Pink Therapy
Pink Therapy News
Keeping YOU in the Frame
February 2008
In This Issue
The Development of the Self
Working with Sexual Problems?
Specialist Sex Therapy
Mentoring the Next Generation
Supervision Groups
Hidden Lives new group
Drugs & Families
New books
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Greetings!
Dominic Davies june Well, January rushed by didn't it? We've had the first day of our Essentials is Sexual Minority course and a workshop on the Supervision of Sexual Minority Therapy. 

Our training events are very proving popular, the Introduction to Psychosexual Therapy is virtually full and so if you want to come, you better call or email to check if there are still places available.

Following our review of Safe, Sane and Consensual last month, we've been in touch with Palgrave, the publisher, who has offered to give us a 50% discount of the price of the book (see below for further details).

The Development of the Self and the Function of the Therapeutic Relationship - 23 February with Judy Yellin
dad and daughterHow do we get a self? What do we mean by 'having a sense of self'? How secure or insecure do we feel about who we are and our connections to others? How is our sense of self shaped in a homophobic, gendered culture?

This workshop will explore the idea that, from the beginning of life, we construct our 'senses of self', including our sexual and gendered selves, from our experiences of being in interaction with others. We will look at some ideas about the relational nature of the 'self', drawn from contemporary approaches to psychoanalytic psychotherapy. Using concepts from attachment theory, we will think about how our sense of ourselves develops initially within the context of our early relationships with others, and continues to emerge and change through our interactions with significant others throughout life.

Research into early attachments has shown the enduring and vital necessity of a secure and reliable connection to other people who are attuned to what we are feeling and who can respond appropriately. We will explore how traumatic failures of attunement, mutual recognition and response can impact negatively on the development of a stable yet flexible sense of self, and diminish our ability to create mutually satisfying close relationships throughout life. We will think in particular about the role played by shame and rejection in undermining a secure sense of self for both sexual minority clients and their therapists.

We will consider the potential of the therapeutic relationship to offer a secure base and facilitate the development of sufficient trust and safety to enable a different experience of 'self with other' that can allow the emergence of new, more creative 'senses of self'.

Further details click here  �95 for Pink Therapy Directory Members �105 for Non-members

An Introduction to Psychosexual Therapy with Gender & Sexual Minorities  - 8 & 9 March
with Naomi Adams & Dominic Davies
viagraHow confident are you in discussing sexual performance related problems with gender and sexual minority clients? How knowledgeable do you feel about a wide range of sexual practices?  

Now in it's fourth year, this two day workshop provides an introduction to some of the key issues in working therapeutically with lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender clients with psychosexual concerns.

The workshop will cover current models of sexual response, the classification of sexual difficulties and a brief review of the literature and then explore some of the implicit assumptions in these hetero-normative models.

We will also include interactive exercises with the aim of helping participants develop practical skills in assessment and therapeutic interventions with individual clients and couples.

We hope that by the end of the two days, participants will feel a greater sense of confidence in incorporating discussions of sex and sexual functioning into their general clinical work and/or developing their psychosexual therapy.

Further details click here  �190 for Directory Members and �210 (Non members)
 
Sexual Minority Sex Therapy for Sex Therapists (Advanced Workshop) - 12 April
with Naomi Adams & Dominic Davies
dildoThis one -day workshop is aimed at experienced sex therapists (of all sexualities) who want to update their skills and knowledge of working with a diverse range of gender and sexual minorities. This is an area which can be 'glossed' over on some initial psychosexual training courses, and even where it has been covered, this workshop can serve as an refresher and update on current and contemporary ideas.

This one day workshop will offer the opportunity to:
    * Learn about inclusive assessment strategies for sexually diverse populations
    * Understand more about the political and social context influencing the sex lives of gender and sexual minorities (e.g. the impact of HIV, the lesbian sex wars, Operation Spanner, Illicit drug use in sex, Public Sex Environments and the Internet)
    * Become familiar with a wide range of diverse sexual practices (including kink/bdsm)
Develop your knowledge and skills in working with non-traditional relationship models (polyamory swingers, open relationships) through case discussion, role play/demonstrations.

Further details click here    �95 for Pink Therapy Directory Members �105 for Non-members
Thinking it Over: Mentoring and Continuing Professional Development
with Charles Neal and Dominic Davies
Charles NealCharles Neal and Dominic Davies are co-editors of the Pink Therapy trilogy of textbooks and have both been working for more than 25 years with gender and sexual minority clients. 

Each is offering the opportunity for a small group of therapists who would like to work in more depth with them at developing their knowledge and practice of working with gender and sexual minority clients. 

The groups will meet for four days over the next year.  Charles' group will meet on a Monday in Hastings and Dominic's will be on a Friday in Soho. 

To download a flyer with full details of dates, fees etc, click here:
SUPERVISION GROUPS in London and Manchester with Gail Simon
pink_practice_logoStarting February 2008 in London (14th Feb) and Manchester (8th Feb).

Are you interested in the social and political implications of counselling and psychotherapy theory on people's sense of themselves as community members?
How can we make a shift away from undermining stories of pathology to resourcefulness?

Supervision groups can be thought of a small and immediate communities of conversation which offer opportunities for collaborative consultation. Groups will work together to develop an enquiring and supportive culture. These particular supervision groups are for people working in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transsexual and queer communities and are suitable for individual psychotherapists, relationship counsellors, family therapists and group therapists.

