Liberating the Queer Self: Addressing Internalized Shame Using ACT

Alongside the necessary celebrations of pride month, this experiential workshop aims to identify how internalized queer shame—both within our clients and ourselves—gets in the way of moving us collectively towards queer liberation. We’ll use ACT processes to unhook from oppressive narratives about LGBTQ+ people, scrutinize the value selection process, and consider what committed action looks like in the context of the current political climate. By the end of the workshop, each participant will walk away with one action they can take within the next week to support queer liberation.

Objectives:
1. Define internalized queer shame in context
2. Identify how internalized queer shame presents in both client and therapist
3. Apply the core processes of ACT to promote queer liberation both in and out of the therapy room
4. Share one committed action you can take within the next week to liberate yourself and/or a queer person from internalized shame

About Grace Dickman

Grace Dickman, LCSW (she/her) runs a small but mighty group practice, Real Therapy, in Brooklyn, NY and is licensed in four states. Her team provides curated therapy, consultation, education, and events that help bring queer creatives more fully into the world. Grace specializes in trauma, OCD, anxiety, and identity - with formal training in ACT, EMDR, IFS, and somatic integration. She’s an ACT superfan and is fiercely passionate about gender justice, trans rights, debunking exposure therapy myths, and teaching others how to love themselves through complex trauma.