With greater frequency, clinicians are engaging relational systems that identify as LGBTQQIA +, gender non-conforming, kinky, polyamorous, swingers, and consensually non-monogamous. These identities can challenge unacknowledged heteronormative biases and world views, resulting in therapists, un-intentional, introducing iatrogenic injury into the therapy process, reinforcing oppressions that LGBTQQIA +, gender non-conforming, kinky, polyamorous, swingers, and consensually non-monogamous people struggle with daily. This 90-minute workshop will provide therapists with tools to working effectively with varied relationship dynamics, and identities, while also considering the strengths and advantages these systems and identities may offer to monogamous couples. Specific topics will include exploring clinician bias, exploring ones sexological world view, and theoretical stances most helpful to working with relationship styles and identities that challenge heteronormative constructs of relational, sexual and erotic practices and identities. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role relational contracting as a tool of differentiation and optimal relational functioning.
Participants will be able to:
- Identify clinical biases and sexological world-views that undermine systemic work with LGBTQQIA +, gender non-conforming, kinky, polyamorous, and consensually non-monogamous relational systems
- Apply differentiation, intersectionality, and queer theory to challenge heteronormative constructs of health and pathology when working with LGBTQQIA +, gender non-conforming, kinky, polyamorous, and consensually non-monogamous relational systems
- Identify relational contracting skills, a strength of ethical non-monogamous relationships, as a tool that can benefit all styles of interpersonal relational systems
Joseph Winn LICSW, CST-S received his MSW from The Boston University School of Social Work in 1995. Joe has completed extensive post-graduate training in domestic violence, and family and couples therapy with a particular interest in structural, strategic, Bowenian, collaborative language systems and post-modern models of intervention. Joe is also an AASECT certified sex therapist, and AASECT certified supervisor of sex therapy. Joe has been self-employed in private practice since 2006 has a thriving supervisory practice and maintains an office in West Concord, Massachusetts. Joe works primarily with mixed gender, LGBTQQIA + individuals, couples in open and consensual non-monogamy, polyamory and kink and has a particular interest in high conflict couples, and couples looking to regain pleasure and trust-based sexuality after sexual assault and abuse. While drawing from a variety of couples therapy models including EFT, experiential, and object relations, Joe resonates most strongly with Bader and Pearson’s Development Model of couples therapy. Joe is also a member of the training faculty with The South Shore Sexual Health Center, in Quincy, Massachusetts. SSSHC is an AASECT approved training program for clinicians looking to become AASECT Certified Sex Therapists.
