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> > > > Pink Therapy News > Embracing Diversity > > September 2012 > In This Issue > Directory Renewals... > Bisexuality > Polyamory > Lesbian Conversations in Therapy > New Diploma in Relationship Therapy > Library of Resources > GSD Relationships Research > Translation Project > Love me as I am > Gay Utopia > Celebrate Your Heartbeat > > Greetings! > > It's been another busy month here at Pink Therapy. We have hosted our third intense and extraordinary International Summer School which saw 13 therapists sharing their knowledge and skills and going home briefed on our latest thinking on working with gender and sexual diversities. It's also left me inspired with a great idea for a Level 2 course for graduates of the Summer Schools and our own Diploma graduates for next summer! > > We've had over 150 responses to our online survey asking the question of gender and sexual diversities: "Who do you turn to when your relationship(s) get into distress?" The survey had been available for for about 10 days! This is a great response, and shows people want to share their experiences. We would encourage you to share the URL https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GSDsupport with anyone you know who might feel ambivalent about approaching mainstream counselling services as they aren't sure they would be understood and ask them to complete the anonymous survey. > > We're planning a brand new year long Diploma in Relationship Therapy which will alternate with our Diploma in Gender and Sexual Diversity Therapy. We're realising there is a huge unmet need to help therapists work more confidently with a wide range of non-traditional relationship styles and lifestyles. Our Alternative Sexualities course was recently approved by COSRT will form some core training for that course. > > I was moved to tears last week to read that the Californian Senate had voted to ban -ex-gay therapy being offered to LGBT young people. Of course it was opposed by conservative parents to their 'rights' to treat and beat their kids at they choose, but the Bill is now awaiting the Governor's signature. I hope he signs. > > The same day that this news was announced I was coincidentally invited to write a column for Therapy Today on Reparative Therapy and the issue of sexual orientation change/conversion which will be out in the October journal. I think we'll probably adapt a version of it for our International Library as these are issues that have a broader significance. > > Later this month, we will begin our third cohort for the Diploma in Gender and Sexual Diversity Therapy. We're excited to have selected a really interesting and able group of students. > > Next month I hope to bring you news of a a new project we're setting up to capacity build culturally sensitive psychosexual therapy for gender and sexual diversities through a low cost referral scheme. > > Please note: I will be away on annual leave from 8-16 September and so emails may go unanswered until my return. > > With best wishes > > Dominic Davies > Director > > We're very active on Social Network channels right now. If you are too please follow us for the latest information > > > > Directory Renewals > Last year we launched our new website and with it, our new self-administering Directory of Pink Therapists with over 250 profiles on line. Our Directory is the largest specialist Directory on the web for people looking for a gender or sexual diversity therapy and the website remain at the top of Google search rankings (under the paid advertising). > > Our new relationships research project will drive more enquiries to the Directory as people completing it will inevitably see who is in their area. > > In this newly designed Directory, your personal details will be hid from random Google Searches under your name. > > Some of you have already renewed and others are reaching the end of their annual membership and need to renew soon. This couldn't be any simpler. > > Here is how to renew your membership. > Please go to www.pinktherapy.com > Log on your profile (top right button) > Enter your username and password as you created them (we can remind you if you have forgotten) > Click on 'Manage profile" (top right). > Click on the Paypal button. > On your profile page you can view when your membership (or contract) started and when it expires. The Paypal option will only appear 30 days before the end of your contract. > > > Bisexuality > > Emily Hodgkinson will be hosting a one day training course entitled Bisexuality in the Therapy Room on 28th October as part of the COSRT endorsed Alternative Sexualities courses, participants will be discovering how Bisexual's experiences are treated like lesbian and gay experience, which can lead to bisexual people's unique needs and experiences becoming further marginalised, and can leave biphobia unaddressed. This day provides an opportunity to learn about the particular experiences and needs of bisexual people in counselling and therapy, and to reflect on one's own practises and assumptions. > > The course will be interactive with lots of small and large group activity, enabling you to gain a deeper understanding and think creatively about the issues rather than just being told what to think or do. This framework aims to support participants in continuing to develop good practice beyond the course itself. > > More information can be found on the Pink Therapy website. > > Polyamory > > October 27th sees our Polyamory one day course begin. It will explore the dynamics that exists in the