In this wide-ranging interview with Dr. Jeff Magnavita, I discuss my life in the field of psychotherapy, and the ways in which I have been transformed by, and, I hope, have transformed the field of psychology. Where to find FREE – View on YouTube
Posts By: Lynn
Intersectional Feminist Therapy theory and its application in trauma treatment (November 14 and 28, Online)
In addition to providing cutting edge, evidence based trauma therapy, how can mental health practitioners living and working within oppressive systems (like colonialism, patriarchy, white supremacy, heterosexism, or exploitative capitalism) ensure we’re less likely to perpetuate the harms of these systems through our therapy? How can we educate ourselves to support the empowerment and healing… Read more »
Decolonial, liberatory, intersectional feminist therapy: The next step on the path (August 2021-August 2022, On-Demand)
Feminist therapy has, in essence, argued that the entire project of psychotherapy was colonized and corrupt from its inception. The collusion of the “founding fathers” of western psychotherapy with both overt and covert moves by governments to control the behaviors of marginalized persons, as well as reinforce dangerous false narrative of toxic masculinity, are core… Read more »
Why psychology must pay attention to trauma
This presentation, which I recorded in early July, 2021, takes the form of a conversation between myself and Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis, a feminist/womanist trauma psychologist who was then running for the presidency of the American Psychological Association. In it I talk about the centrality of trauma to everything that psychologists do, and the necessity of… Read more »
Heart to heart: The healing power of Aikido (June 6, Zoom)
This workshop, which I am co-offering with my two Aikido teachers, Mary Heiny Sensei, 7th Dan, and Kimberly Richardson Sensei, MA, 6th Dan, focuses on the ways in which the martial art of peace, Aikido, is at its very core a healing art that can be of immense help to people struggling with trauma, loss,… Read more »
Dealing with vampire clients and surviving the encounter (April 9, Zoom)
This presentation is part of a day-long pre-conference workshop, Navigating issues of boundaries and ethics in the psychotherapy of trauma and dissociation. In my portion of this workshop I talk about a typology of destructive individual, either a colleague or a client, who I have come to describe as a “Vampire” due to their pervasive,… Read more »
Soothing the traumatized heart: Music, the polyvagal model of trauma, and healing of complex trauma (February 12, Zoom)
Persons who are subjected to repeated, unavoidable trauma, neglect, and disruptions to attachment during their earliest years are likely to develop what is now referred to as Complex Trauma. Different from classic PTSD, Complex Trauma affects all aspects of a person’s interpersonal functioning as well as their relationships with themselves, and their existential and spiritual… Read more »
Your turn for care: Surviving the aging and death of the adults who harmed you (January 30, Zoom)
The adult family members who harmed survivors of childhood complex trauma can present new difficulties and dilemmas for survivors when those perpetrators grow old. Demands on the survivors to engage in caregiving, even when refused, can activate what had been previously healed wounds or open new ones. This workshop will address the common concerns of… Read more »
Not the price of admission: Having healthy relationships for trauma survivors in the pandemic era (January 30, Zoom)
This workshop will offer participants insights into two things. One, why survivors believe, consciously or not, that they must pay a price in order to have any kind of relationship with other humans. And two, how to stop paying prices and instead develop a template for the healthy relationships that we deserve with friends, co-workers,… Read more »
Evidence-based relationship variables when working with affectional and gender minority clients: A systematic review
This article addresses the challenges of translating the evidence for the effects of the relationship in psychotherapy to work with clients whose intersectional identities are strongly informed by being members of groups marginalized for their sexual or gender orientations. We discuss managing both differences and similarities in the experiences of those offering and those seeking… Read more »
Institutional Cowardice: A powerful, often invisible, manifestation of Institutional Betrayal
In this article I introduce a new construct, Institutional Cowardice, which expands on Jennifer Freyd’s constructs of Institutional Betrayal and Institutional Courage. In it, I discuss the ways in which cowardice, and the fear of being ostracized and marginalized within an organization that is engaging in Institutional Betrayal, enables the betrayal while allowing the coward… Read more »
Complex trauma: Missed and misdiagnosis in forensic evaluations
This article, co-authored with my former trainee and colleague Tyson Bailey, speaks to the common and problematic phenomenon of how persons with complex trauma are misdiagnosed by forensic evaluators who are not trauma-informed. The risks to the quality of forensic evaluation when complex trauma is not taken into account or identified correctly, and the costs… Read more »
Complex trauma and the question of reasonableness in sexual harassment cases
