Coming Out 101: Interactive Online Intensive

The Society is pleased to announce “Coming Out 101,” an interactive group discussion on the subject of coming out to your community as LGBTQ. This live class will be presented via Zoom as part of our Virtual Education and Events program. Our presenter, @Devilishsmurfet, is a licensed clinical social worker with extensive experience working with individuals in both the LGBTQ and kink/fetish/bdsm communities.

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From our presenter: This class is about exploring how to share your LGBTQ identity with family, peers, coworkers and partners, no matter how long you have been your true, authentic, priceless, awesome self! We will explore how we identify ourselves, our own understanding of our LGBTQ identities, and how to communicate that understanding to those with whom we share our lives. We will discuss coming out not only when our identities feel certain, but also in situations when we may be exploring or undergoing any type of transition. Discussion will include the emotional impact of coming out, and how to heal and cope with difficult emotions in healthy ways. Role play exercises will be utilized to teach strategies for managing people’s reactions to us during the coming out process, whether positive, negative, or indifferent. We will also consider how we can move past our fear of coming out by identifying and understanding our fear. This class will provide ample opportunity for safe and supportive group discussion and reflection.

Heather K. Mazarakos, LCSW, has over 20 years of experience working with LGBTQ individuals as well as members of the fetish, kink and bdsm communities. She received her Bachelor of Social Work from Southern Connecticut State University, and holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work with a specialization in Substance Abuse and Bereavement from Fordham University. Her other areas of therapeutic focus have included addictions, legal issues related to drug and alcohol offenses, mood disorders, sexual abuse, geriatric and hospice issues, grief and loss, suicide, trauma, and infertility. She is licensed in Connecticut and has worked in both inpatient hospital settings as well as within the community.

Heather has created a practice that is warm, small, and personal, allowing her to work directly with her clients for their treatment, appointments and other needs. She is a frequent lecturer as well as an attendee of seminars on emerging treatment trends and modalities, and she collaborates with her professional colleagues in order to meet the needs of her clients and continue to hone her specialized approach to individual therapy.

The fee for this program is $7 for members, and $10 for non-members. To access the Zoom link for this class, please reserve your ticket at The Society’s website here.

Want to learn more? Send a friend request to @SocietyEducation and join The Society group page here on FetLife. Our Events Calendar and more information about The Society of CT, including membership and volunteer opportunities, can be found on our website here.

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