LGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent Affirming approaches to Food and Body 5-Part Series

Approved for 7.5 CPEUs by CDR. 
 
Registration is closed

We believe that queer and neurodivergent people deserve respectful and inclusive care.

Join us for this five-part series delivered by five presenters over five weeks. 
  • 5-part weekly online series (see dates below) **
  • 5 speakers (all speakers are from the LGBTQIA+ community and the majority are openly neurodivergent) 
  • 5 (90-minute) live presentations (recorded with 90 day access) 
  • February 15 - March 15, 2023
  • 1 hour community care group for LGBTQIA2S+ neurodivergent  clinicians  
  • Approved for 7.5 CPEUs by the CDR

We aim to support professionals like you who are passionate about increasing access to care and reducing harm.

This five-part program is a weekly online series. It is geared towards healthcare professionals, including dietitians and mental health providers, who are passionate about supporting neurodivergent and queer people experiencing a difficult relationship with food and their bodies. Topics include the neurodiversity paradigm, neuroqueer theory and its application to ED treatment, trans-affirming ED treatment, intersectionality and EDs, supporting trans youth and affirming nutrition care. 

We hope this series will offer the tools and understanding needed to support the unique needs of LGBTQIA+ folks and neurodivergent clients. In order to deliver culturally competent care, we need to listen to the stories of people with lived experience and be committed to cross-movement solidarity. 

Accordingly, we encourage providers to learn from members of the neurodivergent and LGBTQIA+ communities. Many presenters in this series are openly neurodivergent, and all are from the LGBTQIA+ community. 

Part 1: The Neurodiversity Paradigm in the Treatment of Eating Disorders

Presenter: Dr. Nick Walker (she/her)
Date and Time of Presentation: February 15 - 1:00-2:30 pm ET - INTERACTIVE PRESENTATION
This is an interactive presentation where participants will be encouraged to turn on their video cameras to engage with the speaker.

Join Dr. Nick Walker, author of Neuroqueer Heresies, for an introduction to the neurodiversity paradigm and Neuroqueer Theory, and a discussion of how these frameworks can usefully inform the treatment of eating disorders. Dr. Walker’s presentation will include the opportunity for extended Q&A 

Learning Objectives:

1. Gain a basic working understanding of the neurodiversity paradigm. 
2. Learn the meanings of fundamental terms and concepts associated with the neurodiversity paradigm, including: neurodiversity, neuronormativity, neurotypicality, neurodivergence, and neurominority.
3. Gain familiarity with the fundamentals of Neuroqueer Theory and the concept of neuroqueering.
4. Understand how the neurodiversity paradigm and Neuroqueer Theory can serve as useful frameworks in the treatment of eating disorders.

Meet Dr Nick Walker (she/her)

Dr. Nick Walker is a queer, transgender, flamingly autistic writer and educator best known for
her foundational work on the neurodiversity paradigm and Neuroqueer Theory. She is a professor of psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies, senior aikido instructor at the Aiki Arts Center in Berkeley, Managing Editor of the independent worker-owned publishing house Autonomous Press, author of the book Neuroqueer Heresies, and co-author of the urban fantasy webcomic Weird Luck. More information on her work can be found at neuroqueer.com.

Part 2: Trans-Affirming Eating Disorders Treatment: Essential Skills

Presenter: Dr Sand Chang (they/them)
Date and Time of Presentation: February 22 - 1:00-2:30 pm ET

In this presentation titled Trans-Affirming Eating Disorders Treatment: Essential Skills, Dr. Sand Chang will discuss the foundations of gender-affirming health care, how disordered eating may manifest in trans-client communities, the role of body appraisal, and key issues that may come up for providers. The audience will gain skills in shifting their clinical practices to be more inclusive of clients of all genders, including trans and/or nonbinary people.

Learning Objectives:

1. Name two key social factors that contribute to the development of disordered eating in trans and/or nonbinary clients.
2. Describe how body appraisal may be more appropriate than body image in discussing trans and/or nonbinary people's relationships to their bodies.
3. Identify one way that providers can change their relationship to the concept of body acceptance when working with trans and/or nonbinary clients.

Meet Dr. Sand Chang (they/them/their)

Sand Chang, PhD (they/them/their) is a Chinese American, genderfluid, nonbinary psychologist and trauma-informed DEI consultant residing on unceded Ohlone land also known as Oakland, CA. They are a Certified Body Trust Provider, Certified IFS Therapist, and Certified EMDR Therapist. Their career has been dedicated to body liberation, specifically with regards to trans health, eating disorders, and trauma. They co-authored A Clinician's Guide to Gender Affirming Care: Working With Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Clients (New Harbinger, (2018). Outside of work, Sand is a dancer, punoff competitor, and smoosh-faced dog enthusiast.

Part 3: Eating Disorder Healing Through Intersectionality, Vulnerability & Empathy

Presenter: Wednesdae Reim Ifrach (they/them/theirs)
Date and Time of Presentation:
March 1- 1:00-2:30 pm ET

This training will cover the intersection of eating disorders within marginalized communities including: BIPOC/AAPI, LGB+, Disabled, Trans & GD+, and those who are neurodivergent. 