The groups will pay particular attention to issues of
    �    Culture * Gender * Ability * Sexuality * Identity * Age * Well-being * Education * Language
    �    The needs of children and the place of childhood in therapy
    �    Narratives from other therapeutic models
    �    Implications of therapeutic practice for people's social networks and communities
    �    Collaborative and creative ways of working which take the issue of power into account.
Gail Simon: I have been offering supervision and training to counsellors, psychotherapists and those in allied professions in a range of counselling settings since the mid 1990s.  I currently teach systemic therapy at post graduate level and run supervision groups. I am a UKCP registered Systemic Psychotherapist and KCC registered Systemic Supervisor. My systemic qualification is a P G Dip in Systemic Therapy with Individuals, Couples and Families (1993). I converted this by research to an MA in Systemic Practice in 2000. I am currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Systemic Practice at the Kensington Consultation Centre, London researching the politics of therapeutic work at The Pink Practice London.
For further details, please contact Gail Simon at The Pink Practice [email protected] or ring 020 7060 4000.
Volunteer Family Therapists sought
pace newlogoPACE Family Support Service are currently recruiting volunteer family therapists for their lgbt family therapy service.

Families can and do encompass any constellation of gay lesbian bisexual trans and heterosexual members.  We believe that our family therapy team should reflect the diversity of the families that present to us.

To this end, applicants do not need to identify as lgbt. However, as an lgbt organisation we particularly welcome applications from therapists who positively identify as such.

If you would like to know more about the vacancies, please contact the service coordinator Howard Delmonte on  0207 700 1323 or email [email protected]
To find out more about PACE Family Service go to www.pacehealth.org.uk

Broken Rainbow LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline has re-opened
broken_rainbow_logo As part of our plans to improve services for LGBT people around domestic violence, we are please to inform you that the Broken Rainbow LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline is now open during the hours outlined below.
 
The Helpline has recently partnered with London Lesbian & Gay Switchboard to provide an improved service to the Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender community specifically.
 
The helpline is staffed by LGBT people and offers a confidential service, across the UK, and supports LGBT individuals, family, and friends experiencing domestic violence.  We also take call from agencies seeking information and advice.
 
The Broken Rainbow LGBT Domestic Violence Helpline is open on:
Mondays and Thursdays from 2pm to 8pm
Wednesdays 10am till 1pm.
 
The Helpline number is 08452 60 44 60  Information is also available via our website: www.broken-rainbow.org.uk


HIDDEN LIVES group at PACE

dad_and_babyAre you a married man or in a relationship with a woman?
Do you have sex with other men whom she doesn't know about?
Are you finding it increasingly difficult and painful to manage your life?
Do you have children and worry about the impact on them?
Do you feel isolated and ashamed?
Do you want to share your experiences with other men like yourself in a safe, supportive and confidential group?

Talking and sharing with others can be very helpful. The group will be facilitated by 2 experienced group workers and will start Thursday mornings between 11 and 1pm at PACE in February 2008.  This group will be free but as we are a charity we ask for donations.

If you are interested in joining please contact Howard Delmonte ([email protected]) or Jo Beecham ([email protected]) on 020 7700 1323 for more information

Adfam consultation day
Adfam logoAdfam is holding a consultation day in February 2008, to consult with families, drug and alcohol users and professionals, on developing LGBT inclusive drug and alcohol family services across London. It is part of the lottery funded Including Diverse Families programme, developed by Adfam.
 
Please publicise this information to family members, clients and colleagues, who you think may be interested in attending.   The event is to help inform this new capacity building programme, aimed at developing family drug and alcohol services, inclusive of LGBT users and families. It should be an informative event.
 
If you would like to attend, please contact me at the earliest opportunity to book a place.
 
Eva Geser Acting Coordinator Including Diverse Families Tel:  020 7553 7645 Our New website is:  www.adfam.org.uk
New Books
Queer feelings or feeling queer coverThere are two new books which may be of interest to you. 
Feeling Queer or Queer Feelings: Radical approached to Counselling Sex, Sexualities and Genders - Edited by Lyndsey Moon Published by Routledge �22.99 
This is one of the few British textbooks on working with gender and sexual minorities and certainly the most recent. Written mainly by some of Britain's leading 'queer' counselling and clinical psychologists (often who have had further training in psychotherapy), it's a useful addition for those specialising in working with gender and sexual minority clients.

safe, sane & consensual cover
The second book, is perhaps a bit more specialist which may make it more significant given the paucity of material written for therapists who are working from a non-pathologising, sexuality affirmative perspective.  Safe, Sane and Consensual: Contemporary Perspectives on Sadomasochism Edited by Darren Langdridge and Meg Barker Published by Palgrave at a whopping �50 (hardback only). It's an excelent book in my opinion, and one that is much needed.  There are several chapters addressing therapeutic issues and which will be useful for therapists who find this a challenging area to get their heads around.

It is a shame the price is so high to effectively put off all but the most keen to buy it, as there is much to learn from the contributors. Do try and get your library to order it in for you.

The editors are going to be running a training day for Pink Therapy on 7 May 2008, click the link for more details of the workshop.

Person-Centred Therapy Website Domain for sale
Dominic is selling a spare domain he no longer uses which may be of interest to a person-centred therapist since it's www.person-centredtherapy.co.uk

If you're interested email him directly at: [email protected]


If you've managed to read this far, then thanks for staying with it!  There was so much to tell you this month.  Keep your relevant news coming in and you might also want to revisit our Resources page which has recently been updated with lots more reference material for those of you involved in training etc; Including some useful links from the Knowledge Community
Dominic Davies
Pink Therapy