This article discusses the interactions between a history of childhood complex trauma and responses to various levels of sexual harassment. Because sexual harassment occurs on a continuum, its effects can vary depending on the target’s own history of prior sexual trauma or abuse of power. Forensic evaluators who lack a trauma-informed perspective are likely to… Read more »
Guideline orthodoxy and resulting limitations of the APA Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of PTSD in Adults: Introduction to the Special Issue
This article is the introduction of one of two special journal issues in which Christine Courtois and I have generated scholarly critiques of the APA Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of PTSD in Adults, writing from the perspective of having been members of the group that generated those guidelines. We explore how our attempts…
This article introduces one of two special issues of journals that critique the process and outcome of the APA Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of PTSD in Adults. We introduce the readers to several innovative modalities for the treatment of trauma that were either marginalized in the guidelines development process, or excluded because their… Read more »Trauma treatment: The need for on-going innovation
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy and related treatments for trauma: An innovative, integrative trauma treatment
Although EMDR has been utilized clinically for more than three decades, and now has a growing and large body of scientific scholarship demonstrating its effectiveness with survivors of a wide range of traumas, it is still wrongly treated as “controversial” by those who have remained ignorant of this strong evidence base for its use in… Read more »
Celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Association for Women in Psychology: A life in feminist psychology. A long and interesting journey from Ft. Wayne to Newport
In 2019, I had the privilege of being the invited keynote speaker for the 50th anniversary conference of the professional organization that shaped my entire life’s work, the Association for Women in Psychology. This article expands on that speech, in which I highlight the ways in which the radical vision of feminist psychology has both… Read more »
What’s in a name? Reflections on how the dissociative coping strategies of survivors of trauma are anything but a disorder
This interview, which I gave in April, 2020, shares my process of becoming a therapist working with, and eventually attempting to be an ally to, people living with dissociation, especially with dissociative ego states. An important focus of this interview is my discussion of how I have come to abandon the use of “disorder” in… Read more »
Psychotherapy with alien beings: Cultural competence (and incompetence) in psychotherapy practice
This article is a whimsical introduction to the core components of my model of how to be a culturally humble, and possibly competent, psychotherapist as we work with people in the context of their, and our, intersectional identities. In this piece I discuss the problems with the now out-moded “how to treat an alien being”… Read more »
Retiring from trauma therapy practice: Reflections on four decades in the field
This podcast interview was done just as I was closing my practice of psychotherapy in December, 2018. In it I reflect on the lessons learned in 40 years of working as a psychologist in the field of trauma, as well as discussing how I came to the decision to retire from psychotherapy practice. Where to… Read more »
Feminist perspectives on trauma treatment (March 8, Ramat Gan Israel)
This informal discussion program is being offered by invitation by the School of Social Work at Tel Aviv University. I’ll be sharing my work and insights into how to integrate feminist frameworks into trauma treatment, and engaging with my Israeli colleagues to learn about how they have been doing the same. Where to attend Event:… Read more »
Insights and innovative feminist models and techniques for working with complex PTSD (March 6, Tel Aviv Israel)
This informal discussion program is an invited presentation for the therapists of one of Israel’s oldest feminist therapy collectives. I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned from my clients in four decades of working with the survivors of complex trauma, and engage with my Israeli counterparts to discover what their different social context brings to the… Read more »
Multicultural theories
In this chapter my co-author and I explore the range of multicultural theories that can be integrated into clinical psychology practice. This chapter is one part of a very large and expensive five-volume series, which I suggest getting from your library. Where to find Buy from Amazon Citation Comas-Diaz, L. & Brown, L.S. (2016). Multicultural… Read more »
Feminist and multicultural perspectives in trauma psychology
This is one chapter in a two-volume book series. If you work with trauma survivors it would probably be worth your while to invest in this purchase. This particular chapter discusses the roots of trauma psychology in early feminist practice with survivors of rape, intimate partner violence, and childhood sexual abuse, and considers how and… Read more »
Feminist therapy
This brief chapter reviews the heritage of feminist psychotherapy, and summarizes its core principles and practices. This is simply one short article in a four-volume series, which I suggest that you obtain from your library. The Kindle version costs more than 300.00. Where to find Buy from Amazon Citation Brown, L.S. (2017). Feminist therapy. In… Read more »
