Mindfullgtb+

Mindfullgtb+ Group for the LGTB+ Community

Mindfulness program for minority stress reduction and reduction of internalized homophobia through compassion (adaptation of MBSR for the LGBT+ community along with compassionate practices).

Based on research to date, the LGBT+ community is twice as likely to suffer from depression, anxiety or substance abuse, to name a few. Along with the stressors common to the heterosexual community, the LGTB+ community suffers a specific stressor from a very early age, homophobia, which is transformed into another variable specific to this community, internalized homophobia (the non-acceptance of sexual orientation, internalizing the homophobic messages received).

Mindfulness has demonstrated its efficacy in various psychological disorders and in the general psychological well-being of the people who “practice” it.

Specific objectives

Develop compassion for the experiences of bullying by helping to grow from the present and stop relying on the past to live from day to day.

Releasing and not “identifying” with negative thinking related to being Lgtb+, working on self-acceptance.

Develop group cohesion and belonging to the Lgtb+ community, creating an identity based on strength and belonging to a group.

Decrease the level of hypervigilance in which this community usually finds itself, due to having suffered continuous harassment, in which they have had to learn to hide in the heterosexist society.

Learn a new way of communication based on mindfulness, to get out of the toxic roles of the dramatic triangle victim-savior-persecutor (transactional analysis), as another way to reduce stress in interpersonal relationships and not only intrapersonal.

To reduce scores on the internalized homophobia and perceived stress scales in participants and increase scores on the “positive” scales.

Basic program structure

Duration: 8 weeks continuously, with a duration of 2 hours per session. The courses will be held on Saturdays and Mondays. Including a mini retreat in week 7, where everything will be practiced in an intensive way.

Content: during each of the sessions participants will learn meditation practices, as well as theoretical content on mindfulness, importance of breathing and mindfulness, autopilot, stress, conscious communication, compassion, minority stress, internalized homophobia, to name a few of the most important. Discussions of the practices will be included after each one. Participants will receive an audio of each of the practices they have to do that week.

Group: a minimum of 12 participants and a maximum of 20 who have passed the inclusion criteria (being of legal age and not identifying as heterosexual).

Contact

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If you are interested in joining one of the Mindfulgay groups that will be started, please contact us, indicating the days and times you would be interested in.

Start date: to be determined according to demand and hoping that the pandemic allows it.
Duration: 8 weeks with 2 hour sessions, with a first session of 3 hours and a silent retreat in week 7, choosing between Saturday morning hours.
Maximum of 20 participants, minimum of 12
Price: 350 € for the whole course (non-therapy participants)
Price: 300 € (participants who are or have been in therapy)