Topics covered will include that statistic of each population, compassionate practices for eating disorder treatment, treatments which encompass diversity, cultural competency and do no harm and how to be a more ethical provider within those communities. 

Based on the research of Parker and Harringer (2020), Minority Stress greatly affects the LGBTQ+ community including the ability to learn self-nourishing skills. By utilizing the Minority Stress Model and expanding it to BIPOC & AAPT communities we can create a more holistic and sustainable treatment model that follows the ethics around treatment inclusion (Calzo, Blashill, Brown& Aregnal, 2017). This is further cemented by the American Psychological Association’s composite research on Acculturated Stress (APA, 2022). 

As part of self-nourishing, we will discuss how past “gold-standards” of treatment caused harm to marginalized humans and how to support self-nourishment in a way that incorporated culture, cultural food and the needs presented in neurodivergent people including but not limited to: struggles navigating harmful systems that cause trauma reactions to food, a lack of self-nourishing skills, being texture, taste or smell avoidant and forgetfulness. 

Learning Objectives:

1. Participants will be able to integrate an intersectional framework into their eating disorder treatment work that is empathetic and actually client centered.
2. Participants will be able to work ethically and inclusively with marginalized populations and incorporate their cultures needs and foods into treatment, 
3. Participants will be able to utilize compassionate and least harmful treatments covered in this training and unlearn some of the harmful treatment we have been taught in the eating disorder field. 

Meet Wednesdae Reim Ifrach (they/them/theirs)

Wednesdae is a trans/non-binary art therapist, fat activist and artist whose work focuses on body justice, intersectional social justice and eating disorder treatment equity access. 
 
They are the Director for Walden Behavioral Care’s Rainbow Road, the country’s first virtual Eating Disorder 2slgbtqia+ IOP & PHP. They also co-own and operate Rainbow Recovery where they support people through the gender affirmation process, complex trauma recovery, eating disorder recovery and body image issues. 
 
Wednesdae melds the world of art therapy, social justice, trauma recovery and eating disorder recovery into a unique opportunity for people to expand their understanding of the world. To that end Wednesdae had the honor to participate in the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)’s Artful Practices for Well-being and has had artwork on display at the Baltimore Museum of Art as part of Art as activism.
 
They have presented at national and international conferences, is a former adjunct professor in an art therapy master’s program and continues to guest lecture. They also serve on the Board of Project HEAL, a non-profit whose mission is to create treatment equity access in the eating disorder field.
 

Part 4: Give Trans Kids Back Their Bodies: Restoring the Agency of Trans Youth in Eating Disorder Spaces

Presenter: Kris Scover (they/them)
Date and Time of Presentation: March 8 - 1:00-2:30 pm ET

This presentation will address the infantilization that gender-expansive and/or neurodivergent youth face when seeking treatment for their eating disorders. 
Trans people are frequently stripped of bodily autonomy (even in otherwise accepting environments) and are forced to provide extensive proof of their identities in order to be granted gender affirming care and the right to their own bodies. Neurodivergent people are also regularly told that they do not know themselves and should defer to “authority” figures to determine their diagnoses and accommodation needs.

A similar thread of paternalism permeates traditional treatment for eating disorders. This infantilization increases exponentially when applied to adolescents and young adults. Many providers and parents justify oppressive care based on a client’s age. This presentation will challenge the notion that only adults deserve bodily autonomy and anti-oppressive, agentic care. 

Attendees will learn the differences between infantilizing and agentic treatment options and will participate in interactive anonymous polls throughout the presentation in order to increase engagement, build empathy, and help attendees apply these concepts in their own lives and professional practices. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Define fundamental terms, including infantilization, paternalism, self-advocacy, agency and agentic care, bodily autonomy, intersectionality, and re-traumatization.
2. Identify at least 2 ways that trans and/or neurodivergent children and young adults are currently stripped of agency.   
3. Differentiate between agentic care and care rooted in paternalism.  
4. Apply practical steps to emphasize agentic care in own practice for trans and/or neurodivergent youth.

Meet Kris Scover (they/them)

Kris Scover is a registered dietitian and public speaker who specializes in working with neurodivergent, gender-expansive, and queer clients who are seeking an agentic approach to eating disorder care. Kris is queer, trans, non-binary, and multiply neurodivergent, and their work is shaped by these identities and their desire to improve access to inclusive eating disorder care. They own their own private practice, NourishedED, where they practice from an anti-diet, fat-positive, trauma-informed perspective.

