Blake Desjarlais delivers our Welcome Address.
Blake Desjarlais (he/him) was born in ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᕀᐋᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ (Edmonton) and raised in the Fishing Lake Metis Settlement.
Blake made history in September 2021 when he was the first openly Two-Spirit person and Alberta's only Indigenous Member of Parliament to have been elected to the House of Commons.
Blake currently serves as the Caucus Vice Chair and Critic for Treasury Board, Diversity and Inclusion, Youth, Sport and Post-Secondary Education. Blake is the Deputy Critic for 2SLGBTQI+ Rights and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
Blake is proud to call the Boyle Street neighbourhood in Edmonton Griesbach home.
Hilary Thurston talks about The Politics of Codependency.
Hilary Thurston (she/her) identifies as a white settler, cisgender, queer, neurodivergent femme. Hilary is a Mental Health Counsellor, a Ph.D. candidate and a Tarot Card Reader located on the territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples in Toronto, Ontario. Her clinical work in Mental Health and Addictions Services for marginalized communities has informed her doctoral research in Gender, Feminist and Women's Studies at York University. Hilary's research focuses on the intersection of systemic oppression, trauma and attachment in queer communities. She is interested in de-pathologizing experiences of mental health and addiction through the deconstruction of psychopathological discourses and revisionist approaches to genealogy and queer life writing. Hilary has experience writing for both scholarly and general publics. Recently, her academic work has been published in Capacious: Journal for Emerging Affect Inquiry and Academia Letters, and she has been a contributor to local blogs, Edit Seven and She Does The City. Hilary's work reflects a commitment to trauma-informed and anti-oppressive theory and practice, and promotes interdependence in interpersonal and community relationships.
Kate Welsh Queers Mental Health and Unpacks Ableism.
Kate Welsh (they/she) BA, M.Ed is a queer, disabled artist, community activist and educator. Their work focuses on the impacts of ableism and oppression on mental health. Kate has been a researcher on various projects including student mental health, the disability and pregnancy study, disabled joy and LGBTQ disabled mental health. Kate is currently a disability affirming mental health counselor and facilitates workshops on a variety of topics. Kate Welsh will present on ableism, intersectionality and disability affirming counseling. They will discuss case studies that highlight how ableism comes up in individual and couples therapy. Kate will also talk about the importance of disabled joy, cripping therapy practices and the potentials of generative somatics within disability affirming counseling.
Noa E talks about Neuroatypicality and Mental Health in Queer Communities.
Jessie Myhill talks Eating Disorders and Gender Affirming Care.
Jessie Myhill (they/them) is a Registered Social Worker who works in private practice in Guelph, Ontario. They hold Master's Degrees in both Women's Studies and Social Work and have been working with queer and trans communities for close to 20 years. Jessie has worked in both inpatient and outpatient programs in the areas of mood, anxiety and eating disorders. They currently sit on the Wellington-Waterloo Eating Disorders Coalition and are passionate about advocating for body liberation for all individuals. When they are not working, they enjoy spending time with their family, growing vegetables and trying to navigate the world of social media at @your_nonbinary_therapist.
Kristin Cavuto helps us Unlearn Obesity and Learn Fatness to care for the fat client with respect.
Kristin Cavuto is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in private practice in central NJ. She offers expert lactation consultation both in person and virtually, provides therapy for adults, works as an expert witness in court cases involving child welfare and lactation, and is a professional speaker for many lactation and mental health conferences and organizations.
Her lactation specialties are low supply, difficulty latching, and rough starts. As a therapist, she specializes in postpartum and parenting challenges, LGBT+ and polyam issues, and addiction recovery support.
Dr. Nate Fuks Informs Psychotherapy for 2SLGBTQIA+ with Culture, Linguistics, and Science.
