This video course bundle brings together two highly relevant and timely courses designed to equip psychotherapists and counselors with the knowledge and skills to work affirmatively with LGBTQ+ clients. The first course, “Gender, Sex, and Relationship Diversities: Working with LGBTQ+ Clients”, delves into the unique challenges that LGBTQ+ individuals face when seeking mental health care. Participants will gain an understanding of the diverse gender identities, sexual orientations, and relationship styles that present in the therapy room. This course emphasizes the importance of creating an affirmative, non-judgmental therapeutic space that challenges heteronormativity and addresses the stigma and microaggressions that LGBTQ+ clients often encounter in society and within clinical settings. Therapists will develop cultural competence in working with Gender, Sex, and Relationship Diversity (GSRD) clients, using case studies and reflective exercises to adapt their practices.

Building on this foundation, the second course, “Chemsex: A Crutch to Deal with Shame & Stigma?”, focuses on the increasingly prevalent issue of chemsex among gay, bi, and LGBTQ+ individuals. This course explores the complex motivations behind chemsex participation, including the burden of loneliness, stigma, and internalized homophobia. Participants will learn how to assess chemsex behaviors through a biopsychosocial lens, and will be equipped with harm minimization techniques to help clients engage in safer use. A trauma-informed approach is emphasized, particularly through the 3-phase model for treating the underlying shame and stigma driving chemsex behaviors. This course provides essential insights into building therapeutic collaboration with clients and developing strategies for stabilization, grounding, and recovery.

By engaging with this video course bundle, therapists will gain a nuanced understanding of working with LGBTQ+ clients, learning to address both the external challenges of societal stigma and the internal struggles around identity, shame, and substance use.

Learning Objectives Across Both Courses:

By completing both video courses, participants will be able to:

• Discuss how diverse gender identities, sexual orientations and relationship styles are present in the therapy room and the specific enquiries that we need to learn to make in initial sessions; while being compassionate & completely non-judgmental
• Discuss the cultural context relevant to therapy working with GSRD clients – specifically discussing the latest debates and polarisations in society around gender & sexuality
• Explain the therapeutic processes of GSRD therapy, including skills and clinical interventions
• Discuss how to assess Chemsex in gay and bi men, and MSM
• Explain how to work with harm minimisation
• Explain how to treat the underlying causes, including shame.

This comprehensive video course bundle will equip practitioners with the tools and insights necessary to provide culturally competent and trauma-informed care for LGBTQ+ clients, addressing both their identity-related needs and challenges around chemsex and substance use.

This video resource pack contains two complete workshops (CPD/CE credits: 6) that cover:

Part 1: Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversities: Working with LGBTQ+ Clients – Building an Affirmative Practice (Dominic Davies, CPD/CE credits: 3)

Research has shown more people are identifying as non-heterosexual than ever before – making it imperative for psychotherapists, counsellors and psychologists to update themselves with Gender, Sex & Relationship (GSRD) Diversities. This becomes a key consideration as we are increasingly called upon to effectively provide therapeutic services that meet the specific needs of clients who identify as LGBTQ+. Furthermore, latest figures show that up to 4.5% of adult population may identify as gender-diverse, while an even higher percentage may have questions about their own gender identities – questions, that are increasingly relevant in our clinical settings as therapists.

Even though there has been greater visibility in recent years, LGBTQIA+ individuals continue to be more likely to experience mental-health difficulties – owing to the overarching presence of societal stigma. Also, they are more likely to encounter microaggressions when seeking mental health support, often expecting to meet with a lack of culturally competent care.

This intellectually stimulating and practical webinar by Dominic Davies, who specialises in Gender, Sexual and Relationship Diversity (LGBTQI+) and is the Founder and CEO of Pink Therapy; aims to update us on the current best practice guidelines that inform working with GSRD clients. The overall goal is to present an overview of the diverse gender identities, sexual orientations and relationship styles, with a particular emphasis on clinical practice and how we can adapt the therapeutic process to meet the specific needs of these client groups.

Through an interactive workshop, we will discuss:

• How diverse gender identities, sexual orientations and relationship styles are present in the therapy room and the specific enquiries that we need to learn to make in initial sessions; while being compassionate & completely non-judgmental
• An awareness of the cultural context relevant to therapy working with GSRD clients – specifically discussing the latest debates and polarisations in society around gender & sexuality
• An overview of the core theoretical concepts in GSRD therapy – including how we can avoid being heteronormative in practice
• Understanding some of the unique therapeutic processes of GSRD therapy, including skills and clinical interventions which will be illustrated by case studies.
• An opportunity to reflect on our own blind spots, prejudices, and learning growth

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss how diverse gender identities, sexual orientations and relationship styles are present in the therapy room and the specific enquiries that we need to learn to make in initial sessions; while being compassionate & completely non-judgmental
• Discuss the cultural context relevant to therapy working with GSRD clients – specifically discussing the latest debates and polarisations in society around gender & sexuality
• Explain the therapeutic processes of GSRD therapy, including skills and clinical interventions