The Crucible Approach and Non-Dominant Groups
Join our online series about
the Crucible Approach (CA)
and people from non-dominant groups (NDG).
Have you ever struggled with how to apply CA with gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or trans clients? What do you know about LGBTQIA+ sexuality or life experiences? And, how does knowing this and identifying what you don't know improve your work?
Have you challenged yourself to think through whether or how the Crucible Approach (CA) needs to be adapted when doing therapy with people from cultures very different than yours; e.g. people of color (or white if your are a person of color), a couple with an arranged marriage, couples from cultures that are collectivistic rather than individualistic, or interracial couples who themselves come from very different cultures? Ever wondered whether what you think of as ‘differentiated’ looks and functions the same way for clients of different cultures?
When you have worked with people from these populations, maybe you experienced a client who said that you didn’t (fully) understand where they were coming from? Or, maybe you mind mapped it, because you never heard from that particular client or couple anymore?
Perhaps you are a Crucible therapist who (simply) says and thinks that CA, as it is, is a perfect fit for any individual and any couple because differentiation is a fundamental human function that looks the same across all people.
If you want the opportunity to re-think, argue, or reconsider how we use CA outside of the context in which it was born, discuss application of CA ideas to NDG clients, have lots of discussion time, and practice CA using case material in which NDG clients are featured, then this workshop is for you! Come invest some time with us and your colleagues to explore these ideas. When David Schnarch was still with us, he supported this inquiry, but did not live to really flush it out.
We are using"Non Dominant Groups/NDG" as a way to acknowledge the context and meaning of majority group and minority group membership. In this workshop, for the first time, European and the U.S. participants will work together.
The sessions will be held mainly in English although limited translation in German will be provided.
Please pass it on! If you know crucible colleagues who might be interested, notify them by sending them this announcement. Thank you!.
Carla Bradshaw (BIPOC), Katrin Raum (LGBTQIA+) and Ceryl Janssen (LGBTQIA+)
And participation and limited translation (German < > English) by Tara Christopeit!
READ FURTHER BELOW:
Summary
4, three hour, online sessions.
Crucible approach and Non Dominant Groups
(Clients/therapists: LGBTQI+ / BIPOC/POC)
Starting on Wednesday April 10th 2024
Other dates: Monday April 29th, Monday Mai 13th and Wednesday June 12th
Start: 17:30 - 20:30 CET-time zone (Europe)
Please check (online) what time this is in your time zone!
Costs: €/$ 780,-
(4 sessions = 12 hours)
Mainly in English (with limited German translation)
Submission deadline: March 1st 2024
Needed: CA-therapy knowledge and experience.
More to read below:
“Is it too easy to say that the Crucible Approach (CA) is applicable to all clients, black, brown, white, straight, gay, transgender or bi, on the basis that “people are people, right?””
It is fair to say, that the vast majority of the case material presented by David Schnarch in his books, talks, workshops and practica were mostly white and heterosexual. When addressing sex, a high percentage of his presentations would lead to talks about heterosexual sex (quite often intercourse). Both Katrin Raum and Ceryl Janssen discussed the fact that lesbian and homosexual couples and sexuality (LGBTQIA+) were not represented enough with David several times right after a workshop. He would always reply that he wanted to work on that someday with us.
Regarding non-white bodied people, BIPOC, people of color, similar discussions occurred between Carla and David. Though in this realm, David began work to address ethnicity and race, it was not fully formed.
Because of this, some have been turned off to the approach feeling it doesn’t speak to their lives or their contexts, others were more dismissive of CA as occupying the same ole patriarchal, heterosexual, white privileged space. We therefore thought it is time to change this! Time to have an in-depth look at the CA when treating people from non-dominant groups (NDG).
Is it too easy to say that the Crucible Approach (CA) is applicable to all clients, black, brown, white, straight, gay, transgender or bi, on the basis that “people are people, right?”
Carla, Ceryl, and Katrin are each long standing students of the Crucible Approach. While preparing and discussing this question for over a year, we found that we changed our perspective and opinion a few times as we tackled various issues and perspectives. We are looking forward to hearing what you think about this central question and would like to teach and share our thoughts with you.
We aim to open the doors of the Crucible community to a more inclusive, messy, and important conversation that explores questions such as:
What does differentiation look like, for example, in contexts and cultures that are collectivistic, non-individualistic, more explicitly and rigidly sex-role typed, more rigidly hierarchical both within the family and socially, and/or incorporate the role and obligation to non-living ancestors, believe in spirits, etc.?
What are the implicit biases on which we operate, and then enforce in the name of differentiation that actually enforce norms that reduce opportunity and growth among those who live outside those conventions? >>
Is differentiation essentially a Western notion incompatible with non-individualistic cultures?
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Is differentiation essentially a Western notion incompatible with non-individualistic cultures?Does the CA unintentionally reinforce norms consistent with long term monogamous pairings, and fail to recognize bias against other forms of pairings? Or, is this just a shortcoming in the person of the therapist and not of the approach?
As doing the CA well is closely linked to the therapist and his/her/their level of differentiation, what does it mean for us as therapists when we are (or see see ourselves as) members of a non-dominant group learning and doing the CA?
We will use case examples and teaching material to talk about these questions, raise other issues, and create space for you to talk about snags and problems you have run into about these issues, in a spirit of mutual collaboration, to take the Crucible into a broader context and application. We don’t have the answers, but we want the conversation to happen among people who know and appreciate the potency and compassion in the Crucible Approach.
For whom? All colleagues who are currently engaged, or recently were, in Crucible case consultation groups, and - if there is still room and the maximum number of participants has not yet been reached - therapists who see themselves as familiar with David Schnarch’s work, the CA, and are working with this approach as the centre of their therapies, by referral and pre-screening.
We are especially welcoming colleagues from non-dominant groups and cultures. So anybody from the LGBTQIA+ community, persons of color and anyone who does not fit in the white, cis-gendered and straight picture. We especially want and need you for these rounds of discussions.
We start off with four 3 hours, online sessions. Please note that sessions will be mainly in English with limited German translation by Tara Christopeit.
Carla Bradshaw
Meet your presenters
Ceryl Janssen
Katrin Raum
(Limited) translation in German by Tara Christopeit