In The Den with Mama Dragons

By Mama DragonsSociety & Culture Education Relationships Parenting Kids & Family

In The Den with Mama Dragons episodes

September 04, 2023Just the FAQ's 4
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EPISODE 35–Just the FAQs 4

In this episode of In the Den, Jen joins therapists Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen, Laura Skaggs, and David Zealy-Wright to answer a handful of frequently asked questions regarding parenting an LGBTQ child.

I’m trying to support my child, but I don’t know if I’m doing enough?/How do I support my child without dragging them along too quickly?
What advice do you offer to people who have family members who are not able to be affirming to their children?
“My child just told me that they are ______ and I’m afraid they were molested or assaulted?
We know that LGBTQ people are hit with things like microaggressions and major aggressions every day. Do you have ideas or thoughts that might help them prepare kids to handle these things in ways that are healthy for them?

Special Guest: Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen

Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen is the clinical director and founder of Flourish Therapy, Inc., (Flourish), a behavioral health clinic in Provo, Utah, which she founded in 2017 to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ individuals and their families. Lisa received a B.S. from Brigham Young University in 1990 as university valedictorian (Summa Cum Laude with Honors thesis), an M.S. in 2012 and Ph.D. in 2017, both at BYU, focusing on improving the mental health of LGBTQ+ people in conservative families and communities. She lives with her husband in Payson, Utah, where together they made a home for 7 children (and a few extras) and now have 18 grandchildren.

Special Guest: Laura Skaggs

Laura Skaggs is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who specializes in treating spiritual trauma at the intersection of LGBTQ+ experiences and religion. Laura earned her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy at San Diego State University with an emphasis in LGBTQ+ mental health within conservative religious social contexts. Laura is also the co-creator of CWEERS Empowerment groups: a practice designed to help LGBTQ+ individuals and their supporters confront social discrimination and internalized stigma. Laura is the mother of two daughters and presently sees clients full time in Provo, UT, as part of Flourish Therapy.

Special Guest: David Zealy-Wright

David is a Licensed Professional Counselor (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor), a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist, and a Clinical Supervisor Intern(Certified Clinical Supervisor). He graduated from Catawba Valley Community College in 2005 earning an Associate in Arts, Lenoir-Rhyne University in 2008 earning a BA in Psychology, and in 2010 an MA in Agency Counseling. His specialty areas include addiction, depression, anxiety, life changes, men’s issues, relationships, and LGBTQIA issues. As an addictions specialist, he believes that addiction is a disorder, not a moral failing. David is a native of Greensboro, North Carolina, but has lived in Hickory for over 23 years with his spouse.

Links from the show:

Flourish Therapy: https://www.flourishtherapy.org/

Find David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-zealy-wright-lcmhcs-lcas-ccs-462a0a14/es?trk=people-guest_people_search-card

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53 min
August 28, 2023 Eating Disorders In the LGBTQ Community
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Eating disorders occur at dramatically higher rates within the LGBTQ community than heterosexual/cisgender populations. In this week’s episode of In the Den, Jen talks with Caden Jones about different eating disorders and the intersection of those disorders with queer identities. They discuss the challenges of recognizing an eating disorder and ways to find the best treatment for our LGBTQ child’s disordered eating once we become aware of the problem.

Special Guest: Caden Jones

Caden has a Masters in Counseling Psychology, and is a fourth year PsyD student pursuing a doctorate in counseling psychology at Northwest University. Currently, Caden is a pre-intern for Dr. Monique Lowe, PhD, engaging in neuropsychological evaluation for ADHD, ASD, TBI's and learning disorders. Caden Jones is also an associate mental health counselor at Center for Discovery, offering therapeutic services at Residential, Intensive Outpatient, and Partial Hospitalization levels of care for adults and children of all genders who are pursuing eating disorder recovery. He also runs a private practice in Bellevue offering trauma informed care for individuals and couples. Caden has been in recovery from an eating disorder for over ten years, and seeks to aid others in their healing journey from eating disorders. He is especially passionate about the intricate experience of transness and eating disorders, as the two are often comorbid and compounding.

Links from the Show:

