Authors from the Queering Psychotherapy book discuss topics such as gender, sexuality, relationships, and resistance to oppression. They explore the legacy of homophobia in psychotherapy, highlight the importance of centering marginalized voices, and discuss the value of oral tradition in therapy. They also delve into their research on queer children, aiming to spark curiosity and discussion in the field.
The book 'Queering Psychotherapy' aims to challenge the marginalization and pathologization of queer and trans lives in therapy, and center their experiences to improve mental health outcomes.
By centering queer, trans, and intersex experiences, the book challenges the notion of normal human behavior, redefines the lens of therapy, and benefits all clients.
Deep dives
Motivation behind the book 'Queering Psychotherapy'
The motivation behind the book 'Queering Psychotherapy' was to address the poor mental health outcomes that LGBTQ+ individuals often experience in therapy. The authors noticed that therapy approaches were largely developed by heterosexual cisgender and white theorists, resulting in the marginalization and pathologization of queer and trans lives. The book aims to challenge these norms, make visible the structural inequalities impacting clients' lives, and center queer, trans, and cutie park experiences. It serves as an accessible and radical collection of conversations, acknowledging the politics inherent in our lives and feminist, queer, and trans perspectives that can enrich the therapeutic field.
Importance of centering queer, trans, and intersex experiences
The book emphasizes the importance of centering queer, trans, and intersex experiences as a way to shift the entire conversation within the therapeutic field. By acknowledging the richness and diversity of these experiences, the book challenges the notion of normal human behavior and highlights that everyone has a gender, sexuality, and relationships that deserve recognition. The chapter on working with trans and gender expansive clients explores this idea further, aiming to recenter the most marginalized individuals and shift the lens of therapy for the benefit of all clients.
Oral tradition and accessibility of the book
The book stands out for its accessibility and oral tradition approach, which mirrors the practice of therapy itself. The conversational format allows different practitioners to engage in conversations around various issues, making the content more engaging and dynamic. The book aims to value the oral tradition of storytelling, connecting, and healing, recognizing that therapy is often an oral tradition that relies on conversation and connection. By making knowledge more accessible and inclusive, the book challenges the traditional associations between therapy and academic theory, providing a vital resource for therapists and those interested in therapy.
In this event, #TherapistsConnect co-leads meet with some of the authors from the Queering Psychotherapy book discuss the motivations for the book, and delve into some of the book chapters.
J. Chance Czyzselska (they/them) - relational integrative psychotherapist in private practice, editor and writer. Member of The Relational School organising team.
Ellis J. Johnson (he/him) is a psychodynamic psychotherapeutic counsellor and trainer who specialises in working alongside clients who are transgender, non-binary, queer and/or questioning.
Amanda Middleton (she/her) is a white, queer, femme antipodean who thinks a lot about gender. For the last 20 years, she has fought passionately to put queer lives at the centre of knowledge-making.
Neil Young (he/they) is an integrative arts psychotherapist working in private practice online and face-to-face as well as an experienced facilitator, researcher and author who teaches a number of therapy and counselling training courses.
Caz Binstead is the founder of our first project #TraineeTalk and project lead for #TherapistsCreate. Caz is an experienced therapist and supervisor, working in private practice. Through her extensive work on creating ethical and thriving practices, she has helped hundreds of therapists set up their private practice.
Dr Peter Blundell (he/him/his) is an academic, researcher, lecturer, trainer, and consultant. He is a counsellor/psychotherapist, a social worker, and a senior lecturer at Liverpool John Moores University.