Course Description

Continuing Education Hours: 7.5

This session will begin with an overview of key terminology and health outcomes for the LGBTQIA+ community. We will discuss trauma genesis and review the impact that trauma, microaggressions, discrimination, and systemic heterosexism and cissexism have on the physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being of LGBTQIA+ individuals. This course will look at how unintended bias affects the LGBTQIA community as well as examine how medical and mental healthcare have historically been significant sources of trauma. Participants will enhance their awareness of privilege and gain tools to monitor heteronormativity and cisnormativity. During the course, we will examine what affirmative treatment approaches look like and how to adapt assessment, diagnosis, and treatment to conceptualize clients from multiple intersections of identity. We will explore how to integrate trauma-informed care principles into affirmative treatment and healing. The final section will review how to engage in appropriate advocacy efforts and allyship as well as locate supportive local and national resources.

Learning Objectives

  • Participants will understand the vocabulary of this population (homophobia, transphobia, heterosexism, cissexism, heteronormativity, and cisnormativity) and understand the impact each has on LGBTQIA+ individuals.

  • Participants will enhance their knowledge of how trauma affects the body and brain and increase awareness of trauma experiences within the LGBTQIA+ community, including in medical and mental healthcare.

  • Participants will conceptualize LGBTQIA+ clients from a multicultural and trauma-informed lens with considerations for intersectionality, minority stress, and internalized homophobia and transphobia.

  • Participants will identify affirmative approaches to healthcare and counseling when working with LGBTQIA+ clients and patients.

  • Participants will integrate trauma-informed principles into affirmative care when working with the LGBTQIA+ population.

  • Participants will identify local and national resources as well as recognize appropriate advocacy efforts and allyship for LGBTQIA+ populations.

Course Instructor

Jessica "Jess" Fletcher

MC, LPC, CCTS, TYCM

Jessica “Jess” Fletcher is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and provides mental health counseling to youth and adults in Arizona. She practices as a LGBTQIA+, poly, kink affirmative clinician. Jess is a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist for Individuals (CCTS-I) and certified in the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Method through the Trauma-Conscious Yoga Institute. She received her Master of Counseling degree at Arizona State University. Jess currently works in a private practice, which advocates for affirmative, inclusive care and approaches healing from a health and wellness perspective. Jess has experience counseling in multidisciplinary and community settings such as homes, schools, and integrated medical clinics. She also completed additional training on counseling and supporting gender expansive youth and adults through a program provided by Phoenix Children’s Hospital. She is a member of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH). She believes people are incredibly resilient and strives to practice and mentor in holistic ways by incorporating gentle somatic work, intersectional identities, and community into the healing process.

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Our refund policy: We do not allow for refunds to occur after the completion of the first module of any of our courses. You will have a 14 day window in which to make a request for a refund, providing you have not completed any of the modules in a given course. If you believe you have made a purchase by mistake then you can contact us at 480-442-1840. Refund requests that come after 14 days of the initial purchases or that come after completing any of the modules will not be approved. There is an $8 Processing Fee for every refund that we process.