Upcoming Events
Integrative Therapies in the Arts: Expressive Arts, Somatic Therapies, and Healing Trauma in the Queer Community
This workshop integrates expressive arts and somatic therapy to address trauma within Queer and marginalized communities. Through creative and embodied practices, participants will explore the intersections of identity, body, and narrative. The session emphasizes harm reduction, body liberation, and culturally responsive care to foster resilience and holistic healing.
Objectives:
• Describe the foundational principles of expressive arts and somatic therapy in trauma treatment with Queer and marginalized clients.
• Apply at least two creative or body-based interventions (e.g., El Duende process, sensory art directive, circular breathwork) to promote embodied healing.
• Integrate harm reduction and body liberation frameworks within trauma-informed, Queer-affirming clinical practice.
• Identify the socio-political and intersectional contexts that shape Queer clients’ experiences of trauma and resilience.
New Jersey Integrated Mental Health Conference
NJIMHC is a first-of-its-kind conference that brings together practitioners and leaders in mental health, behavioral health, and holistic wellness for a full day of continued education, professional development, networking and an opportunity to earn up to 6 CEUs.
Extend your holiday weekend and boost your career—NJIMHC for CEUs with a view! At the historic Berkeley Oceanfront Hotel, an iconic gem set against the stunning backdrop of Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Wednesdae will be presenting on Creative Queer Care based on thier forthcoming book, Queer Expressions.
Expressive Art Therapy Summit: Social Action Art Therapy & Expressive Therapies for Queer Body Image Issues
This 3-hour virtual workshop explores the intersections of body politics, queer identity, and creative process through the lens of social action art therapy and expressive modalities. Drawing from a harm reduction and trauma-informed framework, participants will examine how body image struggles within queer communities are shaped by societal norms, oppression, and resilience practices. Together, we will explore how artmaking, movement, breathwork, and sensory-based practices can provide effective healing in treatment and create space for radical re-imaginings of the body. Within therapeutic contexts, social action art therapy serves not only as a means of individual expression, but also as a tool for collective empowerment and advocacy. Participants will learn strategies for using these approaches in virtually any clinical setting and how they can be adapted for clients of all ages and abilities. By incorporating both visual and embodied forms of expressive therapy, this workshop highlights ways to engage queer clients who may not typically respond to traditional approaches, offering an effective way for working with populations often underserved in mental health care. This session is designed for counselors and psychotherapists working with Queer clients, but the tools and practices offered will enhance our work as clinicians more broadly. Generalists and specialists alike will be introduced to practical, experiential methods for use in treatment with individuals and groups. Through the creative process, participants will discover how social action art therapy and expressive practices can deepen daily therapeutic work, enhance emotional development, and open pathways toward collective healing and social change.
Expressive Arts, Somatic Therapies, and Healing TraumaDate & Time: Saturday, February 7th 10AM-1PM EST
This 3-hour CE workshop is designed for mental health professionals seeking to expand their clinical skills in working with Queer clients through expressive arts and somatic therapy. Grounded in trauma-informed, intersectional, and liberatory practices, this program provides therapists with both theoretical foundations and experiential practices that integrate body-based and creative approaches to healing. Emphasizing embodied narratives, intergenerational trauma, and the socio-political contexts of Queer identity, participants will explore how to safely support clients in accessing, expressing, and transforming trauma held in the body. The session will include case material, art-based directives, somatic grounding exercises, and opportunities for self-reflection.
3CE’s NBCC Approved
Expressive Arts, Somatic Therapies, and Healing Trauma Date & Time: Friday, January 9th 9AM-12PM EST
This 3-hour CE workshop is designed for mental health professionals seeking to expand their clinical skills in working with Queer clients through expressive arts and somatic therapy. Grounded in trauma-informed, intersectional, and liberatory practices, this program provides therapists with both theoretical foundations and experiential practices that integrate body-based and creative approaches to healing. Emphasizing embodied narratives, intergenerational trauma, and the socio-political contexts of Queer identity, participants will explore how to safely support clients in accessing, expressing, and transforming trauma held in the body. The session will include case material, art-based directives, somatic grounding exercises, and opportunities for self-reflection.
*3 NBCC-Approved CE’s
Eating Disorders: Assessment, Diagnosis, and Treatment through a Trauma-Informed Lens
This training provides an overview of eating disorders with a focus on trauma-informed assessment, diagnostic considerations, and evidence-based treatment approaches. Attendees will gain clinical tools to support clients across the diagnostic spectrum—including Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED)—with attention to the impacts of systemic oppression, chronic stress, and comorbid presentations such as substance use, complex PTSD, and dissociative symptoms.
