Event Description:
This 90-minute workshop on LGBTQIA+ psychology will begin with a 30-minute presentation by Drs. Laurie Paul and Karla Aguilu on research related to LGBTQIA+ psychology. Then, the presenters will provide a case study of a Mexican-American lesbian struggling with conflicts with her sexual and cultural identity, and engage the workshop participants in analyzing the case for 60 minutes. We will also explore the client-therapist relationship when they are of different races, cultures, or sexual orientations.
*1.5 Continuing Education Credits are available**
Learning Objectives:
1) Learn about key research findings on LGBTQIA+ psychology;
2) Deepen clinician's understanding of how intersectional variables such as race, ethnicity, religion and immigration status impact the psychology of LGBTQIA+ clients;
3) Evaluate clinical dilemmas in case studies of LGBTQIA+ clients and how to address them.
Presenter: Dr. Karla Aguilu
Dr. Karla Aguilu is a licensed psychologist who provides therapy to children, adolescents, adults, and families. She is bilingual and can provide therapy in English and Spanish. She is originally from Puerto Rico and received her Psy.D. in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University in South Florida. Dr. Aguilu completed her internship in Los Angeles, CA. She has now been practicing in Tampa, Fl for the last 10 years.
She is passionate about caring for others and helps them overcome different challenges in their lives. Her priority is for patients to not feel alone in a time of need.
Dr. Karla Aguilu treats patients with anxiety, depression, selective mutism, attachment difficulties, ADHD, trauma, bipolar disorder among other mental health issues. She also has considerable experience with gifted children, teenagers and self esteem issues, and immigrant population.
Presenter: Dr. Laurie Paul
Dr Laurie Paul is a licensed psychologist in DC, Virginia and Maryland. Dr. Paul graduated with her doctorate in clinical psychology in 2014 from The New School, an APA-accredited PhD program in New York City. While in graduate school, she spent 6 years as part of a research team studying how clients and therapists negotiate racial, ethnic, and cultural differences in psychotherapy. She also spent 5 years as part of a research team examining the psychological impact of breast cancer on lesbian and bisexual women and on Latina women, with a focus on social support, family support, and doctor-patient relationship. During her clinical training, she worked within a variety of settings, including: community mental health centers; the psychiatric emergency room; inpatient and outpatient hospital settings; a university counseling center; substance abuse clinics; and a drug/alcohol detoxification unit.
Dr. Paul completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychodynamic psychotherapy at The Karen Horney Clinic in New York City. The training program is accredited by the American Psychoanalytic Association and the International Psychoanalytical Association.
Dr. Paul has specialized training in cognitive behavior therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy, and mindfulness techniques. She completed the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy Training Level 2. She currently works in her private practice in Chevy Chase, MD, specializing in anxiety, OCD, and couples therapy, and is an Adjunct Professor of Psychology at American University. She has given professional education workshops for the DC Psychological Association, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, The American Academy of Psychotherapists, Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn, and the Society for Psychotherapy Research, on the LGBTQ community and on working with culturally-different clients. She is also a volunteer speaker for Rainbow Families.
