Workshops & Trainings

Upcoming group:

Somatic & Art Peer Trans Support Group

When and where:

Echo park area, Los Angeles, Saturday April 26th at 10:30 am. Sign up by e-mailing me at samsilvermantherapy@gmail.com for exact location.

How much does it cost?

This group is free! There is a suggested donation of $20 - all proceeds will go to a trans charity (taking suggestions but leaning towards https://nqttcn.com/en/mental-health-fund/).

Is this ongoing?

For now this is a one time group. If people are interested, I will likely host more groups.

Is this a therapy group?

No, this is a peer support group- me, a trans person, supporting trans peers.

How long is it?

Two hours

Is this for teens or adults?

This group is youth and adults ages 15 years to 100 years old (and older).

What does a somatic and art peer support group entail?

There will be a variety of guided movement practices meant to help move pent up energy/release stress and get in touch with feelings, including some interactive improv-style practices, some slowing down practices, some practices in pairs, and some higher energy practices. There will also be art activities - lightly guided drawing activities. There will also be some brief moments of debunking “supposed tos” about the nervous system. As well as some collaborative reflecting on experiences of these activities. Finally we’ll end by checking in about what we need

Are there any covid precautions in place?

Yes, I will be asking everyone to take a rapid test and not come if they are feeling ill or if they have recently come in contact with someone sick. The group will also be outdoors in a park. Masks will be provided, but will be optional (if someone is concerned and wants to make it masks required, I am open to that).

How accessible is this group?

This group will not have an ASL interpreter and will be conducted in English. This group will be on flat surface that will be wheelchair accessible (may require help to get over a small curb at the start which I am happy to provide). There will not be seating provided- we will be sitting on the ground. Anyone coming is encouraged to bring a yoga mat or blanket to lay on or a chair to sit in. Throughout the group, I’ll check in about disability/physical pain or limitations based needs and provide alternatives or change up activities as requested.

Workshops

Sam has led professional workshops on a number of subjects including: trans advocacy, queer and trans relationships, identity exploration, LGBTQ+ workplace inclusion, healing from trauma, autistic burnout recovery, getting, and inclusive recovery approaches. They recently co-led a virtual workshop with a HAES- informed dietician called “Building a Better Relationship with Food and Your Body”. They led a workshop called “Coping in a Pandemic” for Take Control Initiative and a “Boundaries: How to Know What Yours Are and Why It Matters” virtually at The Center for Healthy Sex. Their most recent workshop was “Getting Unstuck Without Pushing Through: a neurodivergent guide to coping with challenging tasks”.

Trainings

Sam offers LGBTQ+ and trans affirming trainings. They have been providing trainings for groups, schools, treatment centers, and businesses for the past six years. The specifics would be tailored to the person or group. Some topics they are competent to provide trainings on include: boundaries, LGBTQ+ workplace trainings, psychoedcuation on working with adhd (for yourself/with clients), psychoeducation on and tools for working with clients trying to get sober, and many more things (see bio for more on special areas of knowledge/focus).

Trainings fee:

$100-500 depending on the size of the organization, the organization’s budget, and the length of the talk.