This training emphasizes the importance of cultural humility, body liberation frameworks, and harm-reduction approaches to challenge dominant weight-centric narratives. Participants will explore how eating disorders present across diverse identities, including race, gender, disability, and socioeconomic status. Assessment, diagnostic clarity, and treatment planning strategies will be grounded in social work ethics and trauma-informed care. Case vignettes and discussions will support the clinical application.
Expressive Arts, Somatic Therapies, and Healing TraumaDate & Time: Thursday, December 4th 6-9PM EST
This 3-hour CE workshop is designed for mental health professionals seeking to expand their clinical skills in working with Queer clients through expressive arts and somatic therapy. Grounded in trauma-informed, intersectional, and liberatory practices, this program provides therapists with both theoretical foundations and experiential practices that integrate body-based and creative approaches to healing. Emphasizing embodied narratives, intergenerational trauma, and the socio-political contexts of Queer identity, participants will explore how to safely support clients in accessing, expressing, and transforming trauma held in the body. The session will include case material, art-based directives, somatic grounding exercises, and opportunities for self-reflection.
3CE’s NBCC Approved
The Chicago School: Office of Continuing Education 2025 Virtual Conference
Wednesdae will be presenting: Queer Expressions: Integrating Expressive Arts and Somatic Therapy based on their forth coming book QUEER EXPRESSIONS: Expressive Art and Somatic Therapy Practices for Healing Body Trauma(to be released June 23, 2026)
The Office of Continuing Education at The Chicago School is pleased to announce our annual virtual conference:
Current Trends in Mental Health 2025: Clinical, Ethical, and Legal Considerations.
This 2025 virtual conference will explore industry shifts within the mental health landscape and discuss topics at the forefront of the professions. By focusing on the tracks of Clinical, Ethical, and Legal considerations, conference attendees will walk away with a robust understanding of the current state of the field.
GLMA Conference: Foundational Approaches to Eating Disorder Treatment: Inclusive and Affirming Care for LGBTQ+ Patients
Eating disorders (EDs) are a significant yet often overlooked issue in LGBTQ+ communities, with unique risk factors including minority stress, gender dysphoria, and societal stigma. Despite increasing awareness, many healthcare providers lack foundational knowledge on how to provide affirming and effective treatment for LGBTQ+ individuals struggling with EDs. This presentation will offer an overview of basic treatment approaches for eating disorders, with an emphasis on inclusive and trauma-informed care.
Participants will learn the core principles of eating disorder treatment, including medical stabilization, nutritional rehabilitation, and evidence-based psychotherapeutic approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). The session will also highlight the importance of integrating gender-affirming care and addressing the intersectional identities of LGBTQ+ patients in treatment planning.
By centering LGBTQ+ experiences and addressing common barriers to care, this session will equip providers with practical strategies to create safer and more affirming treatment environments.
ElevatED Conference
This two-day conference will bring together renowned speakers and leading experts in the eating disorder field, offering invaluable education and practical strategies to better support your clients 1:1. Workshops will cover critical topics such as practicing from a weight-inclusive lens, gender-affirming care, neuroscience and nervous system regulation in the context of recovery, and much more!
Here's what to expect:
Join us for a transformative two-day conference that brings together renowned speakers and leading experts in the eating disorder field, offering invaluable education and practical strategies to better support your clients 1:1.
Throughout the conference, you will participate in dynamic sessions covering critical topics identified by experienced coaches as essential for effective support. Expect to engage in thought-provoking workshops as well as networking opportunities that will empower you to elevate your coaching practice.
Prepare to be informed, educated, and inspired to make an even more profound impact on the lives of those you support!
PA NASW Conference
EMPOWER: NASW PA Conference
Save the date for the 2024 Conference
Sunday, October 13th-Wednesday, October 16th, 2024
Kalahari Resorts and Conversations
Network with professionals who understand what you do day-in and day-out.
Registration for the 2024 NASW-PA Conference Now Open
GLMA Conference
From GLMA:
GLMA's Annual Conference on LGBTQ+ Health
Since its inception in 1981, GLMA's Annual Conference on LGBTQ+ Health has served as the premier scientific conference shaping the future of LGBTQ+ health care, where health professionals come together to share innovative breakthroughs and interventions, as well as the latest research on LGBTQ+ health. The conference is open to health care providers of all disciplines, researchers, academics, health administrators, policy experts, advocates, and all LGBTQ+ health supporters.
Present Portraits
Join Wednesdae & Megan Wooding of Megan Wooding Photography on a journey of self-discovery and body trust in this unique self-care opportunity
This is a 3 hour workshop focused on celebrating our sacred, messy, ever changing bodies.
