Educational Sessions

Click HERE to register for our conference pre-recorded Educational Sessions. Once registered for the SAIGE conference, ticket holders are automatically allowed access to the main conference EVENTBRITE page, where attendees will be able to see all content for the conference and view featured and educational sessions.

Sessions will be released each Friday, throughout the month of October.

Click HERE to access our conference program!

Friday, October 8th, 2021

Creative Interventions for Addressing Bullying with LGBTGEQIAP+ Youth: Increasing Self-Esteem and Sense of Belonging

Presenter(s): Caitlin Frawley, Sheldon Aaron

Counselors engaging in group work with LGBTGEQIAP+ adolescents must consider common adversities when implementing interventions to increase self-esteem and resilience (Goodrich & Luke, 2015). Approximately, 32% of LGB youth report being bullied on school property, and 43% of transgender youth reported being bullied on school property (Roberts, 2020). Research shows that creative arts groups allow youth to explore traumatic experiences through non-verbal interventions (Malchiodi, 2021). Therefore, we will present creative arts interventions for LGBTGEQIAP+ youth experiencing bullying.

Harm Reduction with Transgender Youth: Why it is Indispensable

Presenter(s): Clarissa M. Mulligan, Francesca Scirocco, Carrie A. VanMeter

Harm reduction with youth who are transgender is a matter of life and death. There are higher rates of suicidality, self-harm, eating disorders, and depression
with transgender youth than with cisgender peers. Join us for a discussion on the importance of language and definitions, housing, victimization, legislation, suicide prevention, ethics, multicultural competency, importance of competent providers, advocacy, gatekeeping, role with caregivers of transgender youth, gender affirming care, and support within schools.

Coming Out and Coming of Age- The Narratives of Queer Youth and Internalized Homophobia

Presenter(s): Nathaniel L. Smith

This presentation will focus on the literary device of Bildungsroman, in the context of narratives of queer youth. We will explore the basic tenets of a Bildungsroman and how it fits into the framework of narrative research. Further, attendees will examine the rarely explored phenomenon of internalized homophobia and oppression. Through an examination of existing literature and presenter’s original research, attendees will consider how internalized homophobia manifests in the counseling relationship and within queer youth.

Answering Our Call to Action: Counselors as Co-Conspirators in Advocacy with Intersectional Queer and Trans Youth

Presenter(s): Whitney P. Akers

Through reflection, discussion, and experiential activities, attendees will explore implementation of liberatory counseling and advocacy practices. Attendees will gain heightened self-awareness regarding areas of strength and for growth in work with intersectional queer and trans youth, examine how power manifests within counseling and advocacy spaces, and workshop tactics to subvert systems of oppression within their communities.

Friday, October 15th, 2021

Supporting LGBTQIA+ Youth: Practical Considerations and Case Studies

Presenter(s): Krissy Moses

In this workshop you will collaborate in small groups to explore specific considerations in helping LGBTQIA+ youth to navigate the unique challenges they face within the school system and daily life. Case scenarios will reflect real life examples of the challenges LGBTQIA+ youth face in order to help you navigate the best ways to support youth in exploring and expressing their identities. Developmental stages will be considered in addressing appropriate practice guidelines.

"Existing Shouldn't Be That Hard:" LGBQ+ Youth Experiences of Ambiguous Loss & Grief during Sexual Identity Development

Presenter(s): Nancy E. Thacker, Antonio Duran, Jessica Weise

Sexual identity development elicits psychological loss experiences that can be ambiguous in nature. For LGBQ+ youth, losing senses of safety, privilege, and belonging accompany awareness of LGBQ+ identity and can lead to challenging grief responses. This presentation will discuss findings from a narrative inquiry into LGBQ+ youth experiences of this phenomena. The key role environment plays in manifestations of loss and grief will be highlighted. Implications are provided for practice in counseling and educational settings.

Broaching the fluidity of sexual identity and gender identity with children, adolescents, and their caregivers.

Presenter(s): Leslie Kooyman

This interactive presentation explores how to broach sex and sexuality with children, adolescents, and their caregivers through a gender-fluid and sexual identity fluid lens. Culturally appropriate sex positive strategies for broaching and exploring sex, gender, and sexuality with youth will be provided with resources, concrete counseling techniques, and references for additional information.

Assessment of Intersectional Minority Stress and Protective Factors in Suicide Prevention with multiple minority LGBTGEQIAP+ Youth

Presenter(s): Jeff Moe, Narketta Sparkman-Key, Alex Gantt, Bianca Augustine

Counselors working with and on behalf of LGBTGEQIAP+ youth must address how intersectional minority stress influences mental health and suicidal behavior for multiple minority individuals and groups. This includes assessing for intersectional minority stress and integrating protective factors like hope and social support into counseling, research and advocacy. The presenters demonstrate how to assess for protective factors and intersectional minority stress when addressing mental health and suicide risk with LGBTGEQIAP+ youth using evidence-based practice.

Working With Transgender Kids Who Live In Religious Homes

Presenter(s): Nathan Willis, Hannah Bayne, Anita Neuer-Colburn

Transgender kids who live in religious homes may face additional criticism, difficulties navigating and claiming their identities, and safety concerns. This workshop will cover issues that are common when working with transgender kids who live in religious homes. Working with the entire family will be emphasized with a focus on client safety and gender expression.