Part 5: The Trouble with Intuitive Eating: Moving Towards Affirming Nutrition Care in Eating Disorder Recovery

Presenter: Quinn Haisley (she/they)
Date and Time of Presentation: March 15 - 1:00-2:30 pm ET

Join Quinn for a presentation that focuses on how intuitive eating, a common nutritional framework used as a goal for eating disorder recovery, can miss the mark as an affirming tool for many marginalized people, including neurodivergent and queer folx. Topics covered will include the background and history of the intuitive eating framework, a brief explanation of the 10 principles of intuitive eating, and a discussion of how the 10 principles can perpetuate a harmful idea of “normal eating” and body image for neurodivergent and queer people which can hinder individual eating disorder recovery. Participants will learn how to approach intuitive eating through a critical lens, discern which parts may feel affirming or harmful for individual clients, and support their clients through applying nutrition practices that take into consideration individual needs and recovery goals. 

Learning Objectives: 

1. Participants will gain an understanding of intuitive eating, and how it is applied to eating disorder recovery.
2. Participants will identify common issues neurodivergent and queer folx can encounter when using intuitive eating as a framework. 
3. Participants will describe affirming nutrition practices they can utilize with neurodivergent and queer clients that consider individual nutritional needs and recovery goals. 

Meet Quinn Haisley (she/they)

Quinn Haisley (they/she), is a non-binary, queer, and neurodivergent eating disorder dietitian currently working out of the unceded lands of the Mantinecock people, known as Queens, NY. After originally majoring in philosophy for their undergrad degree, Quinn chose to shift gears and returned to school to study nutrition, receiving an associate’s degree from LaGuardia Community college, and a MS from New York University where they also completed their dietetic internship. Quinn started working in the eating disorder field 3 years ago as a registered dietitian in BALANCE eating disorder treatment center, where she has worked at the PHP, IOP, and outpatient level. They started their own private practice, Practice Eros Nutrition, in April 2022 to primarily focus on working with LGBTQ+ and neurodivergent folx after seeing a need for more affirming treatment spaces run by clinicians with lived experience. Quinn is passionate about breaking out of the cookie cutter ED treatment model and bringing social justice into ED recovery.

Authentic Connection: A Community Care Group for LGBTQIA2S+ Neuroqueer Clinicians

March 15th 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern Time

We know what we need. We love who we are. 
We gather in space, to connect from afar.
Through soma, and spirit, and creative minds too,
From burnout and overwhelm, we keep moving through.
Oh there’s so much we offer to this broken world who,
Doesn’t quite understand us and what we must do.

To take care of ourselves, to stay rooted and true,
Which is why we now gather, to restore ourselves new.
In this space we will share,
in this space we will care,
Yes this space is queer, 
our connection is clear. 
So come in with your pains and your big joy too,
Together we’ll connect, authentically rendezvous.

Authentic Connection: A Community Care Group for LGBTQIA2S+ Neuroqueer Clinicians

March 15th 3:00-4:00 pm Eastern Time
Facilitated by Solasta “Lucky” McIntyre ( They - He - Mac )

This is a community group for LGBTQIA2S+ Neuroqueer practitioners to come as they are with the intention of restoring ourselves mind, body and spirit through somatics, self reflection, and human connection. Please come screens on or off with all the things that make you comfy cozy, and something to write/draw or audio note with. Solasta will help the group to arrive, ground, check-in with the Self, connect with each other, and affirm all that we know we need as neurodivergent clinicians in order to sustainably do our work in the world.

About the facilitator: 
Solasta “Lucky” McIntyre ( They - He - Mac ) is a white american-gaelic, queer trans nonbinary, autistic/adhd, politicized healer working within the mental healthcare system as a registered AMFT in CA. They received their MA in Clinical Counseling + Somatic Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies, and their BA in Environmental Studies, Dance, and Community Development from the University of Vermont. He specializes in providing queer + gender + neurodivergent affirming care with a foundation in eating-disorder informed somatics, embodied CBT, and a fusion of humanistic + relational + transpersonal psychology. Mac provides virtual psychotherapy, trainings, and consultation to clinicians, production companies, coaches, and agencies on trauma, disordered eating, neurodivergence, somatics, and gender.

Solasta works outside of the system as a spiritual guide and integrative bodyworker at Full & Plenty Joy, is a podcaster and writer of In Betwixt, and enjoys exploring interdisciplinary art. He is in love with poetry, music, film, land, movement, lineage, and expression. Mac has 25+ years of dance experience and 15+ years of group facilitation work. They are a proud relationship anarchist and Lionhead Bunny parent from New York who came into himself in San Francisco.

Frequently asked questions

Do you offer equity pricing?

Yes, we do offer equity pricing. If you are a member of an under-represented group and would like to have access to equity-based pricing, please email us, and we will send you a code.

Do I have to attend the live presentations?

While there are benefits to attending the live sessions, we recognize that this may not be possible for everyone and for every presentation. Recordings will be available on the portal within 24 hours, and you will have access for 90 days after the series is delivered.

What is your refund policy?

As with most educational organizations, we don't offer refunds for courses.

Is the series only geared towards dietitians?

Any professional working with neurodivergent people experiencing a difficult relationship with food and body can benefit from attending.

How long will I have access for?

You will have access for 90 days after the series is delivered.