Effect of evidence-based treatment relationships on treatment outcome for adults with trauma: A systematic review
Because there were few if any studies of the importance of the evidence-based treatment relationship variables on trauma therapy, our group set out to explore the existing literature. We found that as with other psychotherapy clients, trauma survivors in therapy find treatment more effective when those relationship variables are present. Where to find Buy from… Read more »
Celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary of the Association for Women in Psychology: A life in feminist psychology: A long and interesting journey from Ft. Wayne to Newport
This article grew out of the keynote address that I gave at the 50th anniversary conference of the Association for Women in Psychology, the leading feminist psychology organization in the world. In it I review my own personal history with AWP, and then discuss some of the innovations that feminists brought to psychology that have… Read more »
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy and related treatments for trauma: An innovative, integrative trauma treatment
This article, co-authored with an expert consultant and trainer in EMDR, discusses its development as an innovative treatment for trauma. We describe the resistance and marginalization of this technique in its early years, and then discuss the growing body of research that demonstrates it being an evidence-based and effective practice for treating trauma. In an… Read more »
Trauma treatment: The need for on-going innovation
This article introduces a special issue of the journal Practice Innovations. Dr. Courtois and I were inspired to create this special issue, and the accompanying special issue of Psychotherapy because of our collective dissatisfaction with both the process and outcome of APA’s PTSD Treatment Guidelines work group, of which I was a member, and which… Read more »
Guideline orthodoxy and resulting limitations of the APA Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of PTSD in Adults: Introduction to the Special Issue
This article introduces a special issue of the journal Psychotherapy. Dr. Courtois and I were inspired to create this special issue, and the accompanying special issue of Practice Innovations because of our collective dissatisfaction with both the process and outcome of APA’s PTSD Treatment Guidelines work group, of which I was a member, and which… Read more »
Review of traumatic divorce and separation
This book review describes my response to a very impressive and thorough book for both attorneys and psychologists who work with women going through divorce after abusive or exploitative relationships. It’s must reading if you work with that population. Where to find Buy from publisher Citation Brown, L.S. (2019). Review of traumatic divorce and separation…. Read more »
Feminist and liberatory perspectives on psychotherapy supervision: Empowerment, not shame (February 25-March 5, Beersheva Israel)
This intensive course will introduce students to feminist and liberatory models of psychotherapy practice as they apply to supervision of counselors and therapists at any stage of professional development. We will discuss common challenges and pitfalls inherent in attempting to create an egalitarian, liberatory relationship in an evaluative setting, and explore together how to develop… Read more »
Liberatory counseling in challenging times: How can counseling centers show Institutional Courage (February 20, Evanston IL)
This keynote address will discuss how counseling center therapists, and the systems that support their work, can function in liberatory ways in their work. The questions of divided loyalties – to the university, to the counseling center’s own systems of hierarchy, to staff, to trainees, and to clients – will be considered. I’ll talk about… Read more »
Not the price of admission: Having healthy relationships for trauma survivors (February 8, Orlando FL)
This workshop for adult survivors of complex childhood trauma and their therapists will introduce the “Price of Admission” model for how disrupted attachment during childhood creates problematic paradigms for all kinds of emotionally meaningful relationships in adult life. I will then talk about ways to break the chain of trauma reenactments in those relationships, emphasizing… Read more »
Cultural competence: It’s all about clinical awareness (December 6, Tukwila WA)
This brief workshop for interns and post-docs who are part of the National Internship Training Consortium in the Pacific Northwest, will invite early career psychologists to consider how they and their work are affected by systemic forms of bias and oppression. We will utilize a model of developing cultural humility and compassionate self-awareness to move… Read more »
Ethical and practical applications of Aikido principles to trauma treatment (November 8, Seattle WA)
This workshop for therapists who treat trauma survivors will introduce the use of concepts and movement strategies from Aikido, the martial art of peace. We will base our work on current findings about the neuroscience of trauma, and focus on interventions that affect the polyvagal system and the stress response system. The relational nature of… Read more »
