*IHI Competency Courses are offered with or without continuing education unit (CEU) credits. IHI is authorized by the state of New York to provide CEUs to licensed master social workers (LMSW), licensed clinical social workers (LCSW), and licensed mental health counselors (LMHC) who complete our trainings. Certificates of completion may be submitted to your respective professional state board for approval.

LGBTQ+ Affirming Care: Core Concepts, Risks, and Bias

In this training, participants will learn the basic information, terms, concepts, and ways of understanding LGBTQ+ patients that provide the foundation for queer- and trans-affirming psychotherapy. This will include risks, impacts of minority stress, as well as an exploration on personal biases that may impact clinical care. 

Objectives:

• Understand the foundational terms, theory, and concepts related to LGBTQ+ cultural competency, humility, and responsiveness

• Identify the elevated risks that queer and transgender individuals regularly face in their daily lives

• Understand the negative impacts of minority stress on LGBTQ+ individuals

• Develop awareness of personal biases, countertransference, and concerns that may impact the provision of queer- and trans-affirming psychotherapy

• Share learnings and insights through critical discussions 

Helping Gender-Diverse Clients Thrive in Therapy; What Therapists Need to Know

In this training, participants will learn affirming approaches to support transgender and gender diverse patients inside and outside the psychotherapeutic frame. This will include learning about the unique mental health needs this community faces, as well as gender dysphoria and gender euphoria, gender-affirming care, letter writing and other forms of advocacy, and care coordination. Participants will also have the opportunity to think about ethical considerations, as well as explore personal biases that may impact clinical care. 

Objectives:

• Acquire knowledge of the unique mental health needs of transgender, gender diverse, and gender expansive individuals, including gender-affirming approaches to psychotherapy and supporting clients access to affirming healthcare

• Learn approaches to understand and address gender dysphoria and facilitate gender exploration and expression in psychotherapy

• Learn considerations for supporting patients, parents, and caregivers in decision-making around gender-affirming care for transgender and gender diverse (TGD) children, youth, and older adults

• Implement practical applications to supportive gender-affirming care such as letter-writing to support gender-affirming medical interventions

• Discuss how clinicians might coordinate care and collaborate with other healthcare professionals and community resources to provide comprehensive care for LGBTQ+ clients

• Consider ethical considerations relevant to LGBTQ+ mental health, including confidentiality, informed consent, and advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights

• Learn interventions for system-wide advocacy to create an affirming environment beyond the therapy room

• Engage in ongoing self-reflection and professional development to enhance one's competence in providing sexuality- and gender-affirming psychotherapy

• Develop awareness of personal biases, countertransference, and concerns that may impact the provision of queer- and trans-affirming psychotherapy

• Share learnings and insights through critical discussions 

Affirming Sexuality and Relationship Diversity in Clinical Care

In this training, participants will learn about sex positive approaches to clinical care, as well learning foundational concepts and terms regarding non-traditional relationship styles. This will include depathologizing non-traditional sex practices or relationship styles, learning supportive clinical approaches and attachment theory, as well as an exploration on personal biases that may impact clinical care.  

Objectives:

• Develop capacity for sex-positive approaches to address issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity exploration, sexual health, and sexual and emotional intimacy in therapy

• Develop capacity to affirm non-traditional relationship styles and de-pathologize sex and sexuality in relationships (e.g. ethical consensual non-monogamy (CNM), polyamory, etc.) and sexual practices (e.g. BDSM, kink, etc.)

• Learn to employ supportive approaches for patients who practice non-traditional intimate partner relationship styles such as ethical consensual non-monogamy (CNM), polyamory, and others

• Learn about how attachment theory may impact client's sexuality or sexual practices 

• Engage in ongoing self-reflection and professional development to enhance one's competence in providing sexuality- and gender-affirming psychotherapy

• Continue to develop awareness of personal biases, countertransference, and concerns that may impact the provision of queer- and trans-affirming psychotherapy

• Share learnings and insights through critical discussions