Conference | CRC 2026

ACCEPTING POSTER PROPOSALS UNTIL MARCH 31

With insights from these trusted mental health professionals—and many others

Hannah Wilson

Marissa Rivera

Giana Simonelli

Rahim Thawer

Christa McCrorie

Rodrigo Bravo

Joseph Mikulka

Emily Stone

Dr. Lulu

This project made possible in part due to funding from the Diversity Innovation Grant Program coordinated by the Office of the Provost and Intercultural Center at Monmouth University

CONTEMPORARY RELATIONSHIPS CONFERENCE 2026
+ CHOSEN FAMILY FAIR & OPEN MIC TALENT SHOW!

STRENGTHENING LGBTQ+

RELATIONSHIPS IN CHAOTIC TIMES

MAY 15-16, 2026

Monmouth University

West Long Branch, New Jersey

The most celebrated event supporting LGBTQ+ relationships—where research and real-world practice meet annually.

"This is one of the absolute best conferences I've been to! The vibe is so welcoming, and the content is exceptionally diverse. This is the conference I never knew I needed." - CRC Attendee

DAY ONE - FRIDAY, MAY 15, 8:50AM - 5:00PM
CONFERENCE (Doors open at 8am)
Workshops and presentations open to those who register for the full two -day conference

DOORS OPEN

Rebecca Stafford Student Center - Anacon Hall

Check-in, Get coffee, Find your seat, Connect with others

WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS

Rebecca Stafford Student Center - Anacon Hall

Naomi Brown, LCSW, QTAP (she/they)

bio photo_edited_edited_edited_edited.jp

Jeff (he/him) has been in private practice in Austin, Texas for 36 years. He is the Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Contemporary Relationships, which hosts the annual Contemporary Relationships Conference (CRC) as well as the Queer and Trans Affirming Professional (QTAP) certification program. He is the author of Trailblazers In Love (Contemporary Relationships Press, 2023), a chapter in the Handbook of LGBT-Affirmative Couple and Family Therapy (2nd Edition, Routledge, 2022; 1st Edition, Routledge 2012), two chapters in Affirmative Counseling with LGBTQI+ People (American Counseling Association, 2017), and Okin the Panda Bear Finds His Family - a children's book about family diversity (Creative House Press, 2011). His articles about LGBTQ relationships and families have appeared on The Bilerico Project and Therapy Matters. He has presented at the conferences of the American Family Therapy Academy, the American Association of Marriage & Family Therapy, the American Counseling Association, and the Texas Psychological Association. The former Executive Director of Soulforce; Jeff has spoken at universities, churches, and rallies around the country, and his social justice efforts have been covered by numerous media outlets, including NPR and CNN.

www.jefflutespsychotherapy.com

This presentation explores the delicate, dynamic balance between compassion and activism in clinical work. As therapists, we are called to heal individual wounds while also confronting the systemic forces that perpetuate them. This workshop invites participants to examine how advocacy, social justice, and therapeutic ethics can coexist without burnout or role confusion.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the intersections between therapeutic healing and social justice advocacy within professional ethics and scope of practice
Develop strategies to integrate activism and advocacy into clinical work in ways that support both client empowerment and therapist sustainability
Reflect on personal values, biases, and boundaries to cultivate an authentic professional identity that honors both the healer and the hellraiser within

OPENING PLENARY

Rebecca Stafford Student Center - Anacon Hall

Wearing Two Hats:

The Therapist as Healer and Hellraiser

Jeff Lutes, LPC, QTAP (he/him)

Christa McCrorie, LICSW-S, PIP, is an innovative therapist, certified birth doula, educator, and Fulbright Specialist dedicated to advancing holistic, client-centered care. As founder of Creative Therapeutic Solutions, she provides tailored, trauma-informed services emphasizing the needs of queer and trans individuals. Christa integrates creative, evidence-informed methods to promote healing, empowerment, and personal growth. She is also a full-time Instructor and Continuing Education Coordinator at the University of Alabama School of Social Work, where she teaches BSW and MSW courses and fosters professional development statewide. Known for her interdisciplinary approach and mentorship, she encourages collaboration among emerging and experienced practitioners. An accomplished speaker and writer, Christa frequently presents on trauma-informed care, LGBTQ+ affirmative practice, and inclusive perinatal support. Her work as a certified birth doula and internationally recognized performer deepens her understanding of embodiment and emotional resilience. As a Fulbright Specialist, Christa brings global perspectives to her teaching, consulting, and research, advancing cross-cultural dialogue in social work and therapeutic care. Her dedication to compassion, creativity, and excellence continues to inspire colleagues and clients alike, establishing her as a respected leader committed to fostering wellness, equity, and transformative healing.

