Pink Therapy News
Keeping YOU in the FrameJuly 2011
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Greetings!
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Our apologies for the late arrival of this newsletter, but we were very preoccupied last week with our International Summer School. We had eight participants here from: Colombia, Croatia, Italy, Poland, Scotland, Serbia (x2) and Singapore.
It was an exceptional and life changing course for all of us and we all felt a great privilege in working together and sharing our experiences and knowledge.
We also want to express again, our thanks to our sponsors, donors and patrons whose generosity made it possible for us to offer scholarships to six of the participants.
We're also very excited to be working on the development of a brand new website with some extremely useful features. The new site will be launched in a few weeks and have a brand new Directory interface (see below) and the facility to register and book online for our training courses as well as a vast knowledge base library of materials for therapists and clients. We'll email you all when it's live!
Dominic DaviesDirector |
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Certificate in Sexual Minority Therapy -
Sept 2011 - June 2012
|  Are you a qualified counsellor, psychotherapist or clinical or counselling psychologist? - Are you interested in specialising or adding a specialisation in therapeutic work with sexual minority clients to your work?
Are you flexible, motivated, and committed? Pink Therapy is pleased to be able to offer the UK's first professional training course for counsellors, psychotherapists and psychologists in working with sexual minority clients from a non-pathologising perspective. We offer you: Core Tuition at our popular Continuing Professional Development training events A tutorial group - meeting monthly, 9 meetings per annum (54 hours group training/tutorials) on a mixture of weekends and Fridays. This will be training supervision and is envisaged to include some developmental and experiential work as well as clinical discussions about clients or professional issues. It is not intended to replace your regular clinical supervision. The groups will be facilitated by our Clinical Associates Damian McCann and Leah Davidson both or whom have extensive experience of training, group supervision and of course of working with a wide range of sexual minority clients Indicative content is likely to include familiarising participants with nurturing and conflictual discourses of gender and sexuality, working with psychopathology and severe disturbance, understanding more about your own sexual development and it's implications for therapeutic engagement, working with erotic feelings in therapy, understanding abusive experiences and their impact, LGBT health issues, non-pathologising approaches to working with sexual compulsiveness.. Clinical Work Students are expected to work with at least two sexual minority clients per week, and if you don't currently have gender and sexual minority clients in your caseload, we can offer advice and guidance as to how to find some clients. These clients can either be seen at your own premises if suitable, or we may be able to help you find suitable premises. If you are already in private practice, it may be possible to use clients from within that practice. Pink Therapy is not responsible for finding clients for you though, and you should have reasonable plans for access to a suitable pool of clients. The course has now received Accreditation from Middlesex University and some of the core modules are also endorsed by BACP and COSRT.
Click here for more information
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 Do you offer counselling or psychotherapy to lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender clients?
Are you confident that you have had sufficient knowledge and training to work competently with sexual minority clients?
Would you be interested in updating your knowledge and have an opportunity to work on your values, belief and attitudes in this area?
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Understanding Kink and BDSM
Saturday 15 October 2011 1pm - 7pm
|  BDSM (bondage and discipline, domination and submission and sadomasochism) is perhaps the most demonized form of consensual sexuality, still criminalized in the UK and pathologised as a 'paraphilia' in the DSM. Much training material for therapists and counsellors still perpetuates negative myths about BDSM practices despite lack of evidence for any link between such practices and psychological problems.
This workshop encourages participants to reflect on their own belief systems around BDSM. It examines the variety of 'kinky' practices, drawing on existential approaches to consider the multiple meanings these may have for clients. Common myths around BDSM are challenged and the most up-to-date research on BDSM presented. Attendees consider various case-studies to think about how they might work with kinky/BDSM clients, including those whose identity/practice is unrelated to their presenting problem, those who are concerned about their identity/practice, and those who regard their identity/practice as linked to the therapeutic experience. Relationships between BDSM and self-harming practices will also be explored.
Click here for more information
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|  We are now putting the finishing touches to our brand new Directory of Pink Therapists which will allow therapists to create and maintain their own profile on the website. You'll be able to upload images of you, your consulting room or logo, client materials and we're also building in the facility to be able to hide your entry (and therefore your sexual and gender identity) from google searches. That way therapists who might not be comfortable about anyone knowing this information. It will still of course be an obligatory part of your Directory entry once someone reaches the website. We aim to expand the Directory to include complementary therapists and to soon go International and list therapists working overseas. We will write to you when the Directory is live.
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Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds Conference
Thursday 10th November 2011
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On 10th November the counselling services of the University of Birmingham and Cardiff University are hosting a one-day conference in Birmingham to explore ways in which universities can better meet the needs of LGBTQ students by the creation of truly inclusive, welcoming campuses. Keynote speakers include the Director of the University of Pennsylvania LGBT Center, and the Directors of GIRES (Gender Identity Research and Education Society). There will be a range of workshops for delegates to choose from.
The conference is an opportunity to consider the ways in which institutions can facilitate the development of positive life-narratives amongst sexual minority students. Delegates will be encouraged and challenged to think about ways that they can make a positive contribution within their own institutions to foster genuine inclusivity and the development of an LGBTQ-friendly campus.
