Resources

Learn more about:

LGBTQ Resources

Trans Lifeline: 1-877-565-8860
Hotline for trans people staffed by trans people

GLBT National Help Center: 1-888-843-4564
Hotline with peer-counseling and local resources

GLBT National Youth Talk Line: 1-800-246-7743
Hotline for youth (up to age 25) with peer-counseling and local resources.

Trevor Project Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-866-488-7386
Crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth (ages 13-24)

Mental Health: [email protected]
Online support group for QTPOC including resources and articles

Online Peer Support Chat, http://www.glnh.org/
Online chat for LGBTQ+ peer counseling

Trevor Project Chat
Online chat and texting service for suicide prevention and crisis intervention for LGBTQ youth (ages 13-24)
http://www.thetrevorproject.org/
1-888-843-4564

Trans Teens Online Talk Group
Weekly moderated group for trans teens ages 12-19 // Wednesdays 4-6 PM PST
http://www.glnh.org/

Process Work (Process-Oriented Psychology)

General Resource Links

Great general resource pages about Process Work, Arnold Mindell and other books on Process Work and Process-oriented Psychology applications:

Video

Watch this quick 60 second video on process work:

Process Work Books

The following books reflect the many ways that process work theory and methods have been studied and applied to a variety of human problems.

Alternative to Therapy – Amy Mindell
Alzheimer’s Surprise Party – Stan Tomandl & Tom Richards
Angry Men, Angry Women – Gary Reiss
Befriending Conflict – Joe Goodbread
Beyond War and Peace in the Arab Israeli Conflict – Gary Reiss
Changing Ourselves Changing the World – Gary Reiss
City Shadows: Psychological Interventions in Psychiatry – Arny Mindell
Coma A Healing Journey – Amy Mindell
Coma: The Dreambody near Death – Arny Mindell
Craters: Memories of a German Child of War – Elke Frensch
Deep Democracy – Arny Mindell
Deeper Into the Soul – Nader Robert Shabahangi
Dreambody – Arny Mindell
Dreambody in Relationships – Arny Mindell
Dreambody Toolkit – Joe Goodbread
Dreaming Source of Creativity – Amy Mindell
Dreaming While Awake – Arny Mindell
Dream-maker’s Apprentice – Arny Mindell
Earth Based Psychology – Arny Mindell
Inside Coma: A new view of Awareness, Healing, and Hope – Gary Reiss & Pierre Morin
Leader as a Martial Artist – Arny Mindell
Leap Into Living – Gary Reiss
Metaskills – Amy Mindell
Nothing Came From Walking – Conor McKenna
Path Made By Walking – Julie Diamond & Lee Spark Jones
Power : A User’s Giide, Julie Diamond
Processmind – Arny Mindell
Quantum Mind – Arny Mindell
Quantum Mind and Healing – Arny Mindell
Radical Intercourse – Joe Goodbread
Riding the Horse Backwards – Arny & Amy Mindell
River’s Way – Arny Mindell
School Violence – Ingrid Rose
Shaman’s Body – Arny Mindell
Sitting in the Fire – Arny Mindell
Soul Lightning – Aminah Raheem, PhD
Speak Out – Dawn Menken
Unintentional Music – Lane Arye
Vital Loving – Gary Reiss
Working on Yourself Alone – Arny Mindell
Working with the Dreaming Body – Arny Mindell
Power : A User’s Guide, Julie Diamond
Dance of the Ancient One, Arnold Mindell

Especially good introductions to Process Work ideas, methods and applications can be found in the following:

A Path Made By Walking by Julie Diamond & Lee Spark Jones
Riding the Horse Backwards by Arnold Mindell
Working on Yourself Alone by Arnold Mindell

Polyamory & Non-Monogamy

LifeWorks Psychotherapy Center - Chicago and Skokie sex positive counseling specializing in kink-friendly, LGBTQ, gender identity, open relationships, polyamory, anxiety therapy.

Downloadable brochures to share with others:

Chicago area activities and groups:

POLY SUPPORT GROUP
Meets: Monthly on Saturdays 10:30 -12:30
Details: www.meetup.com/Chicago-Polyamory

For people wanting to learn more about themselves and polyamorous relationships. The group meets at the Tribe Healing Arts Center. Facilitated by Rami Henrich, LCSW and Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. You can find out more about the group and the next meeting at www.meetup.com/Chicago-Polyamory or click here for upcoming dates.

