This recorded webinar was featured at the 2021 ADAA Virtual Conference Resilience and Recovery: From Research to Practice.
Webinar Description:
Despite incredible advances in the science of psychological distress among gender minority (i.e., transgender and gender non-conforming; TGNC) and sexual minority (e.g., gay, lesbian, bisexual, pansexual) clients (Pachankis, 2018), changes in treatment have lagged. Historically, randomized clinical trials have rarely reported the sexual orientation or gender identities of participants (Heck, 2017), and some studies suggest that limitations may exist in non-adapted treatment protocols that may reduce treatment efficacy with some sexual and gender minority clients experiencing minority stress (e.g., Beard et al., 2017). Findings identifying and highlighting transdiagnostic targets that are broadly beneficial to sexual and gender minority (SGM) clients can be better incorporated into current treatment practices (e.g., Hatzenbuehler, 2009; Pachankis et al., 2015; Cohen et al., 2016).
This workshop will emphasize contextual behavioral techniques that take advantage of research on minority stress, emotion regulation, and interpersonal relationships. The workshop will incorporate both theoretical and experiential work. Moving through life as a gender or sexual minority often entails some period of secrecy, guardedness, shame, and familial ruptures. We will explore the therapeutic techniques that tackle these concerns, and the role of the clinical relationship within this therapies to enhance outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
- Participants will learn how minority stress affects psychological distress among SGM clients.
- Participants will understand how to incorporate minority stress into case conceptualizations.
- Participants will improve understanding of how their own comfort around sexuality affects the treatment process.