This 60-minute clinical workshop offers mental health professionals an evidence-informed, LGBTQ+-centered framework to strengthen relational health using trauma-informed, sex-positive, and justice-oriented practices. Participants will learn concrete assessment tools, brief interventions, and communication skills to support queer and trans couples, polyamorous/non-monogamous partners, and sexual/gender-diverse individuals. The workshop includes applied demonstrations and role-practice so clinicians leave with immediately usable strategies for clinical and community settings. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Identify key relational barriers faced by LGBTQ+ clients and apply targeted interventions to address minority stress, sexual shame, and systemic barriers
Practice using a four-part clinical framework to create brief treatment plans, demonstrate micro-interventions for values mapping and consent negotiation
Recognize ethical considerations when supporting clients engaged in sex work, non-monogamy, or gender-affirming care, including appropriate harm-reduction referrals

FRIDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #1: OPTION 1

Classroom 204, Pozycki Hall

Embodied Liberation: A Trauma-Informed, Sex-Positive Framework for Strengthening LGBTQ+ Relationships

Christa McCrorie, LICSW-S, PIP; CD (DONA); CST - under supervision (she/any)

Marissa Rivera (she/her) is a Psychotherapist (LPC-S), Leadership Consultant, and Creative in Austin, Texas. She is the founder of Ola Wellness, a private psychotherapy practice serving Austin's QTPOC communities. Marissa provides clinical supervision to early career therapists and helps clients navigate anxiety, complicated grief, life transitions, complex trauma, and living in an unjust world while holding marginalized identities. In 2018, she authored Austin ISD’s Communal Grief Policy, reflecting her commitment to systemic healing and bridging Indigenous Wisdom with evidence-based interventions. She has also trained numerous clinicians on culturally-competent interventions for clients navigating grief. As a Queer Native Tejana, Marissa continues to weave holistic intergenerational healing into all roles, including as an Executive Leadership Coach, Lecturer at University of Texas at Austin, speaker at a variety of conferences and events, and President of SIMS Foundation’s Board of Directors. Beyond her leadership and support roles, Marissa finds joy in hosting Sunday dinners and snuggling with her senior pup, Bruce Wayne.

LGBTQ+ families and individuals are increasingly fleeing "red states" like Texas in response to policies that increase sociopolitical violence and restrict access to Transgender and Gender-Diverse affirming healthcare. In this pursuit of safety, complex ambiguous grief emerges for those who leave and those who stay. This presentation will examine how clinicians can support either experience through trauma-informed grief care informed by liberation psychology. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Differentiate between standard adjustment disorders and the complex symptoms of grief associated with sociopolitical trauma and displacement
Gain greater understanding of the dyadic assessment needed for grief among “Leavers” and “Stayers”
Identify holistic grief interventions informed by Indigenous Wisdom and evidence-based modalities.

FRIDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #1: OPTION 2

Classroom 205, Pozycki Hall

My Land is Not Your Land: Displacement, Loss, & The Pursuit of Safety

Marissa Rivera, LPC, QTAP (she/her/ella)

