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With the holiday season in full swing, many of us are finding ourselves navigating sometimes tricky and challenging family gatherings, especially with our queer kids. This time of year often comes with particular, sometimes unspoken, expectations about our participation in family events. Supporting our queer kids also occasionally means having to respond to inappropriate questions, uncomfortable interactions, and hurtful situations. This week In the Den, Sara sits down with therapists Laura Skaggs and Lisa Hansen to talk through possible coping strategies and boundaries to help get us through the holidays while protecting and prioritizing the wellbeing of our queer children.

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. She went on to serve for two years on the board of directors of Affirmation: LGBT+ Mormons, Families, and Friends with a focus on responding to spiritual trauma and suicide prevention. 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: Lisa Hansen

Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen (PhD, LMFT, Clinical Director) is the clinical director and founder of Flourish Therapy, Inc., (Flourish), a behavioral health clinic located in Provo, Utah, which she founded in February 2017 to meet the needs of LGBTQ+ and SSA 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.

Links from the Show:

• Flourish’s website: https://www.flourishtherapy.org/ 
• Join Mama Dragons today: www.mamadragons.org 

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