in Gender, Sexuality & Relationship Diversity Therapy
July 2019 — July 2020
Blended learning experience delivered primarily online with a one-week residential in London on therapeutic work with people of diverse genders, sexualities, identities, relationships, lifestyles & practices
Founder, Pink Therapy
For the past three years, we’ve been offering a 2 year Post-Graduate Diploma in Working with Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversities, and based on the conversations we’ve had with colleagues from around the world we’ve restructured this programme.
You can now undertake our 1 year Foundation Certificate course which has been endorsed with Advanced Specialist Training Status by The National Counselling Society.
You’ll have the option to progress onto a 2nd year, receive a Post Graduate Diploma and become a licensed Pink Therapy Trainer.
FOUNDATION COURSE COMPULSORY ELEMENTS
✔ Residential Intensive — The course begins in late July with a five-day residential intensive in the beautiful grounds of the University of Roehampton in South West London.
This intensive week offers the opportunity for you to meet other participants in person and work at some depth on yourselves while developing clinical skills and knowledge.
✔ Theory Modules — there are eight theory modules studied during the first year. Through a combination of guided reading of core texts and video lectures, you’ll learn about a range of key subjects. You’ll answer a series of questions to demonstrate your understanding and critical reflection of the material and how this applies to your own practice as therapists. Two weeks after submitting your worksheets, you’ll attend a live, online 90-minute webinar with a subject specialist (either the module writer or another course tutor who has expertise in this area).
✔ Case Discussion Groups (CDG) — We are very committed to developing clinical excellence and enhancing best practice. Every four weeks, you’ll meet in groups of three via video conference where one participant will present a client with whom they are working and receive peer supervision and consultation. They will then write this process up and submit it to the tutor. These 90-minute sessions run once every month, and at the end of the cycle, the group will meet with one of CDG tutors for a further discussion and debrief. Each student will present six clients during the course. The CDG groups will be rotated to enable you to work with a wider range of fellow students and tutors.
FOUNDATION COURSE MODULES
The course is comprised of eight comprehensive modules authored and delivered by leading experts in the GSRD field.
Course materials are presented in formats to suit diverse learning styles all accessible from our well designed online learning portal.
✔ Module 1: Mental Health
✔ Module 2: Therapist Disclosure and Living and Working within Same Communities
✔ Module 3: Intersectionality
✔ Module 4: Coming Out
✔ Module 5: Shame and Internalised Oppression
✔ Module 6: Relationships
✔ Module 7: Gender Identities
✔ Module 8: Working with Gender and Sexuality Conflicts
Entry Requirements & Awards
As this is a post-graduate training, it is open to participants who have already satisfactorily completed a basic training to the equivalent of a Diploma in Counselling or Psychotherapy, Counselling Psychology or Clinical Psychology or Psychiatry. We’ll also consider applications from qualified allied health professionals involved in providing counselling support and advisory work (e.g. nurses, health advisors, social workers, occupational therapists, youth and community workers etc*). This is not a training in Therapeutic Counselling or Psychotherapy.
Candidates will also need to possess good levels of understanding in written and spoken English, as the course will only be offered in English.
As the course is almost all online, you’ll need a stable internet connection for your computer or tablet with camera and microphone.
There is a 100% attendance requirement for the CD Groups and the webinars. In the event you miss the live webinar due to exceptional circumstances, you can watch the video of the webinar and submit feedback to demonstrate participation.
As this is a specialist clinical training in working with GSRD clients, you need to already be working with clients who meet our definition of Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversities.
The definition is wide and we don’t expect that you are necessarily seeing clients from all of these communities/identities.
Gender, Sexuality & Relationship Diversities
There is a whole spectrum of different gender, sexuality and relationship expressions and we welcome those who are working with people engaged in consensual, albeit transgressive sexualities who are seeking a place to understand and be understood.
These include, but are not restricted to, people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, celibate, polyamorous, non-monogamous; swingers and those involved in BDSM or Kink lifestyles or practices; or anyone who is trans or gender expansive (e.g. trans women, trans men, non binary people, cross dressers, genderqueer, androgynes, intersex people, and those living with variations in sex development).
Successful candidates who pass all the elements of the course will graduate with a Foundation Certificate in Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity Therapy.
*The Award for a qualified allied health professional would be a Foundation Certificate in Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity Studies.