2025 Marissa Rivera headshot2_edited.jpg

Emily (she/her) is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over 20 years of experience working with adults, couples, families, children, and adolescents. She is the owner of Unstuck Therapy Group. Her reputation as a therapist, supervisor, and professor is one of being open, courageous in dialogue, curious, and respectful of each individual and in awe of their unique, brutiful story. Emily has taught college and graduate school in the areas of psychology and counseling for almost 20 years and is currently on faculty for the Psychology Department at Keiser University and for the Queer and Trans Affirming Professional (QTAP) certification program. She also serves as the co-chair for the Contemporary Relationship Conference committee. Emily frequently speaks and presents at local and national conferences and training events on issues related to relationships, sexuality, trauma, and spirituality. She has written articles and books for community and church projects and training materials. Her work has been featured in articles about relationships and families in such places as Forbes Health and Healthline. Emily currently writes weekly at her Substack, “Letters from a Therapist.” Emily, who grew up in southeast Tennessee and has spent time living in California, the Czech Republic and the Carolinas, now lives in Austin, Texas with her wife, Kelly, and their full house of six kids in their lively, loving blended family that includes a very doodly golden doodle, Comet.

FRIDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #1: OPTION 3

Classroom 206, Pozycki Hall

Using Therapeutic Collage and Parts Work to Deepen Self-Awareness, Self-Compassion, and Self-Trust

Emily Stone, PhD, LMFT-S (she/her)

Giana Simonelli is a Licensed Associate Counselor candidate specializing in adolescent and young adult mental health, with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ identity, reproductive mental health, and systems-based care. She obtained her Masters Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and currently works within higher levels of care, supporting clients navigating anxiety, trauma, identity development, family systems, and life transitions. Giana’s scholarly and clinical interests center on the intersection of reproductive justice, mental health, and LGBTQ+ lived experience, with an emphasis on how systemic barriers, policy shifts, and access to care impact psychological wellbeing. Her work integrates evidence-based approaches with an affirming, relational framework that prioritizes safety, autonomy, and identity-informed care. In addition to her clinical work, Giana is actively engaged in professional development, advocacy, and program development aimed at expanding inclusive mental health practices. She is passionate about bridging research, clinical practice, and education to foster more responsive, equitable systems of care for LGBTQ+ individuals and families.

Reproductive mental health is often framed through narrow, biologically centered models that fail to reflect the lived experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals and families. Beyond Biology explores how reproductive health intersects with identity, mental health, and relationships within LGBTQ+ communities, highlighting the psychological impact of fertility access, reproductive loss, bodily autonomy, and non-traditional paths to parenthood. This presentation challenges heteronormative assumptions embedded in clinical care and examines how systemic barriers and medicalized narratives can contribute to anxiety, grief, identity distress, and relational strain. Attendees will gain insight into inclusive, identity-affirming approaches to assessment and treatment, along with practical strategies for supporting LGBTQ+ clients navigating reproductive decision-making and reproductive grief. This session invites mental health professionals and educators to expand their understanding of reproductive mental health beyond biology and toward more equitable, relationally informed care. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Identify key ways heteronormative and biologically centered reproductive frameworks impact LGBTQ+ mental health, identity development, and relational wellbeing
Describe common psychological and relational stressors experienced by LGBTQ+ individuals navigating reproductive health, including fertility access, reproductive loss, and non-traditional paths to parenthood
Apply inclusive, LGBTQ+-affirming strategies to clinical assessment and therapeutic interventions when addressing reproductive mental health concerns.

FRIDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #2: OPTION 1

Classroom 204, Pozycki Hall

Beyond Biology: Understanding the Mental Health Implications of Fertility for LGBTQIA+ People

Giana Simonelli, LAC (she/her)

Dr. Anna Morgan-Mullane, LCSW (she/her) is the Founder and Clinical Director of Echo Community Practice, a trauma-responsive therapy collective grounded in liberatory, feminist, abolitionist, and anti-racist frameworks. Echo Community Practice provides individual, couples, family, sex, and group therapy while advancing relational, justice-centered approaches to clinical supervision, training, and collective care. Dr. Morgan-Mullane is a therapist, clinical social worker, educator, and supervisor with over 16 years of leadership experience in public and nonprofit mental health systems. She served as President of Mental Health Services at Children of Promise, NYC, where she established the first outpatient mental health clinic in the United States specifically designed to support children and adolescents impacted by parental incarceration. Her work has focused on complex and intergenerational trauma, systemic oppression, and the intersections of clinical practice, social policy, and abolitionist reform. She has developed and led extensive training programs for MSW and MHC interns and licensed clinicians, psychiatrists, psychologiest, across disciplines, emphasizing anti-racist, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed care. Dr. Morgan-Mullane teaches in master’s and doctoral programs and holds a Doctorate in Social Work from New York University’s Silberman School of Social Work. Her clinical orientation integrates narrative, psychodynamic, family systems, and somatic practices informed by abolitionist frameworks.