Additional Resources

POLY PLUS: THE ART OF RELATING a 6-week course

Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. and Rami Henrich, LCSW facilitate this 6-week course for individuals, couples, triangles, V’s, quads and more in the Chicago Polyamory Community where you can:

Learn & improve communication skills in your relationships
Learn how to work effectively & compassionately with criticisms & accusations
Re-discover the source of your deepest relationship(s) connection(s)
Get a new perspective on your most disturbing relationships concerns or issues
Understand & practice conflict de-escalation

To register or find out about dates for the next course, contact Rami or Cindy at 847-568-1100.

Frequently cited books:
Polyamory: The new love without limits – Anapol
Opening Up: A guide to creating and sustaining open relationships – Tristan Taormino
Love In Abundance: A Counselor’s Advice On Open Relationships – Kathy Labriola
Polyamory in the 21st Century: Love & Intimacy with Multiple Partners, Deborah Anapol
Open: Love, Sex and Life in an Open Marriage, Jenny Block
What Does Polyamory Look Like? Poly Diverse Patterns of Loving & Living…, Mim Chapman
The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Pollyamory, Open Relationships & Other Adventures, Dossie Easton & Janet Hardy
The New Intimacy: Open-ended Marriage & Alternative Lifestyles, Ronald Mazur
The Lesbian Polyamory Reader: Open Relationships, Non-monogamy & Casual Sex, Marcia Munson & Judith Stelboum (eds)
Sex, Love & Marriage in the 21st Century: The Next Sexual Revolution, Timothy Perper & Martha Cornog (eds)
The Art and Etiquette of Polyamory: A Hands-on Guide to Open Sexual Relationships, Francoise Simpere
Opening Up: A guide to Creating & Sustaining Open Relationships, Tristan Taormino
The Polyamorists Next Door: Inside Multiple-Partner Relationships and Families, Elizabeth Sheff
Rewriting the Rules: An Integrative Guide to Love, Sex and Relationships , Meg Barker
Mindful Geek, Michael W. Taft
The New Monogamy, Tammy Nelson
Stories from the Polycule, Elizabeth Sheff
The Polyamorists Next Door, Elizabeth Sheff
Love in Abundance, Kathy Labriola
ReWriting the Rules, Meg Barker

In addition, research and scholarly work published by LifeWorks clinicians on the experiences of people who identify as polyamorous can be found at:

Hemphill, S, Simon, S & Haydon, B. (2016) Exploring Personal and Professional Understanding of Nonmonogamous Relationships: Reflections on a Group Work-Informed Workshop, Social Work with Groups.

Henrich, R. (2011). Following a Path of Heart: Psychological, relational and social issues of polyamorists. Unpublished manuscript.

Henrich, R. & Trawinski, C. (2016) Social and therapeutic challenges facing polyamorous clients (1), Sexual & Relationship Therapy.

Online sources for additional information:

Kink & BDSM

Downloadable brochures about kink & BDSM to share with others:

Chicago area activities and groups

KINK DISCUSSION GROUP Monthly on Saturdays 1:30 -3:30

For people wanting to learn more about themselves, kink & BDSM. The group welcomes people who identify with any role preference, gender identity, sex, presentation, and experience level. Come share your experiences, questions, struggles, and insights in a supportive, non-judgmental environment with other folks who identify as kinky or as BDSM practitioners, are curious about kink, or are considering whether kink and/or BDSM are labels that works for them.

The group meets at Tribe Healing Arts Center. Facilitated by Rami Henrich, LCSW and Cindy Trawinski, Psy.D. To find out more, click here for upcoming dates.

