Webinar for Alma: Gender Expression and Mental Health: Recognizing, Embodying, and Using Our Authentic Selves in Session

Friday, June 23, 2023
12:00 PM 3:00 PM 12:00 15:00

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As therapists our most essential instrument for clinical engagement is ourselves, and for clients who are stigmatized based on their gender expression and/or identity, an authentic relationship with their therapist is crucial for a positive treatment. In fact, research shows that it can be psychologically harmful for many clients to work with therapists who are unaware of their own implicit biases about gender nonconformity.

Utilizing his background as a trained actor and a therapist, Mark O'Connell will help you to recognize your relationship to gender expressions--including those you find pleasurable and those for which you have implicit bias (which in many cases may be the same). He will also show you ways to make use of your genuine presence in session with all of your clients. Historical context, current research, videos, case examples, and exercises will be used to:

- Increase self-awareness of your instrument and how it affects each of your clients.
- Use yourself in session authentically and ethically--particularly in terms of implicit communication with clients.

- And, to take care of your instrument at the same time.

https://events.helloalma.com/genderexpressionandmentalhealth

Please note this event is exclusively for Alma members and will be recorded. Those who attend this event live will be able to earn CE credits through NYU. See CE information below.

Learning Objectives:

Participants will…
1. Identify and Illuminate the sources of implicit bias related to our gender expressions--including social expectations, systems of power, and history--and how it affects our mental health, especially those of us on the LGBTQ+ continuum.

2. Discuss how our own relationships to gender expression impacts each of our clients in therapy--especially in terms of our implicit communication with them. Clinical examples will be utilized.

3. Explore various ways to prepare and to use our instruments authentically in session--keeping our unique relationships to gender expression in mind--in order to effectively invite each client to connect to themselves authentically. And to take care of ourselves at the same time.