The AAMFT Blog

The Respect for Marriage Act – The MFT Perspective

Just last week, the Respect for Marriage Act passed in the House 258-169, marking an incredibly historic moment for not only the country, but also for marriage and family therapists. The first version of this bill was originally introduced back in 2009 and was reintroduced into Congress this past summer. The revised version still included protections for same-sex marriages, but now extends protections to interracial couples. The Senate previously passed the bill in November. 

The bill is on its way to Biden’s desk, which he says upon House passage of the bill, President Biden said he “looks forward to signing into law” this landmark legislation. Biden writes, “The House’s bipartisan passage of the Respect for Marriage Act—by a significant margin—will give peace of mind to millions of LGBTQI+ and interracial couples who are now guaranteed the rights and protections to which they and their children are entitled.” Biden signed the bill yesterday afternoon during a large celebration at the White House, marking a huge step forward for the field of marriage and family therapy.  

This past year, the Journal of Marital and Family Therapy (JMFT) released its Decade In Review– a special issue released every ten years that reviews what the past 10 years of systemic therapy research has to say about various topics within the field. This review included a special article on how couple and family therapy research can reduce mental health disparities for racially and ethnically diverse populations. The article reviewed research surrounding minority, interracial and LGBTQI+ couples, advocating for their inclusion in systemic therapy research and studies in order to advance the field.  

LGBTQI+ individuals are already more likely to struggle with issues like depression and anxiety, due to the stigmas and discrimination they face. Similarly, interracial couples face issues with stereotyping, isolation, negative comments, and rejection, which can often lead and contribute to mental health issues. These mental health concerns impact more than just the individual– they affect the entire family, marriage, and relationship structure. Thus, marriage and family therapy can help address and resolve these issues from a systemic perspective, mitigating any stressors or implications they may cause in marriages.  

JMFT’s Decade in Review article on mental health disparities noted that only 68 of the 271 (25%) articles they examined included predominantly racial/ethnic minority samples or globally underserved populations. Among the 60 relevant articles examined, there was a pattern of inattention to methodological considerations relevant to diverse populations. LGBTQI+ and interracial couples deserve to have the mental health and marriage therapy resources they need to maintain healthy relationships. The passing of this bill is just the first step towards including, accepting, and appreciating LGBTQI and interracial couples, both inside and outside the therapy room. 

Clinical Guidelines for LGBTQIA-Affirming Marriage and Family Therapy

The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) is pleased to announce new guidelines that outline how marriage and family therapists practice in an affirming, inclusive, ethical, and competent way with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual (LGBTQIA) people.

It is a core value of AAMFT to support, promote, and protect diversity and to value all individuals and groups, and our commitment to inclusion involves the identification and creation of resources that promote equity for all. The guidelines, written by a team of queer, transgender, and allied MFT scholars and practitioners, contain five pillars for clinical practice, a glossary of relevant terms, and an extensive reference list that will be a valuable resource for anyone who practices from a systemic therapy lens.

The guidelines were authored by:

Erica E. Hartwell, PhD

Christopher K. Belous, PhD

Kristen Benson, PhD

Livingstone Cox, MA

Alex Iantaffi, PhD

Christi R. McGeorge, PhD

Daran Shipman, MA

Markie L. C. Twist, PhD

This resource is free and available for download on the AAMFT store. Download the Guidelines.

How's Your Clients' Sex Life?

Debbie Marielle Elzea, JD

Jennie Marie Battistin, MA

We live in a culture that is both sex-obsessed, and starving for genuine, loving connection.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (Laumann, Paik, & Rosen, 1999), an astounding 42% of American women have low libido or desire, pain, and/or elusive orgasms. Many more lack emotional connection with their lovers. This is a concern for marriage and family therapists, as disappointing or non-existent sex lives are leading causes of breakups and family dissolution. Further, healthy, fulfilling sexual lives are essential for physical, mental and emotional well-being, and sex provides a unique opportunity for connection and bonding.

Couples face many sexual challenges, and it is natural for MFTs to view issues from a systemic perspective. However, many sexual problems are individual challenges. Blocks like body shame, negative conditioning, or the inability to relax and ‘get out of her head’ are very common for females regardless of background or relationship. To determine whether a challenge is a couples or individual issue, a rule of thumb is to consider whether the challenges predate the couple's relationship and/or would exist independently of the relationship. If so, the individual may be best served in a one-on-one setting.