Cultural competence and cultural humility in the treatment of trauma (September 27, Arlington TX)
This workshop will address two issues central to working with psychotherapy clients; how do we demonstrate cultural humility, so at to move toward greater competence, and how do we integrate that cultural awareness into the treatment of trauma survivors? Since so many people entering treatment have histories of trauma, both childhood complex developmental trauma and… Read more »
Blending science and art in trauma therapy outcomes (August 9, Chicago IL)
This symposium brings me together with a group of other long-time practitioners in the field of trauma psychology. Together, we will discuss our responses to a number of questions about what make trauma therapy work, including describing our start in the trauma therapy field, discussing some trends in the science world at the time you… Read more »
Contextual trauma therapy for clients with complex trauma: Skill-building using a video recording (August 8, Chicago IL)
I will be a discussant on this workshop in which members of the Nova Southeastern University trauma treatment program discuss the latest developments in their work – in this case, looking at how and whether skills at coping with trauma-related difficulties can be enhanced through the use of video material. Where to attend Event: Annual… Read more »
Feminist perspectives on the treatment of trauma (April 13-14, Prague Czech Republic)
This two-day workshop is aimed at psychotherapists wishing to integrate feminist therapy principles into their work with trauma survivors. The workshop will explore feminist models of trauma beyond the diagnostic manuals. It will attend to issues of intersectional identity as sources of both risk and resilience in the face of trauma exposure, and will consider… Read more »
The feminist therapy model of psychotherapy supervision (April 12, Prague Czech Republic)
This presentation will consist of a brief didactic review of the feminist model of psychotherapy supervision followed by excerpts from a DVD of a live session of supervision in which this model is demonstrated. We will focus on ways in which the feminist emphasis on power analysis and the goal of creating an egalitarian relationship… Read more »
Feminist therapy, Second edition
In addition to updated references on feminist psychology and feminist practice, I have included analyses of feminist practice in the age of increased awareness of intersectional identities, #MeToo and Black Lives Matter, and the effects of these and other emerging social movements on feminist practice.
Helping trauma survivors to have the relationships they deserve (December 9, Burlingame CA)
Survivors of complex childhood trauma – systemic abuse, neglect, and disrupted attachment schemata — enter adulthood with internal working models of relationship that often lead them into difficult and painful connections with others. I will address the specific challenges in empowering these survivors to stop “paying the price of admission” to intimacy, and discuss how… Read more »
Liberatory Models of Psychotherapy Supervision (December 8, Burlingame CA)
There is a dynamic tension between the necessarily hierarchical structure of psychotherapy supervision and the liberatory/egalitarian models of feminist and other liberatory practices. This will be a chance for psychotherapy supervisors who are struggling with this dilemma to discuss this topic with the author of The feminist model of psychotherapy supervision. Come with your own… Read more »
Increasing cultural humility as a path to competence (December 8, Burlingame CA)
This session will be a dialogue between me and Elliott Connie, a psychotherapist who has been instrumental in promoting diversity issues in the world of Brief Therapy. We will engage with one another and with the audience – come prepared to participate. Where to attend Event: Brief Therapy Conference 2018 Sponsoring organization: Milton Erickson Foundation… Read more »
Culturally competent trauma practice (December 7, Burlingame CA)
Just as human beings are not generic, so, too, trauma is an event that is affected by and interacts with people’s intersectional identities. This workshop will introduce participants to a mindful model for understanding how to move towards cultural competence in practice with trauma survivors. We will pay particular attention to therapist countertransference/fragility, and to… Read more »
The feminist therapy model of psychotherapy supervision (June 27 Amsterdam The Netherlands)
This presentation, part of a symposium of master supervisors, will consist of a brief didactic review of the feminist model of psychotherapy supervision followed by excerpts from a DVD of a live session of supervision in which this model is demonstrated. We will focus on ways in which the feminist emphasis on power analysis and… Read more »
Feminist perspectives on the treatment of trauma (February 14, Beersheva Israel)
This full-day workshop is aimed at psychotherapists wishing to integrate feminist therapy principles into their work with trauma survivors. The workshop will explore feminist models of trauma beyond the diagnostic manuals. It will attend to issues of intersectional identity as both risk and resilience in the face of trauma exposure, and will consider ways in… Read more »
Women, trauma and psychotherapy: New insights (February 13, Beersheva Israel)