RSVP appreciated but not required. Please RSVP to this month’s meeting on the Fetlife event page to help get the word out, or send a PM to @Elyria if you prefer to RSVP privately. For more information, please email [email protected]

Frequently cited books:

The New Topping Book, Dossie Easton & Janet Hardy
The New Bottomming Book, Dossie Easton & Janet Hardy
The S&M Feminist, Clarisse Thorn
Fetish Sex: An Erotic Guide for Couples, Violet Blue
SM 101: A Realistic Introduction, Jay Wiseman

Online sources for additional information:

Relationship Growth

Untitled by Cindy Trawinski (2005) Tempera on Litho Paper, 20" x 30" — Untitled by Cindy Trawinski (2005) Tempera on Litho Paper, 20″ x 30″

WATCH
How to Resolve Conflicts and Tensions
In this 2014 video, follow Bill Say, a Diplomate in Process Work living an practicing in the San Francisco Bay area, as he demonstrates an exercise for working with difficult relationship issues.

DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES FOR WORKING WITH RELATIONSHIP ISSUES AND CONFLICTS:

5 GOALS OF COMMUNICATION (David Schnarch)
7 STEPS FOR HARD CONVERSATIONS (David Schnarch)
Steps for Effective Dialogue Mirroring, Validating & Empathy (Imago)
Restructuring Frustrations Behavior Change Request (Imago)
Compassion Exercise (Marshall Rosenberg)
FEELING WORDS
Aftermath of a Fight or Regrettable Incident (The Gottman Institute)

BOOKS
Relationship challenges and growth:

Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love and Intimacy Alive in Committed Relationships, David Schnarch
Resurrecting Sex: Solving Sexual Problems and Revolutionizing Your Relationship, David Schnarch
Intimacy & Desire: Awaken the Passion in Your Relationship, David Schnarch
Embracing the Beloved: Relationship as a Path of Awakening, Stephen and Ondrea Levine
Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love and Intimacy Alive in Committed Relationships, David Schnarch
Resurrecting Sex, David Schnarch
Intimacy & Desire, David Schnarch
Embracing the Beloved, Stephen & Ondrea Levine
Intellectual Foreplay, Eve Hogan
Language in Thought & Action, S.I Hayakawa
Non-violent Communication, Marshall Rosenberg
Seven Principles for Making Marriages Work, John Gottman

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a practice of bringing one’s attention to the present moment with curiosity, openness and acceptance (sometimes referred to as beginner’s mind). Mindfulness is based on centuries old Buddhist teachings and has been applied to many aspects of human suffering, struggle and difficulty including everyday concerns, depression, anxiety, physical symptoms, addictions, relationship issues, extreme and altered states, group conflicts and social tensions.

Books on mindfulness:

Wherever You Go, There You Are , Jon Kabat-Zinn
Mindfulness for Beginners, Jon Kabat-Zinn
Coming to Our Senses, Jon Kabat-Zinn
Letting Everything Become Your Teacher, Jon Kabat-Zinn
Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness, Jon Kabat-Zinn
The Mindful Way Through Depression: Freeing Yourself from Chronic Unhappiness , Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, & Jon Kabat-Zinn
The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions, Christopher K. Germer
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, Michael A. Singer
The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki
True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart, Tara Brach
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, Brene Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are, Brene Brown
I Thought It Was Just Me (but it isn’t): Making the Journey from ‘What Will People Think?’ to ‘I Am Enough’, Brene Brown
Tao Te Ching, Stephen Mitchell
Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion, Pema Chödrön
Focusing, Eugene T. Gendlin
A Path with Heart: A Guide Through the Perils and Promises of Spiritual Life, Jack Kornfield
Insight Meditation: The Practice of Freedom, Joseph Goldstein
Mindfulness, 25th anniversary edition, Ellen J. Langer
The Mindful Way Through Depression, Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segel, and Jon Kabat-Zinn.
The Joy of Living , Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind , Shunryu Suzuki
True Refuge , Tara Brach
The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion , Christopher K. Germer
Full Catastrophe Living , Jon Kabat-Zinn
The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself, Michael A. Singer
Daring Greatly, Brene Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection, Brene Brown
I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), Brene Brown
Tao te Ching, Stephen Mitchell
Comfortable with Uncertainty, Pema Chodron
Focusing, Eugene Gendlin
A Path with Heart, Jack Kornfield
Insight Meditation, Joseph Goldstein
Mindfulness, Ellen J. Langer
The Miracle of Mindfulness, Thich Nhat Hanh
One Moment Meditation, Martin Boroson
The Book of Awakening, Mark Nepo