So, what are the most common blocks and challenges from the female perspective? What are the high-level distinct approaches used by sex therapists versus sex educators and coaches? Knowing these answers can give you comfort as you make referrals when sexual issues take you take you out of your expertise or comfort zone.

Sexual issues are often a root cause of dysfunction, yet shame and conditioning may prevent the couple from bringing the subject up themselves, even in therapy or couples counseling. Conversely, many therapists are reluctant to ask this question, as they have limited training in working with sexual problems and may even be embarrassed by having sex talks. Not addressing sexual challenges is a lost opportunity, because a loving physical bond can cause other grievances to lose importance as great sex floods the lovers with pleasure and bonding hormones.

While traditional sex therapy is often about healing past wounding, trauma, abuse and understanding emotions, coaching is skills and mindset based, and future oriented. If therapy has a goal of getting a client to a baseline of normal, sex coaching’s goal is to empower the client to create the pleasurable, connected sex life they desire.

Not every sexual dysfunction has its origin in trauma or the past. If a woman struggles, she is not broken; it may simply be that female sexuality is inherently complex, a science, an art, and a learned skill, that no one taught her. It may be that she has received negative messages about her body or desires, doesn’t have experience or education, or she doesn’t feel comfortable discussing sex. Sex and intimacy coaching fills a gap between therapy and self-growth, helping women shed shame, negative conditioning, learn about their bodies, arousal and response cycles, their unique likes, dislikes and turn-ons, and how to ask for what she wants from her lover. For women to have enjoyable, connected sex lives over the long term, they need six things: knowledge, worthiness, time, embodiment, creativity, and emotional connection.

Knowledge
Few women understand physiological facts about arousal: for instance, that there are a half dozen types of orgasms to experience; that neglect or trauma may cause a body to feel desensitized or numb; that the brain is the most important sex organ, and that it can be rewired to experience more pleasure via practice, touch and imagination.

Coaching provides a personalized sex education so a woman learns not only the facts, but also discovers her own preferences, turn-ons, and arousal cycles, as well as dislikes and boundaries. She learns how to communicate her desires and preferences to her partner in a way that feels connected and not critical.

Worthiness and Confidence
Growing up, many women received negative messages about their sexuality, bodies and desires, which can cause lasting shame, confusion and guilt. These might be considered micro-traumas as opposed to “capital T” trauma sex therapists regularly see. A goal of both therapy and coaching is to release shame and shift mindsets in an atmosphere of empathy and support. Talking about and normalizing sex gives a woman ‘permission’ enjoy her sensual self and celebrate her desires and fantasies.

In addition, as a stressed out, unhappy woman is unlikely to experience much physical pleasure and joy, in coaching she is encouraged to keep her spirit and self-love tank full with self-care and gratitude practices. Worthiness means she does not need a perfect body, relationship or performance to enjoy pleasure, because confidence, skill, relaxation and enjoyment are what make her a satisfied and exciting lover.

Time
A great sex life does not just happen; it needs priority and time. ‘Mutually spontaneous desire’ is a myth, and there is nothing wrong with planning sexy times. Coaching keeps her accountable for stress relief and self-care practices that boost her happiness and confidence, and lovemaking is given time and priority; not just relegated to the end of the day when partners are exhausted.

In addition to prioritizing lovemaking, the female body needs time for arousal. If a man’s sexual response is like a microwave, a woman is more like a wood stove that needs kindling and fuel to be stoked. Parts of female anatomy need 20-40 minutes of attention to be primed, yet the average sex act is over in six minutes! It is no wonder women have an orgasm deficit compared to men and faking is so prevalent. In coaching, she discovers turn-ons, techniques, rituals and touch she likes—then applies them in an unrushed, sensuous way.

Embodiment
A top sexual complaint of women is the inability to get ‘out of their heads’ and into pleasure—it can be a challenge to banish distracting thoughts, judgment, performance anxiety and the furtive chase of orgasms. Many women feel numb or distracted, as their touch sensitivity has been diminished by a lack of pleasurable touch, menopause, or trauma. Fortunately, sensitivity and focus can be revived and enhanced through mindful sensation practices, which use elements of breath, movement, touch, sound, and imagination. Rewiring the body and brain to receive more pleasure is a process that takes effort and support. Guided visualization, breathwork, mindful touch and home play practices help her break out of distracting thought patterns and connect with heart, body and sensuality.