To keep the course fees affordable and allow us to be as responsive and flexible as possible with the curriculum, we have decided for the time being to forgo University validation. We are accredited by the National Council of Psychotherapists as a training provider and this course has Advanced Specialist Training status with the National Counselling Society. We are delighted to have access to Professor Darren Langdridge of the Open University as our Course Consultant.
The course fees are £2,800 or €3,200, excluding UK VAT. They include tuition as well as accommodation and all meals at the five-day residential (additional nights can be arranged at a low cost if participants wish to arrive early or indeed stay on beyond the course).
UK VAT of currently 20% will be added.
For UK/EU residents: Course Fees are £3,360 or €3,840 including 20% UK VAT.
UK/EU VAT-registered businesses are exempt and must supply their tax number on enrolment.
For Rest-Of-World residents, Course Fees are £2,800 or €3,200 (no UK VAT chargeable).
A deposit of £500 or €500 is payable on acceptance of an offer of a place. Course fees can be paid in full (attracting a discount) or instalments to spread the cost.
Bursary: Pink Therapy has always had a commitment to capacity-building in disadvantaged groups who may be underrepresented in the counselling field. We will therefore be offering two of the 15 available places on the course at a 30% discount. There will be a bursary for a therapist who identifies as Trans and/or Non-Binary and another bursary for a Black, Asian or Minority Ethnic (BAME) therapist.
We ask you to complete an online application form outlining your training and experience to date, and then attend a video interview via Zoom.
We want you to be aware before applying that this course will occupy a significant amount of your time.
We anticipate that you will be spending about 5-10 hours per week studying for this course.
|✔ Guided reading & study||8 modules||15 hours each||120 hours|
|✔ Writing up worksheets||8 modules||5 hours each||40 hours|
|✔ Attendance at webinars||8 modules||1.5 hours each session||12 hours|
|✔ Community meetings||3 meetings||1 hour each||3 hours|
|✔ Peer case discussion groups||9 groups||1.5 hours each||13.5 hours|
|✔ Writing up case studies||3 cases||10 hours each||30 hours|
|✔ CDG tutorials||3 meetings||2 hours each||6 hours|
|✔ Research & writing essays||50 hours|
|✔ Summer residential||5 days||10 hours per day||50 hours|
For the full Course Schedule please click here.
We want you to be aware before applying that this course will occupy a significant amount of your time. We anticipate that you will be spending about 5-10 hours per week studying for this course.
✔ Guided reading & study – 120 hours
8 modules, 15 hours each
✔ Writing up worksheets – 40 hours
8 modules, 5 hours each
✔ Attendance at webinars – 12 hours
8 modules, 1.5 hours each session
✔ Community meetings – 3 hours
3 meetings, 1 hour each
✔ Peer case discussion groups – 13.5 hours
9 groups, 1.5 hours each
✔ Writing up case studies – 30 hours
3 cases, 10 hours each
✔ CDG tutorials – 4.5 hours
3 meetings, 1.5 hours each
✔ Research & writing essays – 50 hours
✔ Summer residential – 50 hours
5 days, 10 hours per day
Portfolio of Course Work
✔ 3 Case Study presentations (each will receive brief feedback from the CDG tutor).
✔ 8 worksheet assignments (one for each module) submitted two weeks prior to the webinar on that subject. The assignments will be approximately 2k words long and reflect your ability to critically reflect on the module materials and apply the information to your own lives and practice.
✔ 3000-word Essay. The best essays may also be published in a book, thus contributing to developing ideas in the field.
I was trained as a psychotherapist and sex therapist but felt I lacked specific competences to work efficiently with GSRD clients.
The diploma gave me exactly what I was looking for. It should definitely be part of every mental health professional’s background.Prof Antonio Prunas, Psychologist & Clinical Sexologist
Pink Therapy has played a major role in making me the practitioner I am today! The post graduate diploma in GSRD Therapy has provided me with the tools and knowledge for working within my community and with the topics I feel passionate about: BDSM, poly and non-monogamous relationships, trans and queer issues.
I did not expect it to be a gift that keeps on giving, but that is what it has turned out to be. Now I have my own practice that specialises in LGBTQ* issues and a network of colleagues happy to discuss chemsex, queer politics and gay shame – I could not be more content with what the training has brought about!Tanya Dolis, Psychologist
I first became aware of Pink Therapy when Dominic came to the University of Nottingham to do a talk as part of my degree studies. I was very fortunate that my course included some training on working with gender, sexuality and relationship diversity [GSRD] clients. This sparked my interest in attending further trainings provided by Pink Therapy, as I felt that it was important for me to expand my knowledge in this area.
