Intersectionality in Practice: Understanding the Implications of Our Self

(4-week split class)
Date: Mondays, September 16, 23, and December 2, 9, 2024
Time: 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Instructor: Dr. Heidi Bowden, DSW, LISW (she/her/hers)
Cost:  $275
Format: In-Person preferred (Hybrid via Zoom upon request)
CEU: 6 (certificates of attendance provided)

Registration deadline: September 9, 2024: Register click here

Note: Course materials will be shared via email once you’ve registered for the class.

Description: “Intersectionality in Practice” is a comprehensive seminar created to enhance your understanding of intersectionality as a critical theoretical framework and to improve your ability to utilize intersectional perspectives in clinical settings. This course is designed for master’s level student interns, provisionally licensed clinicians, independently licensed clinicians, and pastoral counselors interested in enriching their practice through a nuanced understanding of how intersecting identities shape individuals’ experiences and interactions.

The training consists of a split seminar that spans several weeks to facilitate learning and reflective practice. It begins with two consecutive weeks of interactive didactic workshops, where participants will engage with foundational concepts of intersectionality and explore how these concepts influence identity and experience. After these initial sessions, there will be a reflection and interactive practice break. During this time, participants will receive reflection prompts to help integrate their learning into their professional practice.

The second training phase will resume nine weeks later with two additional weeks of interactive didactic seminars. These sessions will expand upon the previous content, emphasizing the application of intersectional perspectives to clinical work, including assessment, treatment planning, and intervention strategies. Participants will also improve their professional skills by recognizing and addressing power dynamics and biases in therapeutic relationships.

Learning Objectives: Participants in this in-depth, 4-week, 6-hour course will:

  1. Understand Intersectionality: Gain a comprehensive understanding of intersectionality as a theoretical framework and articulate how it informs and shapes individuals’ experiences and identities.
  2. Develop Self-Awareness: Through reflective practice, cultivate self-awareness regarding personal and professional identities and biases and understand their impact on interactions with clients and colleagues.
  3. Apply Intersectional Perspectives: Acquire and demonstrate the ability to apply intersectional perspectives in clinical work, integrating intersectional analysis into assessment, treatment planning, and intervention strategies to provide more holistic and effective care.
  4. Enhance Professional Skills: Acknowledge and address power dynamics and biases in therapeutic relationships, minimizing their impact on client outcomes and enhancing overall professional effectiveness.

This course allows you to critically assess and improve your practice by considering intersectionality, leading to more inclusive and empathetic care for diverse client populations.

For questions, contact the instructor at hbowden@mindspiritcenter.org or call 515-251-6657

Instructor Bio:

Heidi Bowden, Mind & Spirit Counseling Center

Dr. Heidi Bowden (she/her) is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) and a clinically trained Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist. She specializes in working with adult individuals facing various emotional and relational challenges. She focuses on guiding clients through their unique needs and collaborating to develop customized plans that foster hope, healing, and life aligned with their personal goals.

Heidi’s career in clinical work began as a substance abuse counselor at an independently owned-outpatient treatment center in rural Iowa. While pursuing her master’s degree in Social Work, she provided essential mental health and substance abuse education, counseling, and crisis intervention to incarcerated individuals in a correctional facility. After obtaining her temporary social work license in 2014, Heidi worked with individuals in community mental health settings, making significant contributions to client care until she joined the Center as a Clinical Social Worker in 2018.

In August 2024, Heidi earned a Doctorate of Social Work from Simmons University. She focused on social justice principles, including diversity, equity, inclusion, intersectionality, power analysis, and anti-racism. This advanced training underscores her commitment to advancing leadership, education, and clinical practice within the field. Recently appointed as the Clinical Training Director in August, she continues to integrate her extensive clinical experience and academic insights to enhance training programs and support the professional development of others in the field.