This invited address will introduce participants to feminist perspectives on treating women survivors of trauma, with an emphasis on interpersonal and intimate trauma. Feminist models for understanding trauma and for looking at women within the context of intersectional identities will be a focus of this speech. Where to attend Event: Women’s Health and Mental Health… Read more »
Culturally competent trauma treatment (October 13, Seattle WA)
This full-day workshop will focus on self-awareness of the therapist’s own intersecting strands of identity, cultural norms and biases and the ability to be sensitive to the nuances of human difference. This model of cultural competence is inherently integrative in that it focuses on people, not theories, and on distress, dysfunction, strength and resilience, not… Read more »
How can we engender healthy relationships for survivors of complex childhood trauma? (August 25, Bellevue WA)
This keynote address will introduce participants to the “Price of Admission” model for analyzing problematic relationship patterns found in adult survivors of childhood complex trauma. We will explore how to utilize EMDR, both trauma processing and resource development strategies, as a means of achieving the goal of having healthier emotionally meaningful relationships for adult survivors…. Read more »
Implementing culturally competent strategies in clinical work with trauma survivors (September 2, Nashville TN)
This workshop will explore clinical strategies for integrating culturally competent practice models into clinical work with trauma survivors. We’ll consider issues of transference and countertransference as they’re affected by the identities of all parties in the room, and explore how to work across both apparent difference and apparent similarities. There will be an emphasis on… Read more »
Cultural competence in the 21st Century (September 2, Nashville TN)
This keynote address will cover elements of emerging models of culturally competent practice for professionals working with mental health and substance abuse populations. I’ll have a particular emphasis on working with trauma survivors in those populations, and on integrating the identity of a trauma survivor into people’s other intersectional identities. Where to attend Event: Trauma,… Read more »
Forensic practice with vulnerable populations: The victim-victimizer-victim cycle (August 7, Denver CO)
I’ll be serving as the discussant on this panel, which features presentations on trauma as a factor in the lives of incarcerated people, people of color, death penalty defendants, and survivors of abuse by clergy. I’ll be tying together themes in the four presentations as they emerge in the practice of forensic trauma psychology. Where… Read more »
A past-presidential panel on getting the word out on trauma (August 5, Denver CO)
This panel discussion features the past presidents of the Division of Trauma Psychology discussing how we can better disseminate information about trauma in the widest possible range of both lay and professional settings. I’ll be discussing the topic of how we can integrate trauma more effectively into the training of professional psychologists. Where to attend… Read more »
Establishing a Clinical Practice in Trauma Psychology (August 5, Denver CO)
This program will feature a discussion among myself and my co-presenters, Christine Courtois, Constance Dalenberg, Steve Gold, Dawn Hughes, and Lisa Rocchio, all of whom have maintained successful trauma-focused practices of psychology. We’ll discuss the rewards and pitfalls of being trauma specialists and explore how to sustain oneself as a trauma psychologist in independent practice…. Read more »
Ethics and self-care: Challenges in treating trauma (August 5, Denver CO)
This program will feature a discussion between myself and my co-presenter, Dr. Christine Courtois, in which we dive into the complexities of caring for oneself and engaging in ethical practice while working with trauma survivors, particularly survivors of complex childhood developmental and attachment trauma. Our focus will be on the dynamic tension between boundaries, flexibility… Read more »
Belief, patience, connection: Relationship above and beyond evidence in trauma treatment (August 4, Denver CO)
The evidence-based psychotherapy relationship variables constitute the entry point for psychotherapy with survivors of complex childhood trauma. In the absence of empathy, positive regard, respect, genuineness, and the strong desire to repair ruptures on the part of the therapist, any treatment will likely fail. This is because the psychotherapist working with those who have been… Read more »
How can I care for the person who harmed me? Abuse survivors as filial caregivers (August 4, Denver CO)
Estimates are that around one third of the U.S. adult population has a history of some kind of childhood maltreatment, with most of this occurring in the family of origin at the hands of parents or parental figures. These adverse childhood experiences are associated with a range of psychological and somatic problems in later life,… Read more »
Feminist therapy supervision
This video features my early career colleague Samantha Slaughter PsyD consulting with me on the topic of countertransference. It offers a real-time experience of what feminist supervision or consultation looks and sounds like. The DVD also includes an interview with me and Dr. Slaughter, and a discussion of some of clips in the session that… Read more »
Supervision essentials for the feminist psychotherapy model of supervision
