Black clients are too often pathologized. Their neurodivergence is seen as deficit, their responses as "resistance," their bodies as "too much." The mental health system – built on white supremacy and ableism – has rarely offered Black people a framework that actually affirms their full humanity.

We'll explore what it means to provide neurodiversity affirming care through a liberatory lens – one that refuses the deficit model, names systemic harm, and centers the lived experience of Black clients. This isn't about adding a "culturally competent" checklist to your practice. It's about fundamentally shifting how you see and serve Black clients who are trying to survive neuronormativity.

When was the last time you played? No, seriously!
10 years ago? More? One fundamental piece to inner child healing is play- and we’re going to teach you about a very unique way!

Nearly half of the adults in the US have at least one kinky fantasy. As therapists, we can harness the therapeutic use of playful kink to support our clients in self-attunement, sensory joy, self-advocacy, and healing attachment trauma.

This workshop will cover the current research, ethical best practices, and consent and boundaries skills. You will leave with actionable kink activities to better serve our clients. So come join Dr. Kade Sharp and Sabrina Longley LCSW, for play time.

Fat clients deserve weight neutral, size inclusive, fat liberatory support. Between summer hot on our heels and the typical increase in anti-fatness that comes with administrations like this one, it’s more important than ever to know how to support fat clients. Let’s explore what to say when your fat client tells you they want to lose weight, how to help fat clients build self confidence, and why fat clients are struggling so much right now! Build your capacity to support this population we get almost no training in supporting in grad school!

If you’re autistic or AuDHD, you could use some sensory joy in your life- let us show you how to increase that through the powers of Age Play! Sabrina & Kade, two autistic/AuDHD kinky therapists, are going to explain why sensory joy matters, how to determine your unique sensory profile, and how to connect it to Age Play activities. (Special attention will be given to BPD, queer, and trans considerations.) You’ll leave the session feeling ready to explore, with many ideas on how to regulate, and be empowered to harness the therapeutic benefits of Age Play.

If you’re autistic or AuDHD, you could use some sensory joy in your life- let us show you how to increase that through the powers of Age Play! Sabrina & Kade, two autistic/AuDHD kinky therapists, are going to explain why sensory joy matters, how to determine your unique sensory profile, and how to connect it to Age Play activities. (Special attention will be given to BPD, queer, and trans considerations.) You’ll leave the session feeling ready to explore, with many ideas on how to regulate, and be empowered to harness the therapeutic benefits of Age Play.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Reclaim Bored Teen Sessions

Hosted by: GEMS Neurodiversity Summit

The hour ticks by and your teen client has said naught but 5 words. Far from hyperverbal clients, these teens are bored, scared, or just plain quiet. Sessions like this leave you feeling inadequate, confused, and frustrated. How the hell can you break through to quiet, bored teens? More importantly, how do you get them to break out?! Join Sabrina Longley, LCSW to explore how to feel empowered when facing quiet teen sessions. Learn actionable techniques and more importantly the reasons behind the silence in the first place.