Coaching teaches embodied sensuality; however if her lack of ability to relax is due to unresolved trauma, a trained sex therapist can help resolved negative cognitions and freeze responses that will allow women to move back into their bodies and experience their sensual self.

Transgenerational Trauma: A Memory of a Therapist to Be

“Can you just slow down? Can you drive slower?” cousin Mary requested as she sat beside me.

“I can,” I assured her as I dropped my speed. “But we’re on the highway and I have to keep up.”

It was 1964 and at that time I had no idea what post-traumatic stress could be, notwithstanding the fact that Mary was in and out of symptoms. Freeway speeds and moving vehicles connected deeply with her past and were the source of major anxiety.

In 1933, she was one of the primary initiators of the Underground in her home village of Gorlice, Poland. When the Nazi’s came for her, they dragged her down the street by her hair. As an elementary school teacher, her additional crime was going to the homes of Jewish children to keep them current with their lessons.

In the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, she lived in the ranks of political prisoners and was sterilized without anesthesia, abused, and used as a slave. One of her imprisonments was at Ravensbruck, a concentration camp for women. Barely past girlhood herself, and living in her own trauma, she worked to protect the young girls from harm, such as beatings and rape. She taught them how to hide and become invisible. Girls started referring to her as Matka, meaning “mother” in Polish. Liberated from the horror by British soldiers, this freedom fighter, my mother’s first cousin, was now sitting beside me as we rode down the highway. On a shared sacred journey, we were traveling towards the Greater Pittsburgh Airport.

The current mission was about another flight from oppression, as we were off to welcome Mary’s sister, who would be arriving from Warsaw. Cousin Stepha was a nursing instructor, and in recent times had been through the Soviet version of imprisonment.

Stepha and her fiancé made the mutual decision that they would not marry in a country that was behind the Iron Curtain. When they tried to escape by breaching the border, her supposed husband-to-be succeeded, and she was apprehended. Once released from a Soviet labor camp, my family was able to acquire a six-month visa on her behalf for medical reasons. I’m uncertain as to how long it had been since these two sisters had seen each other.

Wearing a thread-bare jacket, Stepha disembarked from the plane. There was a visible warmth between the two women accompanied by a noticeable stiffness in their greeting. It’s as though they were in shock. It was evident that they didn’t know quite what to do or say. There was difficulty finding words.

During World War II, messages from the Underground would relate days and times for the transport of prisoners. Stepha and her family would buy tickets to the train hoping to make eye contact with her older sister, Mary. It was too dangerous for them to speak to her.

And Stepha was no stranger to the train. At the age of 14, it was her mode of travel for transporting goats. Boldly arguing with Nazi guards, she would tell them that she must travel with the goat because her “friend (to whom she traveled) was sick” and could only drink goat’s milk. But the “friend” she spoke of was the Warsaw Ghetto, and the goat would serve as food amidst intentional attempted starvation.

It wasn’t so much about what these two women would say to each other at this reunion, but more about where to start. As we waited for luggage, it was understood by Stepha that I am the child of her cousin, Maryann. She hugged me and proclaimed in Polish, “I am in the free land!”

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To continue reading on the digital Family Therapy Magazine website click here.

Support for Service Members and their Families

Mental health is an urgent concern for active duty Service Members, Veteran families, and Gold Star families following the withdrawal of U.S. Troops from Afghanistan and governmental takeover by the Taliban after nearly two decades in the region.  

The systemic effects of recent events are profound on these individuals and families, including potential increased risk for suicide. AAMFT has long supported Service Members, Veterans, and their families and we encourage marriage and family therapists to reach out now and over the coming weeks to support and provide resources to those who are struggling.  

The Department of Veterans Affairs has provided an article on coping with current events in Afghanistan that explores common reactions, strategies for managing ongoing distress, and general coping strategies for those who served in Afghanistan or in other conflicts.

