Gender, sexuality and relationship diversity introductory workshop

This two-day workshop presented by two of Britain’s leading therapists and sexologists will provide an opportunity for behavioural and sexual health professionals to update their knowledge and practice on a wide range of issues around gender, sexuality and relationship diversity. This is a field which is moving very rapidly, and it’s our experience that therapists often feel bewildered by the range of identities, and sexual practices and relationship issues clients are presenting for help with. We will use a mixture of experiential learning as well as more formal didactic and discussion-based learning styles. The workshop will focus on new cultural ways of seeing gender sexuality and relationships impact our clients. We will explore sexuality, diverse sexual practices and lifestyles (including lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual and BDSM/Kink identities) and offer some clinical guidelines for best practice; we will also explore some of the ways people are conducting their relationships focussing in particular on ‘the new monogamy’, consensual nonmonogamies and other relationship styles. 

Programme

Day 1: Exploring Gender, Sexual & Relationship Diversity: Good Practice and Self-Reflection - Open to psychologists, psychotherapists, sexologists, medical doctors and also to university students and to general public 

Morning: Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity (GSRD)

9.30 Introductions and invitation to ground-rules for the weekend

10.00 How do our cultures understand gender, sexuality, and relationships?

10.30 Why is this relevant to mental health and therapy?

11.00-11.15 Break

11.15 Labels and identities

11.40 Situating the current view in time and place: intersectionality

12.15 The legacy of non-affirmative and pathologising practice: working affirmatively

12.45-13.15 Lunch

Afternoon: Sex/Gender, Sexuality, Relationships

13.15 A biopsychosocial understanding of sex/gender

13.45 Working with gender diverse clients in transphobic times

14.15 Dimensions of sexuality: identities, practices/experiences, and attractions

14.45-15.00 Break

15.00 Working with people who want to change their sexuality

15.30 Relationship ideals

16.00 Working across relationship diversity

16.30 Takeaways from the day

17.00 Day Ends

Day 2: Clinical Issues and Case Discussions - Open to psychologists, psychotherapists, sexologists, medical doctors -

09.30 Introductions

10:30 The socio-historical context of providing therapy to diverse marginalised communities

11:00-11.15 Break

11:15 Core theoretical concepts for GSRD Therapy & practice guidelines

12:00 Case studies in small groups

12:45-13.45 Lunch

13:45 Live supervision

14:30-14.45 Break

14.45 Fishbowl exercise

16:30 Further training needs and evaluation/feedback

17:00 Day Ends 

Facilitators

Dr Meg-John Barker is the author of a number of popular books on sex, gender, and relationships, including Queer: A Graphic History, How to Understand Your Gender, Enjoy Sex (How, When, and IF You Want To), Rewriting the Rules, The Psychology of Sex, and The Secrets of Enduring Love. They have also written many books for scholars and therapists on these topics, drawing on their research and therapeutic practice, including the BACP resource on gender, sexual and relationship diversity (GSRD).

Dominic Davies is the Founder and CEO of Pink Therapy. He has worked as a psychotherapist, clinical sexologist and practice consultant for over 35 years. In 2007 he was made a Fellow of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy for his “outstanding contribution to the field”. In 2015 he received the Practitioner award from the Sexualities Section of the British Psychological Society. In 2016 he was made a Fellow of the National Counselling Society. Dominic (with Charles Neal) co-edited three of the first British textbooks on working with LGBT clients published in 1996 and 2000. He has pioneered the development of Gender and Sexual Diversity Therapy in the UK and Europe.