Supporting Sexual Minority Youth (SMY) with Dr. Wendy Bamatter

The Sashbear Expert Education Series proudly presents "Supporting Sexual Minority Youth (SMY)" with Dr. Wendy Bamatter.

Join us Wednesday, November 30th at 7 PM ET.

All are welcome and registration is FREE! Register Now at https://us02web.zoom.us/webina...B6QgApTJ-Zt7MKu5yZ2w

About the topic: Children, adolescents, and young adults who identify as sexual minorities (e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, queer) are at increased risk for negative mental health outcomes. One of the major factors contributing to this increased risk pertains to the discrimination and invalidation to which SMY are exposed in their daily lives. Fortunately, there is substantial research evidence documenting the pronounced protective role that family and social support can have on buffering the impact of minority stressors, such as discrimination, on mental health outcomes. In this presentation, attendees will receive a brief overview of risk and protective factors among SMY. The remainder of the webinar will be focused on identifying concrete actions that parents, caregivers, and other supportive figures can take to best support SMY. Principles and interventions from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) will be weaved in throughout the presentation. Please note, a separate webinar focusing specifically on supporting transgender and non-binary youth will also be offered in early 2023.

BIO: Wendy P. Bamatter, PhD (she/her/hers), is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) for adolescents and young adults. She is the Program Director at McLean Hospital’s 3East Cambridge Residence. In addition to working with individuals struggling with pervasive emotion dysregulation and high-risk behaviors, Dr. Bamatter is also committed to providing affirming care to LGBTQIA+ individuals and their families. She also has extensive training in delivering culturally sensitive individual and family therapy in Spanish. Dr. Bamatter’s research and teaching background focuses on improving mental health interventions for underserved communities, including monolingual Spanish-speaking immigrants, transgender and non-binary individuals, and African Americans in community mental health settings. As a therapist, she likes to balance mindfulness, warmth, and humor with change-oriented interventions.