KPACT Kink and Polyam Aware Chicago Therapists
Awareness, Professionalism, Advocacy, Compassion, Training.
by Rami Henrich, LCSW & Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. This is the second in a series of articles about the intersections of polyamorous identities and psychotherapy, adapted from our article in Sexual and Relationship Therapy, “Social and therapeutic challenges facing polyamorous clients” (Henrich & Trawinski 2016). In this installment, we provide an overview of Rami’s research findings, which uncover […]
Why do we sometimes misuse power even when we know better? That question is at the core of POWER: A USER’S GUIDE, the latest book by coach, facilitator, educator, and author Julie Diamond, Ph.D. In this video, Julie speaks with LifeWorks’ Cindy Trawinski about power dynamics in therapeutic relationships, as well as how therapists can […]
Why is learning about “personal” versus “positional” power so important? That question is at the core of POWER: A USER’S GUIDE, the latest book by coach, facilitator, educator, and author Julie Diamond, Ph.D. As its title suggests, Power: A User’s Guide is a how-to manual for anybody—parent, boss, teacher, politician, social activist—for whom wielding authority […]
by Rami Henrich, LCSW The days following the 2016 US Presidential Election were difficult for many people. No matter which candidate you supported, you may have found yourself overwhelmed by distressing news reports, tense conversations with loved ones, and your own complicated feelings. Now with the inauguration over and the new administration taking shape, many […]
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. Prejudice, stereotyping, bias—however we understand these tendencies and attitudes, we can learn to identify, confront, wrestle with, accept, and change them within ourselves. Sometimes, however, doing so is possible only with great difficulty. Discrimination takes many forms, including harassment, bullying, hate speech, and scapegoating. Such behaviors put others at risk, cause […]
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. My world and life, like many people’s, is a mix of privilege and struggle. As a cisgender woman, I have some privileges that trans women and men do not. For example, I can assume that others will use my preferred pronouns (she, her, and hers) when referencing me. As a person […]
by Carrie Jameson, LCPC So, your best friend tells you they are kinky and/or they practice BDSM (Bondage and Discipline [BD], Dominance and Submission [Ds], Sadism and Masochism [SM]). Whether it is your best friend, a sibling, parent, or child, you may want to be an ally, but simply don’t know what to do or […]
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. As therapists, we recognize our ethical obligations to know and acknowledge the limits of our training and skills. We know that our expertise grows over time with experience and supervision, reading, dialogue and further training. These activities contribute to our mastery of specialized areas, methods or skills. But what about cultural […]
by Julie Diamond, Ph.D. When I was working as a therapist, I often asked myself about the future of psychotherapy. I even wrote an article about it in 2000, called Five Predictions on the Future of Psychotherapy. In it, I said that the paternalistic doctor-patient model will be replaced by a partnership model. I wasn’t […]
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. This blog was inspired by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) blog How to Be a LGBTQ Ally. I am grateful to HRC for their groundbreaking leadership in the fight for the rights of LGBT people in US and around the world. To read the original HRC blog, click http://www.hrc.org/blog/entry/how-to-be-an-lgbt-ally For a […]
Most graduate programs mention the issue of a power difference between client and therapist as a potential ethical issue. But power dynamics go beyond ethics: power dynamics shape how we feel and perceive ourselves and each other. Power is subtle and impacts the psychotherapy relationship as well most relationships. Clients in kinky or polyam communities […]
by Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. This post originally appeared on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) blog on October 5, 2105, in advance of National Coming Out Day. It was written by Hayley Miller, Senior Digital Media Associate. We think it contains valuable information for anyone wanting to become more affirming and supportive to LGBT friends and […]
