Ethics Workshop: Ethical and legal challenges when dealing with Sexuality, Gender and Identity in Clinical Practice

There is an urgency to assist mental health practitioners to navigate ethically and responsibly the complexities, controversies, and challenges when working clinically around issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression (SOGIE). Given the history of human rights abuses and the shameful role of the mental health and medical professions in the past (both globally and in South Africa) in pathologizing and stigmatising sexual and gender diversity, there is an ethical and legal imperative to :

1. Contextualize SOGIE issues within our history

2. Grapple with the significant controversies that emerge from religious, cultural, and ideological positions around SOGIE issues

3. Understand and use correct respectful terminologies

4. Reflect on what constitutes an affirming position

5. Understand the legal issues regarding identity markers

6. Explore and grapple with what consent and confidentiality mean, especially with regard to the rise in gender non-binary and trans children and teens.

7. Explore the reasons “reparative” or “conversion” therapies are unethical and often illegal

8. Be able to work clinically within ethical guidelines

The workshop will cover these areas and invite discussion around ethical challenges and decision-making.

4 Ethics CEUs approved for attendance. In addition, attendees can read and answer 15 MCQs from an accredited journal article for 1 Ethics CEU (Article will be sent once attended the workshop)

Judith Ancer is a Clinical Psychologist in private practice in Johannesburg and is extensively involved in the training and supervision of mental health professionals.

Judith has worked in clinical, educational, and corporate settings and has co-authored a book called "Beyond Tea and Tissues" about managing Mental Health in the workplace. She has an interest in helping others to tolerate imperfection and uncertainty, and understand that we can survive the discomfort this may generate, always learn more, and strive to be and do better.