Center for Discovery: https://centerfordiscovery.com/
LGBTQ Eating Disorders: https://centerfordiscovery.com/blog/eating-disorder-discrimination-lgbt-community/
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52 min
August 21, 2023 The Importance of Representation
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In this week’s insightful episode of In the Den, Jen sits down with award-winning writer, director, and producer Jay Randall to discuss a wide range of topics from Jay’s experiences growing up as a gay kid in a highly religious family in the South in the 90’s to his time working on the massively popular Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Jay and Jen discuss the importance of seeing queer representation in the media and the complexities of rainbow capitalism.
Special Guest: Jay Randall
Jay began his career working on both the original and digital programming teams at LOGO, where he contributed to the 27-time Emmy Award winning RuPaul’s Drag Race, or as he likes to call it: the best show on television.
Currently, he is an associate creative director at Paramount Brand Studio, where he makes work for ad partners across Paramount Global’s vast library of channels and platforms. Jay also serves on the board of Proud, Paramount’s employee resource group that provides support for LGBTQ+ employees and shapes content across the company through a queer lens.
Jay grew up in Mississippi, but now lives in Harlem, NYC. He is a theatre fanatic, laughs all the time and is known amongst his friends for his legendary fried chicken.
Jay is happiest when he is creating.
Links from the show:
Find Jay here: http://jay-randall.squarespace.com/about
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59 min
August 14, 2023Parenting Queer Kids with Tammy Plunkett
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Raising LGBTQ children comes with a whole set of unique parenting challenges and opportunities. In this week’s episode of In the Den, Jen talks with parent and author Tammy Plunkett about parenting queer children. From advocacy at school to coming out to extended family and friends to setting and maintaining healthy boundaries, Jen and Tammy cover a variety of topics that impact parents of LGBTQ children in this information packed episode.

Special Guest:

Tammy Plunkett is, first and foremost, the mom of four amazing kids. All four identify within the LGBTQIA+ acronym. Her children are a huge reason that she is an advocate in the community. Tammy is a certified life coach, author of the book Beyond Pronouns: The Essential Guide for Parents of Trans Children, and a speaker who began her career as a registered nurse. She has volunteered on the board of directors with Airdrie Pride for over five years, where she launched a peer-led support group. Her freelance work has appeared in Today’s Parent, HuffPost and LGBTQ Nation, and she’s appeared on national television on The Doctors, The Social and The Marilyn Denis Show, Global Radio, CBC Radio, local television and press, and The Spectator UK podcast.

Links from the show:

Tammy’s website: https://www.tammyplunkett.com/
Tammy’s book https://bookshop.org/p/books/beyond-pronouns-the-essential-guide-for-parents-of-trans-children/18938492?ean=9781839971143&next=t
Find Tammy on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tammyplunkett/
Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org

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48 min
August 11, 2023 Words With Friends 6
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Words with Friends episodes are bonus episodes where different members of Mama Dragons provide definitions for LGBTQ related topics. This episode includes the following definitions:

Asexual (Ace) shared by Marie Mulling from Texas

Aromantic (Aro) shared by Roxana Reguera from California

Allosexual shared by Tracey Anne from Scotland

Demisexual shared by Amy Hutchisson

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6 min
August 07, 2023Rediscovering Spirituality with Nick Literski
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Many conversations assume that LGBTQ people and religious people are two separate identity groups. There is a heteronormative religious culture that falsely claims that queer people can’t be religious or spiritual. Some queer people absolutely need to walk away from religion in order to heal and become whole, but others are seeking a spiritual path that is different from what they grew up with. Dr. Nick Literski joins Jen on today’s episode of In the Den to talk about how to rediscover a personal spirituality that is unique, expansive, and LGBTQ inclusive.

Special Guest:

Nicholas S. Literski, JD, PhD, is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies, and a professional spiritual guide. Nick holds a doctorate in Depth Psychology with Emphasis in Jungian and Archetypal Studies from Pacifica Graduate Institute, as well as a master’s in Spiritual Guidance from Sofia University. Their research interests include in depth psychological reflections on spirituality, Paleolithic cave art, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Nick’s work has been published in the FARMS Review of Books on The Book of Mormon; Psychological Perspectives: A Quarterly Journal of Jungian Thought; Immanence: The Journal of Applied Mythology, Legend, and Folklore; Somatics Magazine-Journal of the Mind-Body Arts and Sciences; and the recent compilation, The Reality of Fragmentation and the Yearning for Healing: Jungian Perspectives on Democracy, Power, and Illusion in Contemporary Politics. Their recent book, Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration, was published by Greg Kofford Books in 2022.

Links from the show:

Five Steps to Rediscovering Spirituality as an LGBT Person: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/five-steps-to-rediscoveri_b_8373220
Dr. Literski’s website: https://www.dancingancestors.com/
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54 min
July 31, 2023The World of Drag
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n this week’s episode of In the Den, Jen chats with three drag performers from different parts of the United States. They break down some of the misconceptions around drag and look at the benefits and beauty of the world of drag.

Special guests:

Marty McGuy is a drag king from Columbia, South Carolina. In Marty’s day job, he is committed to helping the quality of care and education of the children of South Carolina. Marty also ran an online DRAG Activity time during the pandemic on YouTube and Facebook weekly for his local LGBT+ Resource Center, The Harriet Hancock Center. Now they often volunteer for Charlotte Drag Story Hour for in person events. Marty also is a fierce advocate for Drag King visibility. They help host drag shows across Columbia, SC with his drag partner, Han D Mann, called Columbia Kings N’ Things.

Brandon U. Scott was a hairstylist for 21 years. When we all hit the brakes due to COVID-19, he decided to take on a second act in life and began the journey of becoming a Social Worker. He is currently starting his Senior year at University and plans to start their master’s degree program in May 2024. Brandon hopes to one day bring affirming care to LGBTQI communities in rural areas after obtaining his clinical license.

