Challenging dominant narratives from an LGBTQIA+ perspective: how to better serve art therapy service users

This course will help you better serve your LGBTQIA+ service users, but most importantly, we will see how reaching this goal helps us better serve all of our users. It's for anyone who would like to expand their self-reflection and challenge their limits in order to open up the therapeutic space.

Book tickets

Date & Time

Saturday 8 July 2023

10am - 4pm

Who this event is for

Suitably qualified and trainee professionals

Tickets

Non-members: £195

Associate members: £120

Full members
Employed: £120
Underemployed: £110
Unemployed/retired: £100

Trainee members: £100

Please create a free booking account if you don't have one or are not a member.

Location

Online via Zoom

Challenging dominant narratives from an LGBTQIA+ perspective: how to better serve art therapy service users

This course will help you better serve your LGBTQIA+ service users, but most importantly, we will see how reaching this goal helps us better serve all of our users. It's for anyone who would like to expand their self-reflection and challenge their limits in order to open up the therapeutic space.

Why we’re running this course

Many creative art therapists have called for a greater awareness in our profession of social injustice and have cautioned against the invisibility of social privilege, be it by race, gender, sexual orientation or any other means.

They have called for institutions to be more vigilant in including awareness of the unconscious nature of prejudices in their art therapy training programmes and they have called on individual therapists to be more self-reflective in their practices. This training aims to respond to this call and help therapists self-reflect on their practice from a LGBTQIA+ perspective.

When we as therapists create a space in our minds that challenges socio-cultural norms, we expand the therapeutic field. This process increases the possible choices available to our service user in terms of understanding and collocating their artwork’s meaning.

What you will learn

This course has a strong practical content because it aims to help us identify that space between ‘thinking’ and ‘feeling’ and strengthen the connection between the two. Which words and which topics trigger a fear response inside my body? How can I work with my body to increase mine and my service user’s sense of safety as we work outside our comfort zones?

This course will look at a selection of literature and theoretical frameworks surrounding LGBTQIA+ issues in art therapy as well as drawing on theories that challenge traditional power dynamics within the therapeutic setting.

We will look at specific needs connected with the LGBTQIA+ community and experiment with tools for exploring identity and re-writing subjugated narratives. Interactive discussion between participants, art-making and contacting our ‘felt sense’ will be key tools for the learning experience.

Completing this course will enable you to:

  • Self-reflect on the diversity of power dynamics implicitly active within the therapy setting and understand the significance of an intersectional approach.
  • Feel more confident discussing LGBTQIA+ issues and use appropriate terminology.
  • Be aware of important differences within the LGBTQIA+ umbrella, and their implications in terms of identity and coming out.
  • Be more aware of how your body responds to situations outside of your comfort zone.

Tutor

Rebecca Rivkah Hetherington-Tadolini

Fantastic, informative course with really well balanced experiential/learning/reflection. This has been such a valuable training and I highly recommend it.

Frequently asked questions