various types of non-monogamous relationships and how our work with individuals, couples and groups including family systems might be modified or extended for non-monogamy and how such ideas might be taken back to work with single or monogamous clients. > > > For more information on this and other courses click here > > LESBIAN CONVERSATIONS IN THERAPY > Favoured and Forbidden Positions > We are now inviting registrations for this event. The Saturday is open to self-identified women and the Sunday is open to everyone (and will retain some women only space/events). Conference Fee: £65 for one day or £100 for the whole weekend. > > Space will be strictly limited - we've got a relatively small venue and so early booking is advised. Update: The conference is almost full, although we will be looking at seeing if we can make some further places available. > > An active sharing of the vast range of clinical experiences and perspectives, of lesbians working in psychotherapy and counselling. A unique opportunity to grow our understanding and valuing of each other and our clients. We invite you to be part of a dynamic and diverse lesbian presence in psychotherapy and counselling > > Saturday will be a women only event and Sunday will be a mixed day which will retain some women only space. > > On Saturday we reflect on the continuing dialogue between different lesbian identities and the different frameworks we hold to understand our experience; finding our commonality and honouring our differences. How do these impact on the ways we work with our clients? > > On Sunday we continue the conversation, focussing in further on the clinical issues but with men joining the discussions. > > For example these maybe some of the topics we could be looking at: > Dual relationships > Erotic Transference and Counter Transference > Power in the therapeutic relationship > Coming out as lesbian from different communities > Coming out as bisexual or straight after being a lesbian > Coming out as lesbian in later life > Are we born lesbian or do we make a choice? > States of transition, moving in and out of lesbian living > We have confirmed contributions from: > Queer positions and lesbian feminism - A dialogue, with Lindsey Moon and Gillian Proctor. > The butch lesbian/trans man spectrum - Victoria Holt > When LOL means Late-Onset-Lesbian - Chris Kell > > To contribute to this much needed dialogue - join us and join in. > > The mini-conference will take place on 24 & 25 November in North London (Archway). > > If you would like to attend email us: [log in to unmask] > > The event is being organised by most of the women Clinical Associates in Pink Therapy > > Diploma in Relationship Therapy with Gender and Sexual Diversities > > Next September 2013, will see the launch of a a new one year professional post-qualifying training in working with relationship issues that affect gender and sexual diversities. We are planning to apply to Middlesex University for accreditation of this innovative practitioner training programme. The course is still in development and we will announce more details in next month's newsletter. > > What is clear, is that our new Alternative Sexualities course WILL form a core component of the new Diploma and in next year's course these training events will happen twice a month in the first part of the Diploma to bring people up to speed. > > If you are interested in undertaking our Diploma in Relationship Therapy, you might prefer to undertake the Alternative Sexualities course either in full or part this autumn. The Alternative Sexualities course is has recently been endorsed in its own right by COSRT. > USB Keys > > Are you interested in Gender and Sexual Diversities? Are you a therapist working in this area or training to do so? > > We get a lot of requests for information and have accumulated a fairly extensive digital library of resources. We have over 400 interviews, articles, documentaries and reports, videos and podcasts totaling 4GB available preloaded on a 16Gb memory stick. > If you would like to buy one of these limited edition USB keys, please email [log in to unmask] and we will let you know how to obtain one. > > They are £15 plus £3 P&P for UK postage and whatever extra it costs us to post worldwide > > > Relationships Research > Who do you turn to when your relationship(s) are in distress? > Pink Therapy, in partnership with Relate, has commissioned the first national survey of the experiences of people who identify as gender and sexually diverse (GSD), when and if they access different types of counselling for relationship difficulties. > > People who identify as gender and sexually diverse come from many different groups. They may experience their gender as quite different from the traditional biological separation into male and female. They may choose to explore consensual roles and relationships outside of the norms. We are targeting people who may identify as LGBT, as BDSM or Asexual, for example. They may have already had counselling for relationship difficulties or being put off because they didn't expect the counsellor to appreciate their particular circumstance. If you feel this is you, please help us by completing the survey. > > We have little UK research of how people who are gender and sexually diverse come into contact with counselling when they have relationship difficulties. To what extent does the attitude, knowledge and experience of counsellors support your needs? By sharing your experiences you will help us to build the evidence to make recommendations to change the way GSD