Training on Sexual Identity Therapy
The Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity (ISSI) co-sponsored an all-day training on Friday, October 1, 2010. Over 70 professionals and students attended the workshop, which was led by Dr. Mark Yarhouse and held on the Regent University campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The morning portion focused on professional and ethical issues, drawing on recent statements and documents from various mental health organizations, as well as recent case decisions that have involved value conflicts in counseling training and practice. The segment in the early afternoon provided a research and theoretical basis for sexual identity therapy by examining models of sexual identity synthesis and milestone events in sexual identity development. This session also introduced the audience to the Sexual Identity Therapy Framework itself. The final session bridged the prior material to the practice of sexual identity therapy with a focus on (1) a three-tier distinction between attractions, orientation and identity; (2) weighted aspects of identity; (3) attributional search regarding the meaning a person makes of their attractions; and (4) congruence.
Fall Training Announced
Dr. Mark Yarhouse is offering an all-day workshop on addressing sexual identity in clinical practice. The workshop will be held on the Regent University campus in Virginia Beach, Virginia. It will be held Friday, October 1st, 2010, from 9am to 4pm. On-line registration is now available here.
From the registration page:
This workshop will introduce participants to sexual identity issues often addressed in clinical practice. Participants will learn about professional and ethical issues in navigating sexual and religious identity considerations. Participants will also learn foundations for the practical applications of sexual identity therapy in their work with people who experience same-sex attractions.
The workshop is co-sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity and Genesis Counseling Center.
Understanding Sexual Identity Therapy
This past year I’ve dealt with an interesting challenge that faces Christians who produce scholarship in controversial areas. My area is sexual identity, and I’ve been researching and providing services in this area for many years now. There are not many models for how to do integration in this area, and there are few people even doing it. So the challenges are plentiful.
Specifically, the topic I’m addressing is how to provide clinical services to people who are sorting out sexual identity issues. The model I’ve been developing (and the accompanying framework I’ve been co-developing with Warren Throckmorton) is referred to as sexual identity therapy (SIT). What is SIT and how did it come about?
SIT is essentially a client-centered and identity-focused approach to navigating sexual identity questions or concerns. It has often been contrasted to reorientation therapy and gay affirmative therapy. It is based on the idea of helping people reach congruence, so that they live and identify themselves in a way that is consistent with their beliefs and values. Sexual attractions or orientation may or may not change, but the overall emphasis is on identity. Read more