In this volume I integrate the feminist therapy paradigm for practice into the realities of psychotherapy supervision. Because supervision and consultation are so core to the training and professional education of psychotherapists, having a clear model of how to integrate feminist constructs into supervisory roles makes it possible to offer training in feminist therapy to… Read more »
Trauma, trauma everywhere
I have often told people I’m training that one of my goals is to put myself out of business. As a specialist in trauma, I work with survivors of the worst that humans can do to one another. And thus in my optimistic heart I try to imagine a day when the supply of work… Read more »
The feminist therapy model of psychotherapy supervision (June 16, Dublin Republic of Ireland)
This presentation, part of a symposium of master supervisors, will consist of a brief didactic review of the feminist model of psychotherapy supervision followed by excerpts from a DVD of a live session of supervision in which this model is demonstrated. Both the supervisor and the supervisee will be present to comment on the experience… Read more »
Laura talks about fear and disempowerment as barriers to social action on Seattle’s public radio station
What do feminist therapy principles of empowerment have to do with responding to climate change? Well, a lot, as it turns out, because empowering people to respond effectively to scary and overwhelming social issues looks very much like empowering people to make change in the therapy process. You can hear me talk about this with… Read more »
Not the price of admission: Healthy relationships after childhood trauma
I wrote this book because of my experience that many people who were abused, neglected, or otherwise given less-than-adequate experiences of attachment, love, and connection struggle in very predictable ways in their adult friendships, work relationships, and romantic relationships.
Assessing trauma in the forensic context (April 30, Pasadena CA)
Although trauma is implicated in a large percentage of cases that appear in the office of forensic practitioners, very few forensic psychologists appear to be aware of how to consider its effects in choosing assessment tools, developing standard interview protocols, or analyzing findings. Assessment of the effects of psychological trauma is not limited to assessment… Read more »
Cultural competence in trauma treatment: Beyond symptoms to the context and the person (March 3-4, Sydney NSW Australia)
The experience of psychological trauma is one that affects humans on somatic, intrapsychic, interpersonal, and spiritual/existential dimensions. Yet almost all of the literature on trauma treatment proceeds as if trauma occurs outside of the social, historical, and political contexts. A problematic consequence of this approach to work with trauma survivors is that while treatment may… Read more »
Unpredictable
So, to the Big Island of Hawai’i I went in March. Spent hours every day in front of the computer, looking out over the ocean and the tide pools at Kapoho, writing until my fingers hurt. When I returned to Seattle at the end of the month I had most of a book done. I… Read more »
A contextual approach to treating dissociation (August 8, Toronto ON)
I will serve as the discussant on this program, responding to the work of colleagues who will be describing the use of a contextual model to assist people dealing with trauma-related dissociation. Where to attend Event: 123rd Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association Sponsoring organization: Division of Trauma Psychology Registration information: Open to all… Read more »
Feminist therapy with complex trauma: Accompanying a survivor on her hobbit journey (August 6, Toronto ON)
Part of a symposium, Frodo and Sam Enter Mordor—The Feminist Therapy Alliance in Complex Trauma, this presentation will reflect my experiences of a feminist trauma specialist working as a therapist with a colleague who is a survivor of complex childhood trauma, as well as a member of several of the same small professional and social… Read more »
On not paying prices
My process as a writer is a bit like a pregnancy. My brain gets fertilized with an idea, often something that enough of my clients are talking about that I am pointed by them in a particular direction. Then the idea grows and gestates; I walk to work turning concepts over in my head. I… Read more »
Laura talks about being a trauma therapist on the West Coast Trauma Project podcast
Guy McPherson, the podcast host, interviews me about how I became a trauma therapist, and what keeps me inspired and engaged in this work. I share some early stumbles on the path to understanding trauma, and discuss what a new trauma therapist, or an experienced therapist new to trauma, can to to enhance their capacity… Read more »
Your turn for care: Surviving the aging and death of perpetrators in your family (January 31, Orlando FL)
This workshop draws upon my book of the same title, and is aimed at assisting adult survivors who are confronting the complexities evoked by the aging and death of perpetrators in their families. We will cover some of the basic constructs foundational to making decisions about whether or how to participate in the care of abusive elders,… Read more »
No easy answers: Ethics and the emphasis on social justice in the practice of psychotherapy (January 15, Atlanta GA)