I had a wonderful experience attending the international summer school in 2013, and really valued the experience brought by the trainers and my course peers from all around the world. I remember thinking, it was such a unique experience to share the learning in an environment where I felt I really belonged, and wasn’t in the minority for once!
When I had the chance in 2015 to attend the two year Post-Graduate Diploma in Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity, I jumped at the chance, as I knew the quality of trainers that are involved in all Pink Therapy training. I found the course to be fantastic, and it covered all aspects of issues that may arise when working with GSRD clients.
The overall support provided by the faculty was incredible, and I feel very honoured to have been in the first cohort of students, to complete the mostly online training. I wouldn’t hesitate doing it all over again, and the residential week was a truly empowering experience. I now approach my work with GSRD clients with a renewed competence, and am even mentoring/ supervising some of the current Pink Therapy students!Robert Patterson, Psychotherapist
GRADUATE & FACULTY TESTIMONIALS
As a therapist who has worked within GSRD communities for some time, a part of me wondered if I would gain enough from this, and whether it would be worth the time and cost commitment.
I found the residential week incredibly affirming of myself as a counsellor in these settings; I was challenged, and I learned things that I did not know about, and I came away for the first time with a strong sense of community. This sense of community has continued with frequent conversations with those in my residential and my learning has continued also.
For me the residential was an incredibly valuable experience and I would welcome the chance to return for another residential on this course!LJ Potter, Psychotherapist
I love teaching on this training because of the conversations I am privileged to have with practitioners coming from all over the world!
Despite our different geographical locations, we can come together to discuss how to best serve historically marginalized populations with expansive and diverse gender, sexual, relational and erotic orientations, identities and experiences.
As someone who has lived as an immigrant in two different countries and with a range of non-binary and liminal identities and experiences, I particularly appreciate this aspect of the training. Every webinar I teach is a delight and an opportunity to share what I know as well as to learn from insightful and passionate practitioners.Alex Iantaffi, PHD
The Pink Therapy training program is the most innovative of its kind in the world.
It takes the pathology and stigma out of how people ‘do’ sex, and teaches clinicians what’s missing from compassionate conversations about sex, pleasure and GSRD relationships.
I am thrilled to contribute my somatic clinical expertise as part of this program.Cyndi Darnell, Sex & Relationship Therapist
I embarked on the diploma because I wanted training where I could bring my whole self. It has made me a better therapist with all my clients, not only the GSRD ones.
The personal development combined with the academic learning has been a deep dive, compared to feeling that I was so often paddling in the shallows.Karen Pollock, Counsellor
Pink Therapy’s given me an eye-opening and systematic view in therapy related to diverse sexuality, gender, and relationship, which is internationally absent in the current psychological education curriculum.
Instructors in the program are all experienced practitioners with a profound theory base.
[Not to mention, my excellent cohort from various countries have broadened my understanding of psychology and counselling under different country contexts]Rebekah Cheng-Gong, Counsellor
I have got involved in Pink Therapy courses to share my experience but also to find a supportive field of international connections with people who – like me – are deeply interested in gender, sexuality, sex and relationships issues.
I have learnt that we see and understand these issues differently in different parts of the globe. Those differences arouse a myriad of thoughts and feelings in me. Pink Therapy is a beautiful container for all of that.Dr Daniel Bak, Psychotherapist
The Diploma Program provided a professional space to explore a broad range GSRD specific research with a strong focus on applied clinical application.
The focus on dedicated GSRD specific clinical work filled a gap in my training that has been invaluable. I found the generosity of lecturers and peer engagement in a collegial atmosphere when discussing complex clinical work together to be insightful and inspiring.
Collectively we drew from a highly diverse international base as well as our professional and lived experience. The course on boundaries has been particularly useful to return to periodically as a resource when working both from within and with diverse cultural and intersectional dynamics.Lisa O'Connor, Psychologist
PINK THERAPY FACULTY
Module Writers & Teaching Faculty
Dominic Davies, Course Director
Dominic Davies is Founder and CEO of Pink Therapy. He has worked as a psychotherapist, clinical sexologist and practice consultant for over 35 years. In 2007 he was made a Fellow of British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy for his “outstanding contribution to the field.” In 2015 He received the Practitioner award from the Sexualities Section of the British Psychological Society. In 2016 He was made a Fellow of the National Counselling Society
Dominic (with Charles Neal) co-edited three of the first British textbooks on working with LGBT clients published in 1996 and 2000.