This workshop explores relational, abolitionist, and liberatory approaches to clinical practice with LGBTQ+ individuals, couples, and relationship systems, as well as supervision for therapists working in this community. Moving beyond affirming care alone, the presentation examines how traditional clinical and supervisory models can reproduce heteronormative and carceral logics. Participants will learn how to apply relational therapy interventions, abolitionist principles, and justice-oriented frameworks to support LGBTQ+ relationships in ways that honor complexity, autonomy, and collective care. The workshop also offers supervisors concrete tools for supporting therapists navigating institutional constraints while maintaining liberatory clinical commitments. Designed for clinicians, supervisors, and community-based practitioners, this session integrates theory with practical, immediately applicable strategies for strengthening LGBTQ+ relational work. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Apply relational therapy interventions that support LGBTQ+ relationships beyond heteronormative and monogamous frameworks, including work with enactments, rupture and repair, and relational power dynamics
Integrate abolitionist and liberatory principles into clinical decision-making with LGBTQ+ clients, reducing harm and resisting pathologizing or punitive therapeutic practices
Utilize a relational, justice-informed supervision framework to support therapists working with LGBTQ+ communities while balancing ethical accountability, institutional constraints, and liberatory values

FRIDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #2: OPTION 2

Classroom 205, Pozycki Hall

Beyond Affirmation: Relational, Abolitionist, and Liberatory Clinical & Supervisory Practices for LGBTQ+ Relationships

Dr. Anna Morgan-Mullane, DSW, LCSW (she/her)

Joseph T. Mikulka, LCSW-R, (aka JT) is a social worker and psychoanalyst. He is faculty at the William Alanson White Institute, IPSS, and Adelphi University. JT is an associate editor for the journals Contemporary Psychoanalysis and the Journal for Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, and Immediate Past-President of the board of Section II (Children and Adolescents) of Division 39. He is in private practice in New York City.

Rahim Thawer (he/him) is a registered social worker, psychotherapist, and faculty member in the School of Social Work at The University of Alabama, where he’s completing a Doctor of Social Work specializing in organizational leadership. Originally from Treaty 13 territory (Toronto), Rahim’s teaching, clinical, and research work explore the intersections of mental health, social justice, and psychoanalysis.

In this dialogue-based presentation, Joseph Mikulka, queer psychoanalyst, and Rahim Thawer, queer therapist and clinical educator, invite experienced LGBTQ clinicians who are newer to psychoanalytic thinking to reframe erotic transference as part of the erotic field—a relational space in which desire, vitality, shame, and attachment are communicated symbolically rather than literally. Erotic charge is approached not as sexual intent or ethical failure, but as clinically meaningful information about developmental needs and relational longings. Drawing on examples across the lifespan—from early attachment and adolescent identity formation to adult and midlife experiences of loss, longing, and repair—the presenters explore how erotic transference may express unmet dependency needs, recognition hunger, and fears of abandonment, particularly in queer lives shaped by secrecy, marginalization, or delayed recognition. The session emphasizes the therapist’s role as a containing presence who can hold erotic charge without acting on it or prematurely foreclosing its meaning. By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

Conceptualize erotic transference as a symbolic expression of developmental needs across the lifespan
Differentiate erotic, loving, and eroticized transferences within queer therapeutic relationships
Describe the therapist’s role as a containing presence in working ethically with erotic charge.

FRIDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #2: OPTION 3

Classroom 206, Pozycki Hall

Working in the Erotic Field: Desire, Containment, and Development Across Queer Therapist–Client Dyads

Joseph Mikulka, LCSW-R (he/him), and Rahim Thawer, MSW, RSW (he/him)

Rebecca Stafford Student Center - Anacon Hall

Enjoy lunch catered by Monmouth University and visit the following poster sessions:

1. Building Relational Resilience in LGBTQ+ Adults with Borderline Personality Disorder Histories

Thomas Flanagan, MA (he/him), and Henry White, PsyD (he/him)

2. Beyond Romance: Conscious Love as a Healing Practice

Christian de la Huerta, BA, Certified Breathwork Practitioner

1. Building Relational Resilience in LGBTQ+ Adults with Borderline Personality Disorder Histories

This pilot study examined how daily experiences of partner responsiveness and minority stress predict suicidal ideation and self-harm urges in LGBTQ+ adults with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) features. Eighty-four participants (62% transgender or nonbinary) completed baseline measures of emotion regulation, suicidality, and community connectedness, followed by 14 days of ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Multilevel analyses showed that daily partner responsiveness predicted lower same-day suicidal ideation (β = –.31, p < .01), while invalidation predicted increased risk (β = .29, p < .01). Community connectedness buffered the effect of invalidation on NSSI urges (p < .05). Qualitative data underscored the healing impact of chosen family and affirming relationships. Findings suggest that relational validation and queer belonging may protect against suicide risk, offering support for queer-affirming, DBT- and EFT-informed interventions that strengthen connection and resilience in LGBTQ+ individuals with BPD histories. By the end of this workshop, participants will learn that:

Queer-affirming relationships buffer suicide risk: Daily experiences of partner responsiveness and relational validation significantly reduce self-destructive urges and suicidal ideation among LGBTQ+ adults with BPD features
Community connectedness fosters resilience: LGBTQ+ community belonging moderates the emotional impact of invalidation, highlighting the protective role of chosen family and collective support networks
Reframing BPD through connection: Findings challenge deficit-based models of BPD by emphasizing resilience, relational repair, and the therapeutic potential of queer-affirming interventions

2. Beyond Romance: Conscious Love as a Healing Practice

In a culture shaped by romantic ideals and unconscious expectations, relationships often become sources of frustration rather than fulfillment. Many of us unknowingly ask relationships to heal wounds or provide a sense of wholeness they were never meant to carry. Drawing on over three decades of experience as a spiritual teacher and personal transformation coach—and insights from his recent book, Conscious Love: Transforming Our Relationship to Relationships—Christian de la Huerta invites participants to explore a different paradigm for relating. This session reframes relationships not as destinations, but as powerful practices for self-awareness, healing, and growth. Through storytelling, reflection, and practical frameworks, participants will learn to recognize limiting relational patterns, shift from fantasy-based love to presence-based connection, and cultivate relationships rooted in authenticity, responsibility, and conscious choice. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Identify common unconscious patterns that undermine intimacy and create repeated conflict in personal relationships
Differentiate between fantasy-based love and conscious love, and understand how each shapes relational dynamics
Reframe relationships as a practice for self-awareness, emotional maturity, and spiritual growth rather than a source of validation or completion

1. Building Relational Resilience in LGBTQ+ Adults with Borderline Personality Disorder Histories -Thomas Flanagan, MA, and Henry White, PsyD

Thomas Flanagan earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Chicago and his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. He is currently a 3rd-year Psy.D. candidate at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, integrating clinical research with hands-on therapeutic experience to provide evidence-based care. Before pursuing psychology, Thomas explored creative arts and entrepreneurship, successfully founding and running three businesses. This unique background informs his holistic, practical approach to therapy, helping clients apply insights from therapy into real-world situations.Thomas is actively engaged in research that informs clinical practice, including intimate partner violence (IPV) in LGBTQIA+ couples and studies on suicidal ideation and depression in adolescents and young adults. His clinical approach draws from psychoanalytic theory, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), allowing him to tailor interventions to the specific needs of each client. He has clinical experience working in residential treatment facilities and on the 988 Crisis Line, giving him expertise in both crisis management and long-term therapeutic support

