Queer Counseling & Narrative Practice

This forum is for conversation relating to the third lesson of Queer counseling & Narrative practice (A queer umbrella for all). This lesson includes:   the marginalizing effects of many religious beliefs on LGBTQ identified individuals, along with alternative paths to spiritual re-connection.  the challenges faced by many families when an adolescent “comes out” as LGBT or Q.  aAn award-winning film celebrating the first gay & lesbian prom in America.  an exercise engaging the narrative [...]

Before posting, please review the article,  Queer lives & spiritual leanings by Charles Jasper here. This article describes the process of how some LGBTQ individuals are able to stay connected and become re-connected to spiritual values, despite the oppressive effects of homophobia and heterosexual dominance at the core of many religious teachings and practices. In what ways do you understand someone wanting to be a member of a religious group that doesn't want them as a member? How, if [...]

Before joining in, please read the article: Narrative therapy pathways for re-authoring with parents of adolescents coming out as lesbian, gay & bisexual by Susan Salzburg (here). Susan provides case examples of parents and teens employing narrative practices to re-claim their individual values and family relationships in the face of challenging cultural forces.  Special attention is paid to addressing multicultural issues of privilege, power, and the ‘coming-out’ process. What did you most appreciate about this article? How, if [...]

Come try out the exploring heterosexism exercise here. Which question(s) here stood out for you as most interesting and/or unexpected? Which question(s), if any, do you imagine being most helpful in separating an individual from the oppressive effects of heterosexism in the culture? October 6, 2014: Sarah Hughes Sarah HughesOctober 6, 2014: Sarah Hughes Hello, A memory that came to me since reading this exercise a few weeks ago [...]

This topic introduces "Voices from the Margins" - the fourth (and final) lesson in this course. Before joining this conversation, please review the lesson materials here. This lesson gives voice to unique experiences of both transgender and bisexual individuals, including an exercise to help identify and engage queer preferences.  An award-winning film addressing the challenges and celebrating the triumphs of  gay and lesbian law enforcement officers from across the United States completes this lesson.   [...]

Before joining in, please be sure you've read the article, S/he by Jesse Green (July 4, 2012, New York Magazine). You can find it here. this article details issues faced by many trans*-identified youth and their families, including a challenge to the medical notion of psychopathology, along with the recent, controversial emergence of “puberty blockers." How might the narrative assumption of the client as expert inform some of the challenges faced by these families? What [...]

Before joining the conversation, please read Forms of Bisexuality by Kathy Labriola  here. This article identifies 13 potential variations on bisexual expression and identity, expanding on the notion that there can be a multiplicity of ways in which we live and describe our sexual experiences. What do you imagine is so challenging for some people about the notion of bisexuality? How might a wider lens like the one suggested in this article make room for otherwise silenced [...]

Before joining this conversation, please watch the documentary, Gay Cops: Pride behind the badge here. What did you most appreciate about this story? Where, if at all, do you see the influence of narrative therapy assumptions and/or practices in this film?