DeVida, the self proclaimed Broadway Belter of the Bible Belt is an education and mental health professional by day and a Broadway drag diva by night. DeVida is known for her live vocals, creative performances, and glamorous style. DeVida is a former Miss Gay NC America and Miss Charlotte Pride as well as a tireless community advocate. When not performing or working, DeVida is happy to be at home with her husband of twenty four years and their ten year old son.

Links from the show:

Marty on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@martymcguydragking
Marty on IG: https://www.instagram.com/martymcguydragking/?hl=en
Kings n Things: https://www.tiktok.com/@colakingsnthings
Devida on IG: https://www.instagram.com/livingdevidaloca/
Devida on FB: https://www.facebook.com/livingdevidaloca
Devida on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@livingdevidaloca
The Cardboard Castle: https://thecardboardcastle.net/
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1 hr 1 min
July 24, 2023 Moving from Tolerance to Celebration
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Finding out your child is LGBTQ can bring up different emotions for different parents. For many, expectations have to change, beliefs may be challenged, and what you thought you knew about your child may have to evolve. In this week’s episode of In the Den, Jen visits with therapist Liz Landry about some of the challenges of parenting and how to move from tolerating to celebrating your LGBTQ child.

Special Guest:

Liz Landry has a master's degree in clinical social work and a bachelor's degree in biochemistry. She worked in community mental health for six years, and she now works in private practice psychotherapy. Liz believes everyone is deserving of a fulfilling life through mental and emotional freedom. As part of the LGBTQ+ community, she is committed to creating a space that is safe and affirming to help dismantle beliefs that have caused shame, anxiety, guilt, or distress. She grew up in the “Bible Belt” of the South, and she has multiple family members still active in the LDS church. Liz knows firsthand how damaging and stifling oppressive systems can be. Therefore, she is also committed to dismantling white supremacy, misogyny, misogynoir, and hetero-normative culture, both in her therapeutic work and her personal activism.

Links from the Show:

Episode on Ring Theory and finding parental support: https://inthedenwithmamadragons.buzzsprout.com/2082774/12088608-ring-theory-and-finding-parental-support

Find Liz here: https://optimismcounseling.com/liz-landry

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53 min
July 17, 2023World of Possibility with Valerie, Soper, and Whit
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Over the years we’ve heard LGBTQ people say that they didn’t know what life might look like for them as an adult. Many haven’t had LGBTQ role models that provide examples of a potential future, and a lot of fear that parents of LGBTQ children experience comes from the unknown as well. We thought it might be helpful for parents to get to know some of the amazing members of the LGBTQ community, just a few at a time, so that they can provide a realistic view of what life could look like for our children. Today, Jen joins guests Melissa Soper, Whittney Chilcote, and Valerie Green in this episode of World of Possibility.

Special Guests:

Melissa Soper (she/her) is a mom to four wonderful kids. She has an amazingly awesome wife, Whitt, who she is excited to adventure with together in life. Soper loves the mountains and trail running. She loves to take on a challenge and has completed multiple ultra-marathons. Soper currently works with adolescents and young adults at a residential treatment center and is venturing to earn her Masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with the prospects of being a therapist for LGBTQ teens.

Whittney Chilcote (she/her) is a mom to three incredible souls that she got lucky to have as kids. She recently got married to her crazy beautiful, adventure seeking wife Soper, and she cannot imagine all the crazy and amazing things she is going to have them do together. Whitt has always loved traveling and seeing all that this crazy world has to offer. Born and raised in Utah, she absolutely loves the mountains and lakes and all the seasons they get every year! Whitt has spent the last 8 years of her life working with youth in West Valley, where she has learned so much about trauma, resilience, and what unconditional love means.

Valerie Green (she/her) is a transgender woman who is active in her ward of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Missouri. Before transitioning, she was married for 34 years and is now widowed. She is a parent to five children and grandparent to six grandchildren. After five decades of waiting, she has been fully socially transitioned since January 1, 2019. She loves tennis and pickles (and her family when they're behaving).

Links From the Show:

Join Mama Dragons at www.mamadragons.org

In the Den is made possible by generous donors like you.
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55 min
July 14, 2023 Words With Friends 5
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Words with Friends episodes are bonus episodes where different members of Mama Dragons provide definitions for LGBTQ related topics. This episode includes the following definitions:

Gender Identity shared by Julie Turnbull from Washington

Gender Dysphoria shared by Arlo Dennis from Florida

Gender Presentation shared by Pannay Guigley from Wisconsin

Stealth/Passing shared by Lisa Renaud from Ontario, Canada

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11 min

About In The Den with Mama Dragons

From the publisher's feed

You're navigating parenting an LGBTQ+ child without a manual and knowing what to do and what to say isn't always easy. Each week we’ll visit with other parents of queer kids, talk with members of…