If you’re like me, you’ve probably had lots of therapy that didn’t really fit you. When I was in my early 20s, my moods and my life went off the rails and I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. I had to work really hard to survive and to build the skills to recover, because the mainstream stuff just didn’t work for me.
Fast forward 25 years. It turns out I’m queer, trans, and autistic. My problem was never that my brain was broken. It’s just that my brain is different, and needed different skills, perspectives, and some TLC. On top of that, I had a whole pile of internalized -isms to work through.
The good news, as I discovered, is that recovery is possible. Building a life worth living is possible, and enjoying life is possible. And I’m doing it. 25 years later, I have survived, and I’m pretty close to thriving.
I don’t pretend to have it all figured out. I still have to cope with ableism and neuronormative culture every day. But now, I know how to care for myself. I’m able to stay close to my people, and I’m finding ways to participate in community that work for me.
I decided to ‘create’ Radically Queer DBT because I wanted to make a space where queer, trans, and neurodivergent people can come together to share the skills and perspectives that work for them. I took DBT as a basis because I’m a bit of a nerd for it. It’s a whole big toolset of to psychological wellness skills, and it’s a good basis for hacking, adapting, and queering. I added queer, trans, and neuroaffirming practices and perspectives because that’s who I am and who I want to help. And I threw in somatic psychotherapy and expressive arts because a lot of neuroqueer, trans, and queer people (including me) seem to enjoy and benefit from those things.
RQ-DBT is a work in process, a shared discovery about what works for different people. So it’s a little different from a ‘skills training’ program, because we’ll also be critiquing, evaluating, and discussing as we go. RQ-DBT is not standardized or mass-produced. RQ-DBT skills are local, contextual, and adapted just for you, and we build them together.
If this-all sounds appealing, please read on, and drop me a line if you’re interested. 😄
best,
What is RQ-DBT?
Radically Queer DBT is an innovative conversational class format for learning DBT Lite skills— basically a bunch of life skills to help things be easier. It takes standard DBT and adds practices for queer resilience and neuroqueer accommodation. The goal of RQ-DBT is to enjoy the life you have built. This group is an interactive skills class— we learn skills together, and we interact socially in the class with other QT+ND people.
Standard DBT has 4 modules: core mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotion regulation, and distress tolerance. Radically Queer DBT takes these and adapts them for QT+ND needs, and adds QT+ND affirming frameworks and practices. For an illustrated overview, see The Cake of Radically Queer DBT. If you prefer something a little more buttoned up and academic, check out About Radically Queer DBT.
This RQ-DBT class is ‘DBT Lite’ because it is not ‘fidelity DBT’ for people in crisis. It is more of a life enhancement class for folks who have the basics covered and are benefiting from individual therapy, but want to add some specific skills for QT+ND resilience. This group is not a replacement for a higher level of care, such as an IOP program.
Who is this for?
RQ-DBT is for queer, trans, and neurodivergent (QT+ND) adults 18+ who want some extra skills for self-regulation in a queer-, trans-, and neuroaffirming environment. Group members are not in acute crisis, have stable housing, and are in ongoing individual psychotherapy. This group is for people located in Oregon.
Some common QT+ND problems that RQ-DBT could help with:
- Emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and navigating relationships
- Building an embodied mindfulness practice that works for you
- Masking, burnout, and stigma around autism, ADHD, or AuDHD
- Understanding and accommodating your neurospicy needs
- Dealing with oppression around your queer, trans, and neuroqueer experience
It is all right if:
- You have never done DBT skills training
- You have done DBT and you liked it, and you’d like to revisit the skills
- You have done DBT and you hated it (or it didn’t work for you), but you’re open to trying it again if it’s specifically adapted for queer, trans, and neurodivergent folks
Group schedule and structure
This group meets online twice a week for an hour, on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11am Pacific Time.
Why online? Convenience, geographic reach, and ease of sharing images during sessions.
Why twice a week for an hour? Compared with a 2-hour session, 1-hour sessions are easier for many people with executive function challenges. Meeting twice a week offers more continuity throughout the week and more time to integrate new learning.
This group will have up to 15 members. The group will open to new members for a few weeks and then close for 12 weeks. After that, the same cycle of opening and closing will continue.
Group sessions will be a mix of interactive lecture, guided conversation, and experiential skills practice.
Interested? Fill in the form here!
How much does it cost?
The fee for each session is $80. I accept the following insurance plans:
- CareOregon/HealthShare OHP (your insurance card says ‘HealthShare’ on it)
- PacificSource Commercial
- Jackson Care Connect OHP
- Columbia-Pacific OHP
- Out-of-network benefits (superbills)
Private pay is available as well. Some sliding scale spots are available for private pay folks; please ask if you need financial accommodations.
Who is offering this group?
Me! 😄 I’m Sasha Strong, PhD, LPC (they/them), and I have offered queer, trans, and neuroaffirming individual and group therapy in Portland since 2016. I have published and presented nationally on neuroaffirming and gender-affirming counseling practice and group therapy. I’m queer, trans, and #actuallyautistic. I have special interests in mindfulness, group therapy, and DBT.
How can I join?
Fill in the interest form to let me know more about your experience & what timing works for you. I’ll reach out once there’s availability for new members, and we can set up a time to chat and see if it will meet your needs. Or get in touch if you have other questions.
Looking forward to hearing from you! 😄