relationships are supported. > > The survey is confidential, your name and other personal details which identify you are not required. Your participation is completely voluntary. You may skip any questions that may cause you emotional distress or end the survey at any time by simply clicking on the Exit Survey Button. The survey collects information about you including your age and the region you live in (Q1-6), as well as your experiences of counselling (Q7-41). The survey should take 25 - 30 minutes to complete. > > The survey will be online until 16 Oct 2012 > > If you would like to give feedback about the survey please email > [log in to unmask] > > > Translation Projet > > Earlier in July, we launched our own contribution to World Pride and made available for free download from our website two recently published papers - one on Gender and Sexual Diversity Therapy and one on Sexual Orientation which were originally written for the new Sage Handbook for Counselling and Psychotherapy (3rd edition). We've been deeply touched by the enthusiasm and commitment by a large team of volunteer translators who have translated these papers into what will be 22 different languages of the world with more to come! Last week as part of our Olympic contribution, we received another six translations. > > It's been quite a challenge to try to translate concepts we take for granted here in the UK into culturally relevant terms for countries which may have little explicit visibility, or understanding of GSD populations. However, we are hopeful these papers can help therapists and other support workers have a better understanding on how to better support GSD people. > > We were also excited that ILGA has just linked to our project and this will help all their members access the papers. It now appears on their homepage and also directly at ilga.org/ilga/en/article/nEbnHfv1ZD > > > > Love me as I am: Exclusive Launch At Foyles > 23rd October 2012 6:30pm - 7:30pm > > 'Love Me As I Am' is an anthology of beautifully written letters by gay men as they reflect on the childhood experiences that shaped their lives. Their stories may very well be among the most provocative, sad, enlightening and inspiring tales you may ever read. In sharing their life experiences, these men not only give themselves the opportunity to heal their wounds of the past, but they also give the reader a bird's eye view of the key moments that shape the lives of so many gay men. > > The stories in 'Love Me As I Am' all share the common threads of invalidation, being overwhelmed by shame and the painful (but worthwhile) journey to self-acceptance and authenticity. These tales speak hard truths, which have the potential to impact the lives of every one - irrespective of their sexual orientation... > > > Exclusive Launch At Foyles > > 23rd October 2012 6:30pm - 7:30pm > Venue: the Gallery at Foyles, Third Floor, 113 - 119 Charing Road, London WC2H 0EB > > Full details about the launch and how to reserve tickets here > > > > Gay Utopia: going beneath the surface > Saturday, 3 November 2012 at 19:00 - Sunday, 4 November 2012 at 13:00 > > We are now standing on the cusp of the dawn of a new age - our own Emerald City, where we can raise families, wed our boyfriends, name our own streets, have our own television shows and strut our stuff proudly. We are courted by businesses, consulted by the influential and powerful, encouraged, accepted and celebrated. > > Surely, this must be the Gay Utopia we've been fighting for? > > However, much as we have the love and support of our friends, families and partners, there's a darkness and terrible shame hiding just beneath the surface. The evidence? A community struggling with serious mental health and addiction issues, teenage suicides, social dysfunction, dissatisfaction, destructive behaviours and habits. > > As the veneer of being fabulous starts to wear thin for many gay men, there is disillusionment as the realisation dawns on those brave enough to look that they're trapped on the seesaw of "love myself or hate myself," "single or coupled," "feast or famine." Many continue consciously or unconsciously with this struggle of self-hatred and disgust, some with only a suspicion of what lies beneath, but a growing number are starting to ask themselves: > Is this really as good as it gets? > > http://www.thequestawaitsyou.com/gayutopia/ > > > Celebrate Your Heartbeat! Celebrate You! Native American inspired journey > 28th Sept -30th Sept > > Come on a Native American inspired journey with Lori Coulson and Pauline Earle. We offer our time as a gift to help you explore who you are at beautiful Rowden, Dartmoor Devon, 28th Sept -30th Sept. > > Only £100 to include veggie food, shared accommodation, art materials, use of drums and a donation to Dancing to Eagle Spirit Society to enable First Nations Elders to come and teach here 2013. Lorna (Lori) has a qualification in Native Spirituality from DTESS in Canada as well as 35 years of groupwork and personal development experience; this includes specialist work in the LGBT community. Pauline is an artist and explorer as well as a therapist, who, for 30 years, has welcomed groups of all kinds to her beautiful home on the moor. > > 01364 621249 [log in to unmask] www.dartmoorbase.co.uk > > > 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 diversity clients. > Dominic Davies > Pink Therapy > > Forward email > > This email was sent to [log in to unmask] by [log in to unmask] | > Instant removal with SafeUnsubscribe™ | Privacy Policy. > Pink Therapy | Box BCM 5159 | London | WC1N 3XX | null >