GSRD THERAPY

Seven core components of GSRD therapy

Explore seven core components of Gender, Sex and Relationship Diversity therapy, developed by Dominic Davies and Silva Neves.

Practicing a commitment to social justice

Taking an anti-racist, feminist, Queer and LGBTQ+ affirmative philosophy throughout the therapeutic work. Helping clients deconstruct the negative impact of amatonormativity, heteronormativity, mononormativity, cisgenderism, sexism, patriarchy, capitalism, ableism (including neurodiversity), and colonial thinking that affect all people, including heterosexual people. Promoting advocacy and being an ally to all marginalised and oppressed groups. Offering psycho-education.

Demonstrating cultural humility and cultural competence

Committing to keep developing our awareness of self and clinical competencies. Committing to training for ongoing maintenance of cultural competence. Staying humble with the enthusiasm to keep learning. Gaining specific knowledge of various marginalised populations such as LGBTQIA+, kinksters, neurodiverse people, sex workers, and those of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds. Not making assumptions based on appearance.

Understanding the specific adverse effects of oppression

Having a thorough understanding of the varied ways oppression functions in society and how it affects a wide range of people differently, including marginalised people. Helping clients develop more resources for self-care and well-being.

Being trauma, grief and shame informed

Enhancing psychological resilience. Understanding the physiological and psychological effects of individual, collective, and cumulative trauma. Reducing symptoms of post-trauma stress for survivors of abuse, attacks, discrimination, and conversion practices. Having a thorough understanding of grief, including loss due to change. Understanding shame, its effects and how to mitigate it.

Knowing contemporary sexology

Gaining and keeping updated with the specialist knowledge of gender, sex, sexuality and relationship diversities, including knowledge of sexual fantasies, desires and behaviours. Understanding the biopsychosocial processes of sex.

Integrating core GSRD theories

Incorporating knowledge of minority stress, intra-community minority stress, social safety, micro-aggression, and intersectionality. Employing a strengths-focused affirmative practice within our therapeutic modalities. Affirming clients’ self-determination.

Fostering joy

Focusing on self-worth through an affirmative stance and compassion-focused approaches. Fostering joy and pride in our diversities, building community connections and harnessing micro-affirmations in the therapeutic relationship. Embracing the quality of accompaniment in the therapeutic relationship: the client is accompanied by the therapist.