Friday, October 22nd, 2021

K-12 LGBTGEQIAP+ Youth Experiences in South Korea and Future Goals

Presenter(s): Eunhui Yoon, SungWon Yoon-Lee

This program will provide LGBTGEQIAP+ youth’s experiences in school in South Korea: cultural and social background of the country, major issues LGBTGEQIAP+ youth face in school, review how educators and counselors have responded, and examine the currently available resources for students. The audience will learn the uniqueness of South Korean LGBTGEQIAP+ youth’s experiences and the commonalities they share with the United States. Implications to develop best practices for a safe school will be discussed with the audience.

The Wide World of Ethical Non-Monogamy

Presenter(s): Sarah J. Stillwell

Due to the increase in crossover between the Ethical Non-Monogamous community and the SOGI (sexual orientations/gender identities) community, it has become important for counselors to be knowledgeable on ethically non-monogamous relationships and how to counsel them. This workshop will include: 1) Understanding the umbrella of ethical non-monogamy, 2) Different types of ethical non-monogamous relationships, 3) Relationship agreements, 4) Dating, and 5) Common issues seen in counseling and how to manage them.

"Establishing Gender Affirming Youth Practices Through Foundational Play Tenets

Presenter(s): Kaleb A. Thompson, Caitlin Frawley, Dalena Dillman Taylor

"Gender Expansive (GE) individuals are at risk of significant negative outcomes. Children experience gender exploration during crucial developmental years and can be impacted by the reactions and responses from those around them. The foundational tenets of play therapy encourage flexibility and exploration through a safe and supportive environment; therefore, this presentation aims to uncover the needs of GE children and youth as well as identify the primary ways play therapy can address these needs."

Being a Kink- Aware Counselor

Presenter(s): Mary Kate Reese

Are you a kink-aware counselor? This topic is important from an ethical perspective as well as a diversity framework. Come learn about alternative lifestyle terminology & behaviors that may occur between consenting adults, including sexual variations (e.g. kink, BDSM) & relationship variations (e.g. ethical non- monogamy such as swinging & polyamory). Discuss existing research on these populations & resources available on these topics.

Friday, October 29th, 2021

Creating a Safe and Affirming School for LGBTGEQIAP+ Youth of Color

Presenter(s): Eunhui Yoon, Lyds Sherman

The presenters will address the needs of LGBTGEQIAP+ youths of color in K-12 and college. This includes: 1) The role of Intersectionality and the Matrix of Oppression that creates complex identities for LGBTGEQIAP+ students of color; 2) The challenges these complex identities create and; 3) The strategies for addressing them, while fostering respect, acceptance, resilience and empowerment within an inclusive school community.

Opportunities and Barriers: Queer and Trans Identity Self-Disclosure in Counselor Education, Supervision, and Clinical Settings

Presenter(s): Mickey White, Whitney P. Akers, Sha'nee Wasson, Breanna Dampf

The dearth of literature addressing personal queer and trans identity disclosure to clients, supervisees, and students can cause uncertainty around navigating disclosure in clinical, supervisory, and educational settings. Presenters will facilitate exploration of attendee journeys around queer and trans identity disclosure, barriers to/opportunities for disclosure, and the impact of disclosure on relationships with clients, including youth clients, supervisees, and students within counselor education settings. Presenters will share preliminary findings from an original related research study.

All in for Ace Youth

Presenter(s): Stacy Pinto

Youth who identify on the asexual or “ace” spectrum are often underrepresented and overlooked. Ace youth struggle to identify relationships, language, and communities in which they are recognized – even in the most liberal environments. These challenges, among many others, lead to disproportionate rates of depression and anxiety for this population. This presentation will contextualize obstacles facing ace youth and explore approaches toward fortifying this community through direct and indirect services from a multidisciplinary, systems-based perspective.

Using Bibliotherapy as a Tool for Social Justice and Advocacy with LGBTQ+ Individuals

Presenter(s): Michael M. Kocet

This presentation will explore using bibliotherapy with LGBTQ+ children, adolescents, and adults (Burns, 2008; Gladding, 2016). Bibliotherapy can be used as a form of psychoeducational intervention and therapeutic catharsis, as well as a tool for education and advocacy/social justice issues related to the LGBTQ+ community. Integrating case studies and group discussion, the presentation will share guidelines to using bibliotherapy with LGBTQ+ clients, as well as show examples of literature, books, memoirs, and graphic novels counselors can use with affectional minorities and gender non-conforming clients on a range of topics, such as coming out, LGBTQ spirituality/religion, trans identity, and anti LGBTQ bullying.

Gayme Night - Online Games in Therapeutic Contexts with LGBTGEQIAP+ Youth

Presenter(s): Jonathan Ribble, Ryn Gonzales

Play is the natural language of children and a potent tool for therapy. Using games in online spaces with youth clients, individually and in groups, can strengthen relationships and directly serve therapy goals. Creative and imaginative games facilitate identity exploration in a fun and natural way, which is particularly important for LGBTGEQIAP+ youth. We will share lessons learned, best practices, and practical tools from our work with LGBTGEQIAP+ youth in online therapeutic spaces.