Emergency Support Resources

• Veterans Crisis Line: Veterans can receive support 24 hours a day at 1-800-273-8255 (press 1)http://www.veteranscrisisline.net/
• VA Mental Health Services Guide - This guide will help you sign up and access mental health services.
• Download VA's self-help apps - Tools to help deal with common reactions like stress, sadness, and anxiety. You can also track your symptoms over time.
• Vet Centers - Discuss how you feel with other Veterans in these community-based counseling centers. 70% of Vet Center staff are Veterans. Call 1-877-927-8387 or find one near you.
• VA Women Veterans Call Center - Call or text 1-855-829-6636 (M-F 8AM - 10PM & SAT 8AM - 6:30PM ET)
• VA Caregiver Support Line - Call 1-855-260-3274 (M-F 8AM - 10PM & SAT 8AM - 5PM ET)

Other ways to get help or support Service Members and their families

• Joining Forces: Taking Action to Serve America’s Military Families– ongoing AAMFT partnership with the White House and other behavioral healthcare associations. 
• Student Veterans of America - Find a campus chapter to connect with
• Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) - Request a Peer Mentor
• American Red Cross Military Veteran Caregiver Network - Peer Support and Mentoring
• Find a marriage and family therapist: aamft.org/findatherapist
• Working with Military Personnel and their Families– a topical interest network of AAMFT designed to connect members and provide informational resources to increase understanding of unique needs and approaches to working with military families. 

Understanding ADHD in Children

Most of us have heard of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and from time to time, we may refer to ourselves as having it when feeling distracted, impulsive, or lacking focus. Daily life can be stressful, and one can feel easily overwhelmed by various demands. Now, more than ever, we live within a culture that values achievement rather than prioritizing balance and ability. Children and young adolescents are often over-scheduled with activities.

What does this mean for someone who is not "neurotypical," someone whose neural wiring results in behavior that works against our cultural values.? Children with ADHD experience the world in an "atypical" way. It is both a blessing and a curse for those whose natural way of being doesn't allow them to still and focus for an extended or even short period of time.

For children who experience the symptoms of ADHD, life in a world that often requires sitting still and having focus becomes challenging. They may exhibit behaviors that are pervasive and persistent, causing difficulties in all areas of their life. For example, children must go to school. When they are toddlers, and in kindergarten, ADHD may not be seen at all since children are often spirited, creative, and on the go. All of these behaviors are view as "normative" from young ones. But as children grow and develop, expectations change, and different skills are required, especially when it comes to successful academics.

ADHD in children presents differently for each person. Some are more distracted, others more energetic, and some experience both. Most often, the symptoms of ADHD show up before the age of 12. 

Subtypes and Symptoms

The Children and Adults with Attention Deficit Disorder (CHADD) website lists three presentations of ADHD—Predominantly Inattentive, Hyperactive-Impulsive, and Combined. The symptoms for each are adapted and summarized below.

ADHD (predominantly inattentive presentation)

• Fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes
• Has difficulty sustaining attention
• Does not appear to listen
• Struggles to follow through with instructions
• Has difficulty with organization
• Avoids or dislikes tasks requiring sustained mental effort
• Loses things
• Is easily distracted
• Is forgetful in daily activities

ADHD (predominantly hyperactive-impulsive presentation)

• Fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in chair
• Has difficulty remaining seated
• Runs about or climbs excessively in children; extreme restlessness in adults
• Difficulty engaging in activities quietly
• Acts as if driven by a motor; adults will often feel inside as if a motor drives them
• Talks excessively
• Blurts out answers before questions have been completed
• Difficulty waiting or taking turns
• Interrupts or intrudes upon others

ADHD (combined presentation)

• The individual meets the criteria for both inattention and hyperactive-impulsive ADHD presentations.

These symptoms can change over time, so children may fit different presentations as they get older.

When to Seek Help From a Marriage and Family Therapist 

If you are noticing multiple symptoms of ADHD that are keeping your child from meeting expectations at home and school, a marriage and family therapist can help. MFTs are mental health professionals who look at behaviors in the context of various relationships. The focus of therapy for a child with ADHD is to build skills and confidence. MFTs take a holistic approach when helping their clients. And while the system we work in requires a diagnosis, we mustn't label children. Labels hurt self-perception and understanding. It limits the potential to embrace the gifts that accompany the more challenging aspect of ADHD. On the flip-side of impulsiveness, and hyperactivity, you will also find many strengths. Creativity, intelligence, humor, curiosity, empathy, compassion, honesty, and kindness are just a few. We can modify challenging behaviors while also emphasizing these wonderfully abundant strengths.

Find a marriage and family therapist

References:

Diagnosis in Adults - CHADD 

UC Davis Mind Institute Mint Study ADHD Resource Guide 

About ADHD - NSADHD CHADD Group

Understanding and Treating Insomnia

It is not uncommon to have a restless night's sleep. In fact, it happens to most people about once a year. Everyone has concerns and normal worries that creep into their sleep cycle. It is part of life and virtually impossible to avoid. 

