The following are workshops I have run for members of the LGBTQA+ community in various settings – I am also open to running them for other marginalised groups, where appropriate. If you would like to discuss this further please Contact us.
- Feeling “enough” – workshop for leaders, workers and activists
- Burnout workshop
- Imposter syndrome workshop
- Building webs of support workshop
Feeling “enough” – workshop for leaders, workers and activists
In the face of a challenging world, it is hard sometimes to feel enough. There is just so much to learn, achieve and to overcome to make sure our communities are protected, supported and allowed to thrive. It is hard to feel that we can meet all these demands – serve the full diversity of our communities with knowledge and understanding, provide all the support that is required, know exactly how and when to fight for more acceptance.
If you’re feeling overwhelmed or inadequate in the face of this, this workshop is for you. This is a space to find the positives in our imperfections, learn that we are enough even when at times we fail, and most importantly see the value in vulnerability and owning our mistakes.
Burntout workshop
Burnout is when we lose our resilience to or become overwhelmed by things that we previously were managing. It is often linked to vicarious trauma. We can experience exhaustion, irritability, compassion fatigue, and the feeling of having “hit an invisible wall”. At its worst, burnout can be very debilitating.
We’re living in overwhelming circumstances – austerity and then a pandemic have slowly eroded the services that used to support our community, while there has also been an increase in anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and hate crime. This means our community is forced to step up more and more to protect and support each other and sometimes we don’t have the right support in place ourselves to do this – that’s when we can be at risk of burnout. The workshop helps us work out how to create supportive structures for ourselves so we can more safely support others.
Imposter syndrome workshop
Imposter syndrome is a phenomenon where you feel that your achievements or position are undeserved or succumb to persistent anxiety and self-doubt despite apparent success and ability. It can drive people to overworking, perfectionism and chronic stress. But what if we could befriend our imposter syndrome? And what if it can teach us something about our internalised oppression? This workshop helps us understand imposter syndrome, confront its messages and develop a positive relationship with some aspects of its effects while loosening its grip on our lives.
Building webs of support workshop
The pandemic and other stresses have left some people the support networks and communities under strain, and increased loneliness and isolation. But humans are pack animals – our well-being often stands and falls on the support we get from other humans, although that support comes in many different forms. This workshop looks at how we can build healthy webs of support for ourselves and others, how to diversify and adapt our ideas of support and stop discounting the support that comes from overlooked sources.
Attendees will create a personal pictorial representation of the support they currently have and what threads of support might be missing.
Sam Hope 