Dr. Nate Fuks is the Director of The Virginia I. Douglas Centre for Clinical Psychology and Assistant Professor (Clinical) at the Department of Psychology at McGill University. Prior to transferring to the Department of Psychology, Dr. Fuks was the Director of Psychoeducational & Counselling Clinic, Director of Clinical Training in Counselling Psychology, and Assistant Professor at Faculty of Education, Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology at McGill University. Dr. Fuks offers service to clients in four languages, and during his career was involved in a variety of international and multi-cultural ventures. Dr. Fuks's industry observations and experiences raised his awareness of the importance of newcomer and minority integration, and inspired his interest and ongoing involvement in research, clinical work, teaching, and community initiatives pertinent to these issues. His research these days revolves mostly around intersecting identities and mental health of LGBTQ+ individuals, immigrants, and refugees.
Lucie Fielding delivers our Plenary Address.
Lucie Fielding (she/they) is a white, queer, non-binary trans femme, and a therapist practicing in Charlottesville, VA and Seattle, WA. She received her MA in Counseling Psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute (2018). Lucie also holds a PhD in French from Northwestern University (2008), where she specialized in histories of sexualities, and erotic literature. Their background in literature and history attunes them to the many ways that image, metaphor, and cultural scripts shape and inform the narratives we carry with us as we move through the world as well as how these narratives inscribe themselves on our bodies. She is an Adjunct Professor in the Sex Therapy Certificate Program at Antioch University-Seattle as well as a sex educator and workshop facilitator. They are the author of Trans Sex: Clinical Approaches to Trans Sexualities and Erotic Embodiments (Routledge, May 2021).
Shadi K is More than Their Gender.
Shadi K (they/them) is a clinician at Our Landing Place and the Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, and an uninvited settler on Lekwungen land (Victoria, BC). They practice intersectional feminist and are a Somatic Transformation Practitioner, a musician, a drag performer, a biology geek and a cat parent! You’ll learn more about Shadi in this presentation, or you can visit their bio here.
We had a Panel Discussion or Race and Identity in 2SLGBTQIA+ Spaces.
Evelyn Bradley talks about White Erasure During Pride.
As the managing partner for the diversity, equity, and inclusion consulting firm Beyond the BRIM Consulting; Evelyn Bradley(She/ Her), works with non-profits, businesses, and universities to develop materials that center on culturally competent programming. Her passion for food, cultural diversity and the community is rooted in every aspect of her personal identity.
Evelyn moved to Epekwitk/Charlottetown, PEI with her wife Vanessa at the start of the pandemic. Since then she has revelled in the joys of exploring new intersectional spaces focused on social change, the arts, and community.
Lex Cribbs Queers Corporate
Lex Cribbs (they / them / theirs) is an out, non-binary queer person who focuses on all things Future of Work-related as a Senior Manager with Deloitte's Workforce Transformation practice. Lex works to foster diversity, inclusion, and vulnerability at Deloitte, on client engagements, and in their personal endeavors. Outside of work, Lex enjoys creative writing and hanging out with their wife, Liz, and cat, Taco.
Vanessa Kimmons led us in Sourcing Pleasure.
Described as “a gentle movement practice that invites us to be present in the moment; that encourages us to take in the constant shifts of sensation experienced in the body; and that chases the impossible task of being in a state of utmost pleasure at all times. We will practice trusting our bodies. The practice lives in this space where we seek to be present in our bodies while pursuing an intellectual proposal. The practice requires partnership between your thinking/critical mind, and your embodied knowledge. Through simple directions, we engage in an undemanding movement (on or off camera), take a moment to reflect and then return as a group to reflect and share our thoughts and experiences. Simply tuning into our relationship with pleasure, brings us to a new place, both individually and collectively.”
Victor Feunekes on Being A Trans Social Worker.
Victor Feunekes is a Trans-masculine Queer person (they/he) who recently completed their MSW at the University of Windsor and is now a registered Social Worker providing therapy for their community through their private practice with Blueprint Counselling. They have worked as a sexual health educator at Regional HIV/AIDS connection, a Systems Navigator at London Intercommunity Health Centre, and has facilitated a variety of groups for the LGBQ+ and Trans community.
In their work, they focus on the importance of authenticity and connection and utilize straightforward methods for implementing mindfulness and self compassion.
Victor has years of experience speaking and delivering presentations in different settings such as the City of London and Social Work and Medical programs at Western University. He is also a musician and loves to spend time with his partner and two cats.
