secret, 2015).

Fundamentals of Kink

Elyssa Helfer, MA, LMFT

Recorded Webinar

3 CEs

Many psychotherapists are ill equipped to work with kink-identified and kink-practicing individuals, but it is vital for mental health clinicians to understand the complexity and nuance within kink communities. Given the high rates of individuals integrating kink practices and activities into their erotic lives, the need for relevant education is paramount.

Working with LGBTQ Veterans

Zander Keig, LCSW

2 CEs

When working with sexual and gender minority veterans, it helps to understand military culture and the active-duty experience. For example, the experience of a lesbian serving prior to the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell Don’t Pursue (repealed in 2011) in the US Army is vastly different from a trans female serving under the current Department of Defense Open Transgender Service Policy (2016) in the US Navy.

Eating Disorders and Diet Culture: Inclusive Care for Trans Communities

Sand Chang, PhD

2.5 CEs

Homestudy

Eating disorders do not discriminate across culture, gender, or socioeconomic status, yet eating disorders assessment and treatment approaches are typically geared toward what has long been considered a “typical” client with an eating disorder: white, heterosexual, endosex, cisgender, college educated women. These stereotypes and assumptions create enormous barriers for trans people, who are eight times more likely to be diagnosed with eating disorders than cisgender people.

Radical Crafting with Queer Clinicians: Self-care, Healing and Activism

Mikey Anderson, MA, LPC

No CEs

Homestudy

We are in a moment in history where collective action and radical artmaking is at the forefront of our LGBTQIA+ movement in supporting Black Queer lives, whose experiences continue to be marginalized and invisibilized. We will be Centering our craft workshop on fiber crafting and activism by using embroidery to engage in a self-reflective, intersectional exploration of our Queer experiences as clinicians, ultimately proposing the practice of Craftivism (Greer) is a political act to radicalize Queer clinicians.

Trauma-Informed Yoga Therapy for LGBTQIA+ Clients

Katie Ziskind LMFT, RYT500

4.5 CEs

Homestudy

LGBTQIA+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, etc.) clients are subject to minority stressors, which are often experienced as trauma. An evidence-based practice that can address the effects of this is yoga therapy, which involves mind, body, and spirit, and entails mindfulness, movement, and healing touch to provide traumatized clients with a sense of control.

From a Distance: Navigating Polyamory During a Pandemic

Esther Benoit, PhD, LPC

1 CE

Homestudy

Times of stress and transition can amplify dynamics within relationships, particularly affecting complex relationship structures like polyamorous ones. This course will explore how clinicians can support their polyamorous clients through uncertain times, and how polyamorous partners can support each other to create connection in times of uncertainty.

HIV/AIDS Retraumatization during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Samuel Donath, MS

3 CEs 

Homestudy

Older LGBTQIA+ individuals who survived the AIDS crisis face possible re-traumatization due to the current international COVID-19 health crisis. Helping these community members during this unique period in history presents specific clinical challenges. Special consideration and education is needed for mental health professionals to work competently with this population throughout the pandemic.

The Psychological Impact of Suppressing Kink Identity

Elyssa Helfer, MA, LMFT

2 CEs

Homestudy

The world of kink exists right under our noses. From dungeons to muches, kinky folks are finding ways to express their identities within a system that encourages secrecy. To fully affirm our clients, it is imperative that we understand who they are, what they enjoy and how their desires play out in their lives.

Fighting without Fighting: DBT Skills for Addressing Microaggressions

Rachel Jones, M.A.

2.5 CEs 

Homestudy

Microaggressions exist in the form of jokes, insults, biases, questions, and comments. They are often casual and can even be well-intended. On a day-to-day basis, microaggressions are directed toward people of color, women, gender diverse individuals, LGBTQIA+ individuals, relationship expansive individuals, and other people of marginalized groups or communities outside of the cultural norm.

Cognitive Hypnotherapy with Black Gay Men

Muria Nisbett, LCSW

1.5 CEs Available

Homestudy

Cognitive hypnotherapy is an innovative, evidence-based multimodal treatment that can be used to address a myriad of mental health issues. This modality incorporates techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), hypnotherapy, and mindfulness. Black* gay men have long faced discrimination, rejection, fear, violence and revictimization, religious intolerance, economic and criminal injustice.

Gender Minority Stress and Resilience in Transgender and Gender Nonbinary Clients

addyson tucker, PsyD

1.5 CEs Available

Homestudy

Though clinicians are expanding their competence and knowledge for providing gender affirming care, there are still gaps in the training and research for working with trans and gender nonbinary (TGNB) individuals. Many TGNB individuals experience oppression and microaggressions regularly, which has significant physical, emotional, and cognitive consequences (Nadal et al., 2014).

Helping Transgender and Gender Nonbinary Young Adults Develop Self-Compassion

addyson tucker, PsyD

1.5 CEs Available

Homestudy

Self-compassion is the act of “relating to oneself with care and support when we suffer”. Though little self-compassion research has explicitly focused on trans and gender nonbinary (TGNB) participants, research has shown significant benefit of strengthening self-compassion to increase well-being and the relationship with one’s body as well as building resilience to effectively manage adverse experiences and emotional vulnerability.

Feminist Structural Family Therapy with Polyamorous Clients

Stephanie M. Sullivan, M.S., LLMFT and John Wall, MS, ALMFT

2.5 CEs 

Homestudy

Even when therapists do accept a polyamorous client’s relationship style, they may not know how to apply therapeutic theories to working with the polyamorous relationship. Current family therapy approaches are not easily adaptable to address the needs of clients in polyamorous relationships. Current family therapy approaches are not easily adaptable to address the needs of clients in polyamorous relationships.

Multiplicities of Desire: Working with the Intersection of Bisexuality and Polyamory

Stephanie M. Sullivan, M.S., LLMFT 

3 CEs 

Homestudy

Bisexuality can have multiple meanings, but will be defined here as the potential to be attracted to people of more than one sex or gender, either romantically, sexually, or both. Therapists who are working with a client who is bisexual in the polyamorous community may have to consider how their client’s bisexuality impacts them therapeutically.

Healing Power of Open Relationships

Kathy Slaughter, LCSW 

4 CEs

Homestudy

Open relationships offer unique and perhaps unexpected protective factors and opportunities to heal from trauma. Working with trauma survivors who engage in open relationships challenges our best ideas about healthy relationships. Becoming a trauma-informed, consensual nonmonogamy affirmative therapist requires understanding how trauma impacts neural development, self-regulation, attachment styles, and interpersonal relationship skills.

Polyamorous Clients in Therapy: What You Didn’t Know You Needed to Know

Stephanie M. Sullivan, M.S., LLMFT 

3 CEs 

Homestudy

Consensual non-monogamy is a relationship style in which all individuals within the relationship agree to not being monogamous, and all individuals involved in the relationship are aware that it is not a monogamous relationship. Polyamory is a type of consensual non-monogamy in which people are able to be in committed, long term, intimate relationships with more than one person.