Things to consider when your LGBTQIA+ clients plan to attend family gatherings
After skimming through my emails, I read a few mental health and youth centered newsletters. I had the thought to post about our (queer) community, upcoming family gatherings, and tips on being supportive.
Layered with the social anxiety that has surfaced from the pandemic, and navigating the emotional wounds of non-affirming behaviors that can surface during family gatherings, I would imagine that some of the conversations around the table, might become tense. This guide seeks to remind, highlight, and inform on supportive practices to engage our clients during gatherings that have the potential to be non-affirming.
While challenges can be identified for folxs across identity intersections (race/ethnicity, ability, etc),
“…ahead of the holiday season, the Center for Excellence LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity and the University of Maryland Institute for Innovation and Implementation have prepared this guide for clinicians describing the potentially non-affirming behaviors and narratives that LGBTQ+ clients may face when traveling home and recommendations for how to help support them.
Source: @TheUpswing Fund Newsletter (November 2021)
Additional points worth a deep-dive and what I found helpful
The guides recommendations for support are transferrable across role. Folxs across titles (clinician, healer, youth support staff, etc) and settings can apply some of the overall ideas.
The guides recommendations on how to navigate non affirming religious rituals and practices was helpful, and a place to start. A critique that I would offer is to, process from a trauma informed and culturally responsive lens, the recommendation for the client to ask their family not to participate in that aspect of that gathering, and whether that is a realistic ask. I would also advise that the clinician or individual in a supportive role, to role play hopes and anticipated responses to this type of ask.
The guide also highlights considerations from the family perspective. The recommendation offers that clinicians process with clients ie developing and sharing ground rules for the visit. A critique that I would offer related to this consideration, is also based on the client’s experience of navigating boundaries, cultural underpinnings, family systems, safety, etc.
Lastly, the guides recommendation to complete a “family gathering self care plan” was amazing. I would advise that the clinician or individual in a supportive role, to help brainstorm with their client, someone that might be available by text for the client. This might be helpful in case things get hard af, and a check in with someone that your client has identified as supportive, is needed.
Overall, the guide provides concrete tips for clinicians to utilize when their LGBTQIA+ clients plan to attend family gatherings. One helpful aspect about the guide includes, the recommendations being transferrable across title and setting, which is helpful when looking for resources during the holiday ie peer support groups, etc. One of the critiques that I would like to highlight is related to ensuring that all engagement, is from a trauma informed and culturally responsive lens. Lastly, this is only a summary of the guide. Definitely check out the resource in its entirety for additional tips, and considerations.
You can find the “Things to consider when your LGBTQ+ client plans to attend a family gathering” guide here.