He has pioneered the development of Gender, Sexuality and Relationship Diversity Therapy in the UK and Europe.
Dr Daniel Bak
Dr Daniel Bąk lives and works in Warsaw, Poland. He is a psychotherapist (since 2007), psychologist, group trainer, psychotherapy teacher and clinical consultant working in the relational Gestalt approach. He specialises in psychological help regarding gender, sexuality and sex.
He is the advanced accredited (Pink Therapy, UK) gender, sexuality & relationship diverisities therapist. He established (2009) and has been running the Programme of LGBT+ Psychological Support “Tęczówka” (http://psychoterapia.lgbt). He also co-chairs the Gender & Sexual Diversity Interest Group in the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy – an international community of Gestaltists from around the world. He serves as an editor of the LGBTQIA Psychology & Psychotherapy section in the e-Bulletin of the Warsaw Division of the Polish Psychological Association.
He is an associate in Pink Therapy, London, UK (Clinical Associate & Faculty Member) and Gestalt Counselling Centre, Kraków, Poland. He has authored conference lectures and scientific publications on gender, sexuality and sex. He runs his own private practice. More on Dr Daniel Bąk: www.gestalt.waw.pl and http://psychoterapia.lgbt
Olivier Cormier-Otaño MBACP Accred. is an Integrative counsellor and psychosexual therapist of French and Spanish origin. He has been working with Gender and Sexual Diversity clients in both charities and private practice.
He is a trainer on issues around GSD on behalf of Pink Therapy and psychosexual therapy for the Centre for Psychosexual health. Olivier is also a qualified Supervisor.
Tim Foskett is an accredited individual and group psychotherapist and supervisor with the Association of Humanistic Psychology Practitioners and UKCP. He has a private practice in north London working with groups, couples, individuals and supervisees.
He is a director of Loving Men and North London Group Therapy. Tim is a clinical associate with Pink Therapy. He is also a teacher of 5Rhythms® dance and is training to teach Open Floor movement practice.
He has written three interactive workbooks for gay/bi men, published by PACE, on self-esteem and getting ready for relationships, relationship skills and sex. These are available to download from www.lovingmen.org.
Dr Alex Iantaffi
Dr Alex Iantaffi, PhD, MS, CST, LMFT is a licensed marriage and family therapist, supervisor, sex therapist, Somatic ExperiencingⓇ practitioner, writer, speaker and independent scholar. 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, bisexuality, polyamory, BDSM, Deafness, education, sexual health, HIV prevention, and transgender issues. 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. They are a parent, partner, and engaged community member and organizer. They have co-founded Edges Wellness Center LLC, a mental health practice focused on serving marginalized populations. Alex is a member of a member of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapist, and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.
Alex has recently co-authored the book “How to Understand Your Gender: a practical guide for exploring who you are” with Meg-John Barker (Jessica Kingsley Publishers). You can find out more about them at www.alexiantaffi.com or follow them on Twitter @xtaffi
Dr Agata Loewe
Dr Agata Loewe, PhD, is a clinical cross-cultural psychologist, systemic family psychotherapist and sexosopher of sexology. She is a founder of Sex Positive Institute in Poland, sex positive activist, advocate and educator. Since 2009 she has consulted with NGOs dealing with equal opportunities for people at risk of social exclusion and the promotion of mental, sexual and reproductive health. Her speciality is consciousness-raising and she has expertise in gender, sexual and relationship diversities. Agata has a private practice in Warsaw and online.
Agata is a member of WAS & WASC. She conducts and organises international workshops, trainings & specialist courses in sexuality for people working with human sexuality.
Dr Gökçe Elif Sarıdoğan
Dr Gökçe Elif Sarıdoğan is an adult psychiatrist based in Istanbul,Turkey. As a specialist she is working as chief consultant in community mental health center and working with GSD issues in the sexuality department of the psychotherapy centre of Erenkoy Mental Health and Research Hospital in Istanbul.
In addition she is currently a PhD student in psychopharmacology at Marmara University. Her academic interests and work experience include post-traumatic stress disorder, adult autism spectrum, sexuality, animal models in behavioural sciences and ADHD.
