Regardless of what brought them to therapy, our clients are clearly impacted by racism, sexism, ableism, heterosexism, ethnocentrism, and classism—and they’re more vocal and politically engaged than ever. How can we dialogue about these issues without divisiveness or awkwardness? What’s our responsibility to participate in the larger conversation about social justice movements? How do we help clients see their issues in a wider social context and find ways to better navigate and challenge systems of oppression? In this workshop, you’ll explore how to: 

• Intervene on the systemic power imbalances that occur in session without shaming or othering   
• Use practical tools like the Social Identity Wheel and ADDRESSING framework to assist clients through the issues of privilege guilt and subjugation stress 
• Consider the functional limits of therapeutic neutrality and develop a clear stance around diversity, inclusion, multicultural competence, and justice 
• Engage your own social identity to further clients’ relational goals 

Shadeen Francis, LMFT, is a therapist, professor, and author specializing in sex therapy and social justice. She trains organizations and is a guest expert for media outlets, including CBC, NBC, and Fox.