Further details, and online booking, are here: http://www.bhamonlineshop.co.uk/browse/product.asp?catid=3&modid=2&compid=1 Enquiries to David Mair: d.j.mair@bham.ac.uk
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Exploring the therapeutic relationship between gay male therapists and their male clients
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 Michael Beattie is a counselling psychologist in training at Roehampton University, with a research interest in sexuality and gender, and in particular how a gay male therapist's understanding of his own gender, sexuality and professional role intersects with his experience of the therapeutic relationships with male clients.
If you would be interested in helping him with his doctoral research project, he is looking to interview qualified gay male therapists of any professional orientation currently practising in the UK. You would meet for two one-hour interviews in a mutually convenient location to explore how your understanding of your own gender, sexuality and professional role impacts on your therapeutic relationships with men. All data collected will be confidential with pseudonyms being used in the final research report.
To get in touch or find out more: (e) beattiem@roehampton.ac.uk (m) 07786 923224
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RESEARCH PARTICIPANTS WANTED
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Would you identify as a gay or lesbian counselling psychologist or psychotherapist that are currently or have previously been working with clients in therapy who identify as being heterosexual?
Morné Rossouw is a third year student on the Professional Doctorate in Counselling Psychology at Regent's College, London, currently researching lesbian and gay Counselling Psychologists' experiences of working with heterosexual clients in therapy : An interpretative phenomenological analysis.
If you are prepared to take part in this research and to be interviewed for up to an hour to talk about your experience in therapy, or if you would like further information about this study, then please email: SPCP@me.com
Research is being supervised by Denise Ielitro, visiting lecturer at SPCP, Regent's College, email: ielitrod@regents.co.uk (background in psychology, integrative counselling and psychoanalytic psychotherapy). The project has received university ethical approval.
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Trans Equality Action Plan Workshop
Sunday 10th July 10:30 - 15:00
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"Have your say about what the Trans Community should do next as part of the consultation process for the Governments Trans Equality Action Plan."
An Important Workshop between the Community and the Government Equality office (GEO) to develop further the Transgender Community statement of Needs (SON), which resources the Governments Trans Equality Action Plan and commence working on the actions the community will implement.
"The Coalition Government is committed to publishing a Transgender Equality Action Plan by the end of 2011.
Several community workshops in collaboration with the Government Equalities Office, GIRES & members of the Trans community have already taken place to develop the Trans Community Statement of Needs, which is being used in shaping the Government's Trans Equality Action Plan. Based on this work, it is already clear that there are several layers of approach some requiring legislation, others making better use and understanding of existing provision and much that the community could do for itself.
To see the current version of the full 56 page document download it at: http://gires.org.uk/Statement_of_need_26april.pdf
The purpose of this workshop is to update the community, have your opinion heard, help in identifying those actions that the community can itself embrace and begin planning the implementation of these community actions"
Please reserve your place with Jenny-Anne Bishop jennyannebuk@yahoo.co.uk or 01745-337144 so that we can cater for everyone who wants to attend. Sunday 10th July 10:30 - 15:00 3rd Floor - Main Meeting Room at the LGF 5 Richmond Street, MANCHESTER M1 3HF
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Outlaw LGBT discrimination in Turkey
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In Turkey many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people experience physical violence, harassment and discrimination, often at the hands of the police and authorities. And currently there are no legal provisions to prevent it. Take action now
Transgender women may be issued with fines for 'breach of the peace' simply for visiting the hairdresser. Many gay men would rather say they have a 'psychosexual disorder' than complete military service to avoid homophobic violence. And in 2008, Ahmet Yıldız - an openly gay man living in Istanbul - was killed outside his home after the authorities ignored his complaints of harassment and requests for protection. Take action now to outlaw LGBT discrimination in Turkey
We are calling on the Turkish authorities to draw up laws preventing discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and to punish perpetrators of homophobic attacks. And right now there is a real opportunity for Turkey to bring in legislation to make this happen.
The newly-elected government has pledged to introduce a new constitution containing greater human rights protections. An anti-discrimination law is also scheduled to come before the Turkish parliament. However we need to add concerted pressure to ensure these legal changes will not once again ignore LGBT people's demands for equality.
Please sign this petition urging the Turkish government to outlaw LGBT discrimination.
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Gendered Intelligence - Call to Friends
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As you may or may not know, the funding for Gendered Intelligence's trans youth support programme has come to an end as of last Thursday. They are very keen to continue this much needed work and are working on many avenue's at the moment to secure more funding. At the same time they are thinking laterally and have started a 'friends donation scheme'.
So here's the ask!
GI have set up a scheme where by people can donate in different ways. You can either choose to give to specific projects, like camping trip residential for young trans people this summer, where they will be taking up to 20 young trans people away to an adventure campsite: http://www.wefund.co.uk/project/project-outdoors
Or, to ongoing costs of running trans youth support sessions and positive activities for young trans people to meet and have the opportunity to take part in a positive and encouraging environment, where they can be themselves: GI friends scheme from as little as £3 a month http://www.genderedintelligence.co.uk/friends
In addition you could forward these links to anyone you think may be interested. GI are really keen to continue improving the lives of young trans people and cannot do this without you all.
www.genderedintelligence.co.uk
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That's all for this month, thanks for your attention, and please do send us things that have a specific relevance to people working with gender and sexual minority clients. |
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Dominic Davies
Pink Therapy
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