Dr. Henry White is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in men’s mental health, group psychotherapy, and trauma recovery. He earned his Doctorate in Clinical Psychology (PsyD) from the University of Denver and completed his clinical residency at the VA Puget Sound Health Care System, where he provided individual and group therapy for veterans coping with PTSD, substance use, and moral injury. Dr. White’s research and clinical work center on how gender socialization and cultural expectations influence men’s engagement in therapy and emotional expression. He has developed and facilitated evidence-based men’s groups focused on vulnerability, resilience, and relational connection, integrating cognitive-behavioral, interpersonal, and mindfulness-based approaches. Dr. White currently serves as a faculty member and clinical supervisor at the Center for Integrative Psychology in Seattle, where he trains graduate students in gender-sensitive and trauma-informed practice. His recent projects explore barriers to help-seeking among male-identifying clients and strategies for fostering emotional openness in group settings.

2. Beyond Romance: Conscious Love as a Healing Practice - Christian de la Huerta

Christian de la Huerta is a spiritual teacher, personal transformation coach, and award-winning author with over 30 years of experience. He has spoken at TEDx and led transformational retreats around the world. His books include Coming Out Spiritually, named a top ten religion book by Publishers Weekly, and Awakening the Soul of Power, praised by Gloria Estefan as “a balm for the soul” and winner of multiple book awards. His latest book, Conscious Love: Transforming Our Relationship to Relationships, offers practical tools for healing and deeper connection.

Hannah (she/her) began her career working with underserved vulnerable clients in the heart of Seattle. Advocating for harm reduction approaches to addressing addiction, mental health, and homelessness through housing first programming and assisted in research around the VAT (vulnerability assessment tool). After returning home to big sky country (Montana), she worked as a sex educator for the local Title X clinic. Her love of working with underserved populations led to her work at a Community Health Clinic with an integrative behavioral health model advocating for gender affirming care. For the last few years focusing on her private practice, Prickly Peach Sex Therapy, she is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Supervisor and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and trained as a gender and trans affirming therapist with WPATH. She is also the foundress of Oh Hi Collective which is motivated to offer mental health continuing, education for organizations, community, and individuals around sexual health with the intention of removing shame. She holds a PhD in Clinical Sexology, with a specialty in Kink Conscious Counseling. In her down time, you will find her enjoying cake, spending time with her most lovely other half, and laughing at her adorable rescue bulldog, Dax. www.ohhicollective.com

KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Rebecca Stafford Student Center - Anacon Hall

The Art of Being a Menace

Hannah Wilson, PhD, LCPC-S, CST

Jamie (she/her) is a Licensed Counseling Psychologist in private practice and a Specialist Professor in the Department of Psychology at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ. Clinically, she works with diverse individuals and couples, with a specialization in long-term relational trauma. She teaches a range of undergraduate courses, including Psychopathology and Theories of Personality, and serves as a Principal Investigator in the PRISM Lab (Psychological Research in Identity, Stigma, and Mental Health), where she collaborates with students on empirical research, including projects relating to neurodivergence. In all of her roles, she strives to engage clients and students from a trauma-informed, compassionate, and nonjudgmental stance.

Marley (she/her) is a senior undergraduate student at Monmouth University earning her B.A. in Psychology. She plans to pursue doctoral training in Counseling Psychology with a specialization in trauma-informed care. She has served as a research assistant in the Psychological Research on Identity, Stigma, and Mental Health (PRISM) Lab for the past two years. Her work in the lab spans several empirical projects investigating neurodivergence, exceptionality, and social-emotional experiences among diverse student populations. Alongside her research involvement, Marley is active in applied behavioral and clinical settings, a member of Psi Chi International Honor Society of Psychology, and holds leadership positions across campus organizations.

