UPDATE
- 25th & 26th May, 2-6pm (CET)
- 1st & 2nd June, 2-6pm (CET)
- 29th & 30th June, 2-6pm (CET)
You must be available to complete both days of training.
Please register here!
- Solidarity fee (low income): €100
- Regular fee: €150
- Support fee (high income): €200
Original post below
The European Sex Workers’ Rights Alliance (ESWA) is proud to announce the launch of our Sex Work Therapist Training.
This project aims to develop and deliver a training on sex work for counsellors and psychotherapists. The training will be developed by sex workers as we believe they are best placed to provide knowledge on their own lived experiences, in collaboration with mental health practitioners (see below for more information about the team).
This project is based on the findings of the briefing paper exploring the issues related to access to mental health care for sex workers developed within the 2021 pilot programme on sex work and mental health. ESWA identified therapists’ lack of knowledge and stigma around sex work as critical obstacles faced by sex workers in their access to mental health care.
The main objective of the training is to provide therapists the tools to help sex workers feel positive embodiment within their personal and work lives even when presented with mental health challenges.
The different goals of the Sex Work Therapist Training are to:
● Reduce barriers to accessible mental health support for sex workers.
● Challenge therapists’ biases and stigmas to help bring inclusion and equity for sex workers within the therapy room.
● Provide resources and information which therapists can use to support sex
workers.
● Be aware of stereotypes and the nuances of sex work.
The training will take place online and will gather up to 25 therapists (or therapists in training). The training will be delivered in English and is open to therapists based in Europe and Central Asia (WHO Europe definition of Europe).
Participants will receive a Certificate after completion of the training.
The pilot project will start with a 1-day training divided into two sessions:
Session 1: Thursday 22nd of September 2-6PM (CET)
Session 2: Friday 23rd of September 2-6PM (CET)
To make this training accessible to as many participants as possible, ESWA is working with fees on a sliding scale and trusting participants in choosing the fee that fits most their level of income.
● Solidarity fee (low income): 100e
● Regular fee: 150e
● Support fee (high income): 200e
For further questions please contact: [email protected]
Bios of the team
The training has been developed by a team of sex workers and mental health practitioners. Because of the stigma around sex work and the risks associated with outing oneself, we are not disclosing who is a sex worker in the team and who is not.
Trainers
Priscilla Thompson
Priscilla Thompson is a psychodynamic psychotherapist living in the UK. She has been involved in the sex worker rights movement fighting for decriminalisation and building community for over a decade.
She also enjoys and has extensive experience in teaching and group facilitation.
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