LifeWorks is proud to announce that the first Greenhouse cohort is underway. Four new therapists have joined our team for 2016. Please welcome Brandon Haydon, LSW, Allison Burque, LCSW, Natalie A. Hock, MSW, and Jo Flannery, AMFT, MA!
The Greenhouse is a postgraduate psychotherapy training and mentorship program developed and sponsored by LifeWorks. The program is for recent grads, newly licensed clinicians, and others looking to develop therapeutic skills to better serve their clients. Specifically, the program trains participants to work with clients who identify as or are exploring sexuality, gender, erotic identity (such as kink or BDSM), and/or alternative relationship configurations (such as polyamory and non-monogamy).
Over the course of a year, Greenhouse participants are expected to hold a steady caseload of 4-6 clients, participate in a cohort peer group, attend supervision and a series of in-service learning modules. Over twelve months, these clinicians will:
- develop cultural competencies and knowledge needed to relate deeply and effectively to clients from the LGBTQ, non-monogamy, and kink/BDSM communities;
- strengthen their identities as therapists; and
- deepen their clinical skills from within a depth psychotherapy perspective.
Meet and find out more about each of the 2016 Greenhouse participants below:
Brandon Haydon, LSW
Brandon seeks to help his clients explore the stories they tell about themselves. Hailing from Loyola University Chicago’s School of Social Work, he has experience working with survivors of trauma, those impacted by severe mental illness, and people in the sex trade. His clinical approach includes aspects of feminism, narrative theory, and sex-positivism. He is a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and International Association of Social Work with Groups (IASWG), and has trained at Community Counseling Centers of Chicago (C4), the Center on Halsted, the Test Positive Aware Network’s (TPAN), and the Sex Worker Outreach Project (SWOP).
Allison Burque, LCSW
Allison offers an affirming, learning environment for LGBTQ individuals who are coming out, exploring sexuality, transitioning genders, living with HIV, and having children. She also works with people who are experiencing addiction, grief, loss, chronic illness, anxiety, and depression. Along with her graduate degree in Social Work from the University of Chicago’s School of Social Service Administration—where she focused on violence prevention—Allison has undergone training in trauma and anti-violence frameworks from Rape Victim Advocates and the Chicago Metropolitan Battered Women’s Network. Additionally, she has completed various LGBTQ-centric programs provided by the Howard Brown Health Center.
Natalie A. Hock, MSW
Natalie focuses her work on cultivating clients’ awareness skills and fostering their inner happiness. In contrast with the general cultural pressures people face to distract themselves from the present and accomplish more at a faster pace, Natalie believes in the power of slowing down to anchor individuals to a deeper sense of themselves and their momentary experiences. The Jewish concept of Tikkun Olam, meaning “repair of the world,” influences her approach, in which she guides clients to see themselves as “mini-worlds” and helps them gently and intentionally seek to repair and heal themselves. Natalie is a graduate of Loyola University and a member of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) and International Association of Social Work with Groups (IASWG).
Jo Flannery, AFMT, MA Sexology
Jo is a clinical sexologist and couples and family therapist who helps individuals, couples, and relationships realize their full sexual and relational potential. For eight years, she has studied sexology with a focus on desire discrepancy and intimacy. Her approach emphasizes mindfulness, self-esteem, and personal responsibility. She has a graduate degree in Sexology from Curtin University of Technology in Perth, Western Australia and a second Master’s degree in Couple and Family Therapy from The Adler School of Professional Psychology (Adler University). Along with being a member of the American College of Sexologists; the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT); and the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT). Jo is also trained and certified in Prepare-Enrich couples assessment and guidance.
Stay tuned to our blog for updates from the Greenhouse as the year progresses. Later this year, we will start interviewing applicants for next year’s Greenhouse program.
Wondering if the Greenhouse is right for you? Get the details about the timeline, what qualifications we’re looking for, and what to expect, here.