This workshop is hosted by the Breathing Room in New Haven, CT, more information to come!
Present Portraits
Join Wednesdae & Megan Wooding of Megan Wooding Photography on a journey of self-discovery and body trust in this unique self-care opportunity
This is a 3 hour workshop focused on celebrating our sacred, messy, ever changing bodies.
Express Pride Expressive Arts Confernece
Join Wednesdae at the Expressing Pride 2024 Expressive Arts Conference and see their Auto-ethnographic work on gender and gender constructs!
This presentation will cover expressive art-making through found objects as part of the gender-affirming care process. The use of found objects such as mannequins is rarely discussed in therapy. The presenter has personal and professional experience using this process to document and parallel their gender-affirmation process. This presentation will outline how this process can become more central to gender exploration and elevate the deep introspection often needed in the process of self-discovery. Through the presenter's narrative, participants can learn how to facilitate this process and support clients in a new modality that can expand gender exploration and gender affirmation.
Women's Consortium- DMHAS Gender Identity Education Group
Join Wednesdae at the CT Women’s Consortium as they provide education and support via the DMHAS Gender Identity Education Group.
LGBTQ Research Symposium
Join Wednesdae at the LGBTQ Research Symposium.
The LGBTQ Research Symposium is now in it’s 12th year! From being started by two graduate students at the University of Illinois (Meg Paceley & Elizabeth Holman) to being hosted by the University of Kansas and now co-hosted with the University of Connecticut, the symposium continues to grow and remains a critical component of our queer research communities. This year we have expanded our formal leadership to include faculty in multiple disciplines and institutions. We’d love to see you join us!
DMHAS- Advanced Trans Topics
Join Wednesdae at the CT Womens Consortium running a training for DMHAS (Dept of Mental Health & Addiction Services on advanced clinical care for Trans and Gender Diverse people.
MEDA Conference
Join Wednesdae and Ron at the MEDA Conference for trainings and talks on Art Therapy for Queer Clients with Eating Disorder and Sex Therapy with Eating Disorders.
DMHAS-Trans Letter Writing For Clinicians
Join Wednesdae at the CT Womens Consortium running a training for DMHAS (Dept of Mental Health & Addiction Services) and learn how to eradicate gatekeeping and write Gender Affirming Letters aiding clients in getting the care they need.
Recovery Collective
Wednesdae will be sharing work around art therapy and gender affirming care and how those with eating disorders can cope through gender dysphoria.
NASW CT- Restricted
Wednesdae & Colleagues share a presentation on the restricted social justice topics in our current culture and the importance of examining intersections.
Queer Body Liberation Through Art
ECSU Pride Center welcomes Wednesdae to discuss Queer Body Liberation and how art heals and documents the beauty that is the queer body.
Body Justice in the 21st Century
Join Wednesdae at the Connecticut Women’s Consortium for a talk on body justice, body trust, HAES, and the expansion of body justice in the 21st Century.
Treating Eating Disorders in Marginalized Identities
Treating Eating Disorders in Marginalized Identities"
Join us for an enlightening event with breakfast, where we'll discuss treating eating disorders in marginalized identities. This in-person event will be held in the conference room at:
Homewood Suites by Hilton Newtown - Langhorne, PA: 110 Pheasant Run, Newtown, PA 18940.
There will be three 1-hour speakers during the morning event:
8:30am-9:00am Check-In, Breakfast, Networking / Community Time
9:00am-10:00am RACHEL MILLNER, PSY.D, CEDS-S, CBTP® (she/her): "Anti-Fat Bias in Eating Disorder Treatment".
10:00am-11:00am SHANNON HAYS, LPC, CAADC, CEDS (she/her): "Intersection of Disabilities and Eating Disorders".
11:00am-12:00pm WEDNESDAE REIM IFRACH, REAT, ATR-BC, ATCS, LPC, NCC, CLAT, LCMHC, LPCC (they/them): "Trans and Gender Diverse Bodies in ED Treatment".
12:00pm-12:30pm Networking / Community Time
Treatment Centers & Programs are welcome to contact Stacy Hunt, PhD regarding reserving space for tabling: director@buckssupportservices.com
There will be a community table for sharing cards and information for local practices.
*The venue is ADA compliant and accessible. Please contact Stacy Hunt, PhD for any additional accommodation requests.
Present Portraits: Photography as Care Work
Join Wednesdae and Megan Wooding of Megan Wooding Photography as they host a community photography event around embracing body image through community building, and creating meanigful connections.