But what happens when one restless night follows another, then another, and so on? It is one thing to have a few days of interrupted sleep, but another to have chronic sleep disturbances. Most commonly, sleep irregularity known as insomnia. Chronic insomnia can become a health concern. It is marked by difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, or by waking up too early.

Insomnia manifests and presents in different ways. People who have insomnia find it difficult to fall asleep, frequently awaken in the middle of the night and have trouble going back to sleep. They also wake up too early in the morning and feel tired when they get up. Daytime fatigue and low energy are commonly experienced, along with a lack of focus, poor memory, and reduced coping skills. 

If it takes someone more than 30 minutes to fall asleep, or if you are awake 30 minutes or more during the night at least three times a week – for a month or more – you are most likely suffering from insomnia. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 50–70 million Americans have sleep-wake disorders. The impact can be devastating for its sufferers. Insomnia can interfere with mind-body regulation. Most notably, mood and judgment are affected, and it can also be a symptom of anxiety and depression. 

Insomnia is the result of multiple factors. The primary reason for sleep-wake disturbance is stress. However, some physical conditions and medications can interfere with our sleep rhythm. These include conditions such as sleep apnea, overactive thyroid, and gastrointestinal problems like gastroesophageal reflux.

Additionally, the sleep-wake cycle is affected by lifestyle choices. A lack of physical activity or excessive substance abuse, for example, will knock our sleep off-kilter. Other factors to consider when it comes to sleep disturbance include shift-work, jet lag, caffeine and alcohol consumption, vitamin D deficiency, and keeping the bedroom temperature too warm at night.

For marriage and family therapists, it is crucial to assess sleep-wake patterns in clients. Insomnia significantly affects mood and can be a trigger for depression and anxiety. And while medication may offer temporary relief, it is not a long-term solution. 

The systemic approach that is a hallmark of how MFTs think and work with clients offers an integrative and holistic way to develop a treatment plan. 

Here are some tips that an MFT may suggest to help manage your insomnia: 

• Schedule a visit with your primary care physician to rule out any underlying physical causes like sleep apnea. 
• Develop a routine that promotes healthy sleep habits. The use of "sleep hygiene" techniques can positively impact sleep-wake cycles by shifting any negative patterns that support poor sleep. 
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) helps target the thoughts and actions that disrupt sleep. CBT may include relaxation techniques, as well as establishing a sleep schedule that restricts the time one spends in bed awake. 
• Developing and implementing the practice of self-care positively correlates to better sleep habits. Mindfulness and meditation, for example, are holistic tools that help reduce anxiety and depressive thoughts. Regular exercise, reducing your caffeine intake, staying hydrated, and eating well is essential to overall well-being, which includes meeting our sleep needs.

Treating insomnia is critical to staying healthy. If you are struggling with sleep, seek professional help. Rest is an integral part of self-regulation, both emotionally and physically. In short, a good night's sleep is a contribution to our happiness bank and well worth the investment. 

Find a therapist near you

Working Systemically with Nonbinary Clients

This webinar will provide a comprehensive overview of working with nonbinary clients. This will include an initial brief introduction to terminology, to the current WPATH Standards of Care, and to dominant treatment protocols for nonbinary clients in the US. We will discuss the issues that nonbinary clients and their families might bring to therapy and how to address these competently and systemically. The role that family therapists might play in the care of nonbinary clients and their families will be addressed, including the role that LMFTs might play in supporting clients who may pursue medical or legal transition processes. The importance of liaising with other providers, such as medical providers, will also be addressed. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own gender histories, identities and expressions. The webinar will be highly participatory and participants are encouraged to bring their questions and curiosity. Ethical issues in relation to power, dominant discourses of gender and the historical oppression and marginalization of nonbinary people will be woven through the webinar and will be addressed from an intersectional perspective.

