Championing LGBTQ+ Experience as a Psychological Practitioner

Date: Thursday 18th July 2024

Time: 9:15am - 10:30am

Our third instalment in the "Championing LGBTQ+ Experience as a Psychological Practitioner" series took place last Thursday to celebrate the release of the first LGBTQ+ Positive Practice Guide. Considered a gamechanger in the Talking Therapies space, the Positive Practice Guide sets out to recognise the barriers to access faced by the LGBTQ+ community when seeking mental health support, plus recommend evidence-based improvements at both individual and service levels.

Fellow LGBTQ+ Champion Danni Cooper-Evans and I (West Sussex Talking Therapies) were proudly joined by guest speaker Professor Allan Laville, the Dean for Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Reading and co-author of the Positive Practice Guide. This was a lovely reunion for Danni and me as we were kindly invited to the final focus group to share our views regarding the guide before it went to publish. In his insightful presentation, Professor Laville discussed the key principles and practical steps outlined in the guide to promote LGBTQ+ positive practices as psychological practitioners.

Specifically, the importance of improving practitioners' awareness and knowledge for LGBTQ+ issues was considered with the recommendation of appropriate training. Implementing inclusive practices as a service such as participating in local LGBTQ+ events and using pronouns in communication were discussed as additional ways to boost affirming care. In terms of data recording and monitoring, collecting data on sexual orientation and gender identity (and swapping the unhelpful ‘Other’ option for an opportunity for service-users to self-describe) could help to understand and serve the LGBTQ+ community better, whilst also identifying potential service provision gaps.

Professor Laville’s talk was followed by a dynamic Q&A session and larger group discussion, delving deeper into the guide’s recommendations. A theme of surprise was clear within the group regarding this being the first edition of an LGBTQ+ Positive Practice Guide, despite Talking Therapies’ (then, IAPT) inception in 2008. Notably, all attendees appeared inspired by the topics discussed, and appreciated the work dedicated to the guide by Professor Laville, co-author Sarah Beattie, and the LGBTQ+ psychological practitioners and service users who also contributed.

We are grateful for Professor Laville’s time and expertise in this field and for the attendee’s enthusiasm to advocate for LGBTQ+ affirmative care. If you are interested in listening to Professor Laville’s presentation, you will be able to locate this on the Psychological Practitioners NHS Futures Page.

Verity Sutcliffe (They/Them)

Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner 

LGBTQ+ Champion