Neither/Nor and Both/And: Belonging and Complex Identities in Group Psychotherapy

Presenter: Donna Harris, LCSW, CGP, AFPA-F

As cultural identities become increasingly complex, group practitioners must deepen their ability to engage members whose identities fall outside conventional cultural categories. People who identify as nonbinary, LGBTQIA+, biracial, multicultural, immigrant, first-generation, or transculturally adopted may experience struggles with belonging, erasure, shifting visibility, and a sense of living between cultural worlds.

Through didactic discussion, small process groups, and a live demonstration group, participants will explore how exclusion, power, privilege, colorism, and intergenerational or immigration-related trauma shape identity and group participation. Attendees will practice culturally responsive listening, distinguish intent from impact, examine personal bias, and observe interventions that address both individual concerns and group-as-a-whole dynamics. The workshop will offer practical strategies for creating more welcoming groups in which participants feel recognized, connected, and able to engage across complex differences.    

6 CE credits for Psychologists,…