In this symposium I will be speaking to the specific topic of the ethics of self-care: social justice for the therapist, too. This presentation addresses the thorny ethical conundrum of psychotherapist self-care. I will frame my discussion through the lens of feminist practice and the necessity of justice for the therapist in the context of… Read more »
Healing in the hard places
I recently spent the weekend at the annual conference of the International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, where I was pleased to receive the status of Fellow of the Society for the work I’ve been doing in my professional career. It was one of those conferences where I wasn’t presenting, and so… Read more »
Your turn for care: Surviving the aging and death of perpetrators in your family (October 5, Seattle WA)
This workshop draws upon my book of the same title, and is aimed at assisting adult survivors who are confronting the complexities evoked by the aging and death of perpetrators in their families. We will cover some of the basic constructs foundational to making decisions about whether or how to participate in the care of… Read more »
What does egalitarian look like? Dynamics of empowerment in feminist practice (August 10, Washington DC)
This presentation, part of the symposium Psychotherapy Revealed: A Glimpse of Eminent Psychotherapists in Session, illustrates how I attempt to develop egalitarian relationship in therapy, using examples of my work from the APA video series. Egalitarian interactions are theorized to be at the heart of the feminist treatment model of empowerment, and can be challenging… Read more »
Forensic issues in trauma psychology (August 9, Washington DC)
This discussion program explores the application of trauma psychology to the forensic contexts, including expert witness testimony, forensic treatment, and forensic psychological evaluation. A CD of useful documents for forensic trauma practice will be available for a small fee. Where to attend Event: 122nd Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association Sponsoring organization: Division of… Read more »
On not quitting my day job: How being a therapist heals me (August 9, Washington DC)
This presentation, part of a symposium titled Therapist Stories of Inspiration, Passion, and Renewal shares my story of personal and professional existential crisis, and describes the ways in which the practice of psychotherapy allowed me to feel a sense of hope and refine meaning-making in life. Where to attend Event: 122nd Annual Convention of the… Read more »
Dear sister/friend: Working with intimate female friendships in psychotherapy (August 8, Washington DC)
This discussion program explores the ways in which being a feminist psychotherapist influences how one is a friend to other women. I will discuss the trajectory of my development of emotionally intimate female friends through the experience of being a feminist therapist. Where to attend Event: 122nd Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association Sponsoring… Read more »
Empowerment as an ingredient of effective psychotherapy (August 7, Washington DC)
This presentation, part of a symposium titled How Does Psychotherapy Work? Looking to Theory and Evidence to Identify Change Mechanisms, explores the “secret sauce” of Feminist Therapy, empowerment, Feminist therapy theory has consistently focused on the construct of empowerment of clients as a central ingredient in the effectiveness of psychotherapy. In this presentation I will… Read more »
On not quitting the day job
Among the workshops I’ll be giving at the convention of the American Psychological Association in August is one based on a book chapter I published last year, titled On not quitting my day job. It’s a very personal reflection on the process of moving through a difficult passage in both personal and professional life at… Read more »
First do no harm: Is it any longer safe to write case reports?
This article, part of a special issue of the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, explores the risks of harm to clients whose lives become the topic of a professional case study. Drawing upon the experience of Nicole Taus, who was subjected to multiple invasions of privacy by a psychological researcher intent on refuting her report of… Read more »
Looking outside the (voice)box
This article is one of several follow-ups to my classic piece, New voices new visions, originally published in 1989. It is part of a special issue on how various lesbians in positions of leadership in their communities have dealt with illness and disability. In it I revisit my experience of having my larynx stop working… Read more »
Feminist therapy process
This chapter, excerpted from the book Feminist Therapy, is a brief introduction to dynamics of the process of feminist therapy. The function of the egalitarian relationship and strategies for empowerment of clients in the therapy context are emphasized. Where to find Buy from amazon.com Citation Brown, L.S. (2013). Feminist therapy process. In G. Vandenbos, E…. Read more »
Feminist therapy
This chapter, excerpted from the book Feminist Therapy, is a brief introduction to theory in feminist therapy. Theoretical roots of feminist therapy and major contributors to underlying theoretical constructs are reviewed. Where to find Buy from amazon.com Citation Citation Brown, L.S. (2013). Feminist therapy. In G. Vandenbos, E. Meidenbauer & J. Frank-McNeil (Eds). Psychotherapy theories… Read more »
Harvest season: Deepening the exploration of self-care for therapists and caregivers