Kris Black (pronouns they, them theirs), is an integrative arts psychotherapist, a qualified supervisor and a freelance Trainer. Kris currently works in private practice and within the LGBTQ+ community. Kris has worked for over 30 years within the BEM and LGBTQ+ communities as well as within the education, and charity sectors as an activist, educator and a therapist.
Kris has extensive experience of working with children and young people from different minority communities. Kris has been active politically for many years and much of their work focusses on raising awareness about discrimination, stigma and inequality and the effects of discrimination on minority groups.
More recently, Kris has qualified as a Black Issues Trainer, is a member of the Coalition Against Conversion Therapy, the Black and Asian Therapy Network, a Pink Therapy Clinical Associate and part of the Gendered Intelligence Therapists Network. They are also working with an intergenerational project addressing the historical invisibility and marginality of LGBTQIA+ people of colour within the UK and the diaspora. (see profile here).
Dominic Davies is a Fellow of the National Counselling Society and an accredited psychotherapist with the National Council for Psychotherapy. He is also a member of the Consortium for Academic Research in Alternative Sexualities (CARAS) and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and the World Association for Sexual Health.
He has over thirty five years clinical experience of working with a wide variety of gender, sexuality and relationship diversity clients. He pioneered HIV care and service provision in the late 1980s; his current clinical interests lie in Diversities in Sexual Expression and Lifestyle, Gender Therapy and Chemsex initiatives with gay men.
Dr Bartoz Grabski
Dr Bartosz Grabski MD PhD is an assistant professor at the Department of Psychiatry of Jagiellonian University Medical College In Krakow, Poland. Author and co-author of numerous scientific publications; he co-edited the first Polish comprehensive textbook on LGB psychology: Wprowadzenie do Psychologii LGB (Introduction to the LGB Psychology) and wrote a chapter there on mental health of homosexual and bisexual people.
His clinical interests include: mood and sexual disorders, psychoeducation and psychotherapy and delivering an affirmative clinical care to gender and sexual diversities.
Arlene Istar Lev
Arlene (Ari) Istar Lev LCSW-R, CASAC, CST is a family therapist, educator, sex therapist, and writer. She is lecturer at the University at Albany (New York, USA), School of Social Welfare and is the Project Director of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Project (SOGI).
Ms. Lev is the Founder and Clinical Director of Choices Counseling and Consulting (www.choicesconsulting.com) and TIGRIS: The Training Institute for Gender, Relationships, Identity, and Sexuality (www.tigrisinstitute.com) in Albany, New York. She is also the Board President of Rainbow Access Initiative, Inc, a non-profit agency serving LGBTQ people with limited access to resources.
She has authored two books: The Complete Lesbian and Gay Parenting Guide and Transgender Emergence, winner of the APA (Division 44) Distinguished Book Award, 2006.
Amanda Middleton is a Systemic and Family Psychotherapist, with a special interest in queering psychotherapy. A Clinical Associate of Pink Therapy and The Pink Practice, she works therapeutically with families, couples and individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Queer, Transgender and beyond.
Amanda has a commitment to and expertise in working with gender, sexuality, marginalisation and difference. Initially qualifying as a Psychologist in Australia, Amanda has 18 years of experience in the sexuality, dual diagnosis, HIV and sexual health, drug and alcohol use, and domestic violence sectors. Currently Amanda works as a Systemic and Family Psychotherapist in private practice, leads on the training and therapists directory at Gendered Intelligence and teaches across various settings, including The Institute of Family Therapy, Tavistock and Portman NHS foundation trust and Pink Therapy.
Darren Langdridge, Course Consultant
Darren Langdridge is Professor of Psychology and Sexuality at the Open University, UK, Honorary Professor of Psychology at Aalborg University, Denmark, and a UKCP-accredited existential psychotherapist working in private practice in London.
For many years Darren has researched and written on sexualities, critical theory, health and psychotherapy, publishing numerous papers and book chapters. He is the author/co-editor of a number of books including Existential Counselling and Psychotherapy(published by Sage), Phenomenological Psychology: Theory, Research and Method (published by Pearson), Safe, Sane and Consensual: Contemporary Perspectives on Sadomasochism(published by Palgrave Macmillan) and Understanding Non-monogamies (published by Routledge).
Darren also co-founded Psychology & Sexuality, a journal published by Taylor & Francis designed to advance the boundaries of work in the psychology of sexualities. He is currently writing his next book for Oxford University Press on sexual citizenship.