About this course

Learning Objectives

• Describe how LGBTQIA+ clients may present with embodied survival responses, such as hypervigilance, masking, fawning, dissociation, and concealment, related to shame, visibility, desire, family rupture, or social threat.
• Identify at least three ways heteronormative or cisnormative assumptions can shape clinical assessment, therapeutic rapport, or treatment planning.
• Explain the clinical relevance of chosen family, community belonging, and relational repair when working with LGBTQIA+ clients.
• Apply trauma-informed, non-pathologizing strategies for engaging queer shame and desire as clinical material.

Learning Levels

• Intermediate

Target Audience

Course Instructor(s)

• 

  Dr. Thomas Whitfield

  Clinical Psychologist, Founder CBT EMDR Therapy of Manhattan

  Dr. Thomas Whitfield is a New York City-based clinical psychologist, writer, and unapologetically direct therapist who challenges the norms of traditional psychotherapy. He is the founder and clinical director of CBT/EMDR Associates, a thriving private practice in Manhattan, where he specializes in evidence-based treatment for anxiety, trauma, depression, and relationship issues. With a Ph.D. in Health Psychology and Clinical Science from The Graduate Center at CUNY, Dr. Whitfield blends academic rigor with deeply human insights.

  Dr. Whitfield has trained at prestigious institutions including Geisinger Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the Albert Ellis Institute. His clinical and research expertise has led to dozens of peer-reviewed publications, as well as presentations at international conferences in Amsterdam, Paris, and beyond. Outside the therapy room, he previously hosted the popular YouTube series Shit They Won’t Tell You in Sex Ed, and authored a love, sex, and relationships column titled Thomas Talks About, known for its sharp wit and refreshing honesty.

• 

  Mariah Rooney, MSW, LCSW/LICSW

  Trauma Therapist & Educator

  Mariah Rooney, MSW, LCSW (they/she) is a trauma therapist, educator, and consultant working at the nexus of trauma, healing justice, and transformative change. With academic appointments at Winona State University, the University of St. Thomas, and The New School for Social Research, Mariah's clinical work specializes in complex trauma, dissociation, and identity development, with a focus on LGBTQ+ and gender-diverse communities. They are the founder of Trauma Informed Weight Lifting and creator and host of MOVD the podcast, animated by a commitment to collective liberation and the belief that healing is both personal and political.

• 

  Prentis Hemphill

  Author 'What it Takes to Heal', Therapist, Somatics Teacher& Founder of The Embodiment Institute

  Prentis Hemphill is the bestselling author of What It Takes to Heal, a groundbreaking exploration of healing, justice, and transformation. A therapist, somatics teacher, facilitator, political organizer, and writer, Prentis is also the founder of The Embodiment Institute and a leading voice in embodied leadership and collective healing.

  For over a decade, Prentis has worked with individuals and organizations through their most challenging moments of change—navigating leadership transitions, conflict, and the alignment of practice with values. Grounded in an embodied approach, their work ensures that our intentions aren't just ideas, but are fully lived, felt, and practiced.

  Before founding The Embodiment Institute, Prentis served as the Healing Justice Director at Black Lives Matter Global Network and was a lead somatics teacher with generative somatics and Black Organizing for Leadership and Dignity (BOLD). They hold an M.A. in Clinical Psychology and have provided therapeutic services in low-cost mental health clinics, centering marginalized communities.

  Prentis has contributed to Atlas of the Heart (Brené Brown), The Politics of Trauma (Staci K. Haines), You Are Your Best Thing (edited by Brené Brown & Tarana Burke), and Holding Change (adrienne maree brown). They are also the creator and host of the acclaimed podcasts Finding Our Way and Becoming the People, which have surpassed over a million downloads.

  At its core, Prentis’ work challenges the complacency of mainstream therapeutic models, infusing healing with the rigor of justice, repair, and accountability. They believe that reclaiming feeling and relationship creates space for true transformation—in ourselves, our movements, and the world.

  Prentis lives on a small farm in Durham, NC, with their partner, Kasha, their child, and two dogs.

• 

  Marko Cotton-Critelli

  Host, the Relationsh!t Podcast

  Through his storytelling, Marko sheds light on the importance of maintaining individuality while being part of a couple, the ongoing process of rediscovery, and how to handle the ever-changing dynamics of love and desire. His experiences with his husband Tony, serve as a testament to the complexities of monogamy and the resilience required to keep a relationship thriving over many years. With a focus on both the struggles and triumphs, Marko’s insights encourage listeners to reflect on their own relationships and consider what it means to truly commit to someone else, while also remaining true to themselves.

Disclosure

References

• American Psychological Association. (2015). Guidelines for psychological practice with transgender and gender nonconforming people. American Psychologist, 70(9), 832-864. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0039906
• American Psychological Association. (2021). APA guidelines for psychological practice with sexual minority persons. https://www.apa.org/about/policy/psychological-sexual-minority-persons.pdf
• Budge, S. L., & Moradi, B. (2018). Attending to gender in psychotherapy: Understanding and incorporating systems of power. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 74(11), 2014-2027. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22686
• Haines, S. (2019). The politics of trauma: Somatics, healing, and social justice. North Atlantic Books.
• Meyer, I. H. (2003). Prejudice, social stress, and mental health in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations: Conceptual issues and research evidence. Psychological Bulletin, 129(5), 674-697. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.129.5.674
• Nguyen, J., Anderson, J., & Pepping, C. A. (2024). A systematic review and research agenda of internalized sexual stigma in sexual minority individuals: Evidence from longitudinal and intervention studies. Clinical Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102376
• Pachankis, J. E. (2014). Uncovering clinical principles and techniques to address minority stress, mental health, and related health risks among gay and bisexual men. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 21(4), 313-330. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12078
• Pachankis, J. E., Soulliard, Z. A., Seager van Dyk, I., Layland, E. K., Clark, K. A., Levine, D. S., & Jackson, S. D. (2022). Training in LGBTQ-affirmative cognitive behavioral therapy: A randomized controlled trial across LGBTQ community centers. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 90(7), 582-599. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000745
• Puckett, J. A., Matsuno, E., Dyar, C., Mustanski, B., & Newcomb, M. E. (2019). Mental health and resilience in transgender individuals: What type of support makes a difference? Journal of Family Psychology, 33(8), 954-964. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000561
• Singh, A. A., & Dickey, L. M. (2017). Affirmative counseling with transgender and gender nonconforming clients. In K. A. DeBord, A. R. Fischer, K. J. Bieschke, & R. M. Perez (Eds.), Handbook of sexual orientation and gender diversity in counseling and psychotherapy (pp. 157–182). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/15959-007
• Tebbe, E. A., & Budge, S. L. (2022). Factors that drive mental health disparities and promote well-being in transgender and nonbinary people. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(12), 694-707. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-022-00109-0