Date: October 30, 1:00 - 2:30 PM Eastern

CE: 1.5

Register Here

Presenter Alex Iantaffi, PhD, MS, SEP, CST, LMFT is a certified sex therapist, family therapist, Somatic ExperiencingⓇ practitioner, clinical supervisor, writer and independent scholar. They are adjunct faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Stout and the chair elect for the Trans and Queer interest network of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. They were the Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Sexual and Relationship Therapy for eleven years and have researched, presented and published extensively on gender, disability, sexuality, and relationships. Alex is passionate about healing justice and community-based and engaged scholarship. They are a trans masculine, non-binary, bi queer, disabled, Italian immigrant who has been living on Dakota and Anishinaabe territories, currently known as Minneapolis, MN (US) since 2008. Alex has co-authored the books "How to UnderstandYour Gender: a practical guide for exploring who you are" and "Life Isn't Binary" with Meg-John Barker (Jessica Kingsley Publishers). They host the podcast Gender Stories. You can find out more about them at www.alexiantaffi.com or follow them on Twitter @xtaffi

Supporting Emotional and Psychological Trauma in the Family

The recent mass shooting incidents in Gilroy, CA, El Paso, TX and Dayton, OH these last two weeks have continued to point to a complicated and serious societal problem on so many different levels.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of the families and these communities that have lost loved ones, a sense of security, and well-being.  What these deadly mass shooting incidents create is an overwhelming sense of emotional distress and trauma.  Emotional and psychological trauma is the result of extraordinarily stressful events that shatter your sense of security, making you feel helpless and vulnerable.  This is why as marriage and family therapists we need to support those who are affected by these events. 

These are some ways that mass shootings can affect us and our children:

• Feeling a sense of powerlessness to prevent these mass shootings
• Shock, denial, or disbelief
• Anger, irritability, mood swings
• Guilt, shame, self-blame
• Feeling sad or hopeless
• Confusion, difficulty concentrating
• Anxiety and fear
• Withdrawing from others
• Feeling disconnected or numb

If you are feelings some of these emotional and physical symptoms, it is important to do the following:

• Don’t isolate.
• Ask for support.
• Participate in social activities.
• Join a support group for trauma survivors.
• Stick to a daily routine.
• Break large jobs/responsibilities into smaller, manageable tasks.
• Take care of your health.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Avoid alcohol and drugs.
• Exercise regularly.
• Eat a well-balanced diet.

What can parents do for their children?

• Reassure children that they are safe and that trustworthy people are in control.
• Your reactions and responses to traumatic events will affect how your children deal with those same events.
• It is okay to let children know that you are sad or hurt by an event, but, it is important that they see you in control and feel your sense of security and resolve to protect them.
• Spend extra time with the children and help them return to their normal routines as quickly as possible.
• To help increase a sense of security, try to maintain family schedules for daily activities such as eating, playing, and sleeping.
• Talk to the children, answer their questions. Give children the amount of information that you believe they can understand.
• Monitor media images, monitor your conversations about traumatic event, as conversations, too, may be troubling for your children.

What can parents do for themselves?

• Allow yourself time to heal.
• Parents are often so focused on taking care of their families, that they do not take the time to take care of themselves.
• Allow yourself time and space to express your feelings about what happened.
• Be patient with your emotional state, as it is normal after a trauma to experience mood fluctuations.

If you have any further questions or are in need of support during these difficult times, find a marriage and family therapist near you. 

 

Hoping for a safer and healthier society,

Noel Casiano, PsyD, LMFT

Chair, MFTs Working with Trauma Topical Interest Network

 

Digital Intimacy: Attachment and Sexuality in the Technological Age

 

Join the Queer and Trans Advocacy Network for a webinar

July 19, 2019 from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM (ET) 

Register here

In this webinar digital intimate connections between people and their technologies are explored. This presentation opens with a brief overview of intimacy, followed by a description of the predominant waves of the modern technological age. The presenter then discusses two types of intimacy—attachment and sexuality—in a digital context, which includes digital attachment (digiattachment) and digital sexuality (digisexuality). The presentation concludes with a brief overview of how to begin to attend to digital intimacy in clinical practice, including digiidentity development, digistigma, digiphobia, and erotocentrism.

Presenter: Markie Louise Christianson (L. C.) Twist, Ph.D., a licensed marriage and family therapist and mental health counselor, as well as a Clinical Fellow and Approved Supervisor of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, and certified sexuality educator and sexuality educated supervisor through the American Association for Sexuality Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. Dr. Twist is the Program Coordinator of the Graduate Certificate in Sex Therapy Program, and Professor in the Human Development and Family Studies Department and Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of Wisconsin-Stout. Dr. Twist is co-author of the book, The Internet Family: Technology in Couple and Family Relationships, and co-editor of the book, Eco-Informed Practice: Family Therapy in an Age of Ecological Peril. Dr. Twist also serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Sexual and Relationship Therapy. To learn more visit: drmarkie.com.