The LGBT-Allies Working Group will be holding a Zoom gathering on Nov 12 (Sat), at 8.30am-10.00am (ET).
To encourage interdisciplinary thinking on issues of gender and sexuality, the Working Group has invited Dr. Chuan Fei Chin – a philosopher and counsellor based in London – to share on “Counseling LGBTQ+ Persons of Faith: Dilemmas and Double Deals.”
Members of the REA are welcome to attend. Should you wish to attend, please send an email (by Oct 30) to Alfred and Robin at voicingqueerancestorsoffaith [at] gmail [dot] com
Abstract of this talk:
How do ethical questions create unexpected dilemmas in counselling LGBTQ+ persons of faith? I want to explore three dilemmas which center on their experiences of discrimination, feelings of shame, and need for belonging. In each dilemma, clinical concerns come entangled with ethical ones, such that both call for an inquiry into how a person can lead a good life. I will present cases from Singapore and the UK that highlight some challenges in keeping this inquiry open with a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive approach to counselling.
Chan Fei Chin (Phil Oxford, MCouns SUSS) is a philosopher and counsellor based in
London. He works for a charity that provides trauma-informed counselling for LGBTQ+
abuse and violence survivors, and those who have experienced “conversion
therapies.” As an educator, he created an award-winning course on everyday ethics in
Singapore, which promotes moral dialogues on contested social issues. He is now
designing a graduate-level course that cultivates ethical reflection in experience and new counsellors.