John Sovec, MA, LMFT

John Sovec, MA, LMFT is a nationally recognized expert on creating affirmative support for the LGBTQIA+ community. He is the clinical consultant for The Life Group LA, adjunct faculty at Phillips Graduate Institute and guest lecturer at Alliant University, Antioch, Cal State Fullerton, and USC School of Social Work. In December 2019, he was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.

John is the author of Out: A Parent’s Guide to Supporting Their LGBTQ Kid Through Coming Out and Beyond (JKP 2023). He is a frequent contributor to numerous publications on providing LGBTQ support, speaks at conferences nationally, and provides training and professional consultation on LGBTQ competencies for community agencies, schools, and non-profits. In addition, he consults and trains on the corporate level regarding diversity, equity, and LGBTQ inclusion.

Affirming Models of Care for LGBTQIA+ Clients
Saturday | May 4, 2024
1:45 pm - 3:15 pm
(1.5 CEs)

Workshop Description:

Living as an LGBTQIA+ person in a hetero-normative world can show up as hyper-vigilance, depression, stress, and anxiety, which are the body’s mechanism of protecting adolescents from threatening situations, whether actual or perceived. With more healthcare providers responding to the needs of the LGBTQIA+ community it is sometimes difficult to understand the needs of clients and how small details can be perceived as offensive or dismissive. Even the most well meaning clinician can find themselves taking mistakes in communication, treatment planning, and community involvement that make it challenging for an LGBTQIA+ client to feel safe and understood. Creating a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community starts from the very first points of contact and needs to be practiced to the very highest levels of any clinical care.

This workshop will explore:

• The points of contact that are vital to making an LGBTQIA+ client feel safe and welcome
• Building LGBTQIA+ affirming language and communication tools
• Understanding biases and agenda that may influence the experience of an LGBTQIA+ client
• Examining community based messaging and how it is perceived by the LGBTQIA+ community

Workshop will use lecture, discussion, and skill building exercises. This workshop will build on the OASIS model of community care.

Learning Objectives:

At the end of the workshop, participants will be able to:

• Identify at least two effects of LGBTQIA+ identity stress on LGBTQ development
• Describe at least one LGBTQIA+ coming out journey and its influence on family and individual dynamics
• Name influences of hyper-vigilance on the developmental process of LGBTQIA+ identity
• List 5 unique psychosocial environmental stressors that the LGBTQIA+ people face in their family and community settings
• Identify at least one neuro-biological responses to stimuli unique to LGBTQ adolescents
• Apply at least two therapeutic concepts developed during the workshop to the clinical setting with respect to cultural and social constructs

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