“There is no market for a book like this.” So spoke one of my publishers back in 2010 when I first began to attempt to get Your Turn out into the world. Now, each month, the monthly report from Amazon comes in, and someone is buying a book at least once every day or so…. Read more »
Eek, there’s dissociation in my office!: The art of mentoring therapists in working with dissociation (November 17, Baltimore MD)
This workshop, with co-presenter Kathy Steele, is aimed primarily at supervisors working with clinicians who are new to practice with complex trauma and dissociation. Because this novice experience may occur at different points in a therapist’s professional development, we will address both the issues inherent in working with trainees early in their career, and consulting… Read more »
Your turn for care: Assisting clients with the aging and death of perpetrators (November 16, Baltimore MD)
This workshop draws upon my book of the same title, and is aimed at assisting clinicians whose adult survivors clients are facing the aging and death of perpetrators in the family. We will cover some of the basic constructs to assist survivors with making decisions about whether or how to participate in the care of… Read more »
Self-care as a path to ethical behavior (November 15, Baltimore MD)
This presentation, part of the day-long Ethics workshop with co-presenters Phil Kinsler, Joan Golston, and Christine Courtois, will explore the particular ethical dilemmas that arise for clinicians working with clients who present with complex trauma and dissociation. My portion of the workshop will focus on how failures of therapist self-care create risks for boundary crossings,… Read more »
Treating the effects of psychological trauma
This chapter is a brief introduction to the essentials of working psychotherapeutically with survivors of traumatic experiences. The range of traumagenic phenomena is explored, and evidence-based treatments for symptoms of trauma exposure are presented. Readers also have access to a bibliography of foundational literature in the field of psychology trauma. Where to find Buy from… Read more »
Treating women in psychotherapy
This chapter offers the reader a succinct introduction to the literature on working with women clients in psychotherapy. Intended as a stepping-stone into the five decades of literature on the topic, readers can use this chapter as a means of integrating awareness of gender into their work. A bibliography of foundational references is included. Where… Read more »
Feminist therapy: What empowerment looks like (August 4, Honolulu HI)
This presentation is a component of the symposium Psychotherapy Revealed—A Glimpse of Eminent Psychotherapists at Work. I will demonstrate the application of feminist therapy’s core construct of empowerment in a therapy session from the APA Psychotherapy Video Series. The client in this case was not interested in becoming empowered, and exerted strong pulls for me… Read more »
Breathing in power: Bringing the body back in feminist practice (August 3, Honolulu HI)
This presentation will discuss and describe the presenter’s integration of the body into the practice of feminist therapy. One persistent effect of women’s disempowerment in the context of interpersonal trauma has been disconnection from the body. Utilizing constructs from the martial art of aikido that emphasize the importance of moving from the center and awareness… Read more »
Establishing a forensic trauma practice (August 2, Honolulu HI)
This session will provide information to trauma psychologists with an interest in creating a trauma-informed forensic practice. Practical tips and helpful documents will be made available to those present. Registration for this workshop, which costs $35.00, is limited to 12 people Where to attend Event: 121st Annual APA Convention Sponsoring organization: APA Division 56, Trauma… Read more »
Cultural competence in trauma treatment (April 19, Oakland CA)
In this workshop I’ll be covering the basics of my mindfulness-based approach to cultural competence, and integrating that viewpoint into paradigms for working with trauma survivors. I’ll also be exploring some of the boundary challenges inherent in working with survivors, and discussing how to develop culturally competent paradigms for understanding what constitutes trauma. Where to… Read more »
Laura talks about Your Turn for Care on The Mary Waldon Show
A discussion of Your Turn for Care with internet radio host Mary Waldon. In this frank conversation, I talk about the concept of the contracts between children and the adults who raise them, and the pain and challenges that arise for people who had those contracts for care broken by their elders. I discuss some…
This is the audio for a workshop I gave March 2, 2013 at the New School for Social Research in New York City. This workshop introduced participants to an emerging epistemology of cultural competence that focuses on the person of the psychotherapist rather than on the acquisition of information about the Other. Participants were challenged… Read more »21st Century Cultural Competence
Now available for purchase – Your turn for care: Surviving the aging and death of the adults who harmed you
I’m very pleased to announce that Your turn for care: Surviving the aging and death of the adults who harmed you is now available for purchase. You can still read or listen to the first chapter for free. If you’ve done that and liked what you learned, you can now buy the entire book. I’ll… Read more »