Popular relationship education models are often embedded with the assumption that neurotypical communication strategies are superior; this leaves neurodivergent partners, especially in LGBTQ+ relationships, misunderstood or framed as deficient. This workshop will offer a queer- and neurodiversity-affirming approach to communication in partnerships where one or more partners are neurodivergent. We will outline some common neurodivergent communication patterns (such as preference for direct language, differing nonverbal cues, “info-dumping,” varied pacing, scripting, and sensory-based needs) and reframe them as valid expressions of care, as opposed to problems to fix. Through case vignettes and guided reflection, participants will have the opportunity to learn and practice concrete strategies such as “say what you mean” agreements, collaborative cue glossaries, sensory check-ins, shared scripts, and flexible communication modalities like texting or movement-based conversations. Attendees will leave with practical tools to reduce miscommunication, support intimacy, and assist in creating accessible and affirming relationship structures in neuroqueer partnerships. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Identify common neurodivergent communication patterns in relationships
Recognize how neurotypical relationship norms can unintentionally marginalize neurodivergent partners
Apply practical, affirming strategies to support healthy communication, consent, and connection in neurodivergent/queer partnerships.

FRIDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #3: OPTION 1

Classroom 204, Pozycki Hall

Communication Strategies for Neurodivergent Partnerships

Jamie Goodwin, PhD (she/her), and Marley Flynn (she/her)

Emery Rodriguez, MS, LPC-Associate (they/he) supervised by Marissa Rivera, LPC-S, is an EMDR-trained and KAP-trained therapist based in Austin, Texas. They graduated from Texas Woman’s University with their Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and have been working in private practice settings since 2023. Emery specializes in supporting Gen Z and Millennial 2SLGBTQ+ and BIPOC individuals navigating late-diagnosed neurodiversity (ADHD, Autism, OCD), burnout, and complex trauma. Their therapeutic approach is trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, and liberation-focused. By blending Relational Cultural Theory, Interpersonal Neurobiology, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and somatic embodiment, they help clients soothe chronic anxiety, perfectionism, and internalized shame. For deeper work, Emery offers EMDR and Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy to help clients shift long-held patterns. In sessions, they guide clients in examining how attachment has shaped their identity, exploring parts of themselves that learned to protect, perform, or shut down. Together, they build nervous system resilience to assist clients in discovering who they are beneath their survival strategies. As a Texan with multiple intersecting minority identities, Emery understands the weight of systemic pressures firsthand and aims to help clients move beyond survival mode to create a felt sense of safety and security within themselves.

This presentation makes the case for why EMDR must be thoughtfully adapted when working with neurodiverse (ND) transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) clients—a population in which neurodiversity is not only common but often overlooked or misunderstood. Clinicians will gain practical tools for recognizing potential ND using accessible screeners along with guidance on when to involve a therapist versus a psychologist for diagnostic support. The session shows how ND lived experiences uniquely shape trauma, from authoritarian parenting to chronic sensory stress, and offers concrete strategies for tailoring EMDR to fit these realities. With an emphasis on consensual language, collaborative structure, and expanded somatic resourcing, attendees will learn why bottom-up approaches are not optional but essential for ND nervous systems. Participants will leave with clear, actionable adjustments that make EMDR safer, more effective, and truly affirming for ND TGD clients. At the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Explain why EMDR must be adapted for neurodiverse (ND) transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) clients, including how neurodiversity shapes trauma presentation and treatment readiness
Differentiate between therapist-led ND screening and psychoeducation versus formal psychological assessment, using commonly available tools in an identity-affirming, bias-aware manner
Apply neuro-affirming, trans-affirming modifications across EMDR Phases 1–8, including adaptations to resourcing, bilateral stimulation, pacing, consent, and integration

FRIDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #3: OPTION 2

Classroom 205, Pozycki Hall

Rethinking EMDR: A Neuro-Affirming Approach for TGD Clients
Emery Rodriguez, MS, LPC - Associate (they/he), and Marissa Rivera, LPC, QTAP (she/her/Ella)

Christa McCrorie, LICSW-S, PIP, is an innovative therapist, certified birth doula, educator, and Fulbright Specialist dedicated to advancing holistic, client-centered care. She is the founder of Creative Therapeutic Solutions, where she provides tailored therapeutic services with a focus on trauma processing and the unique needs of queer and trans individuals. Christa employs creative, evidence-informed techniques to foster healing, personal growth, and empowerment, guiding clients toward their individualized paths to wellness. In addition to her clinical work, Christa serves as a full-time Instructor and Continuing Education Coordinator at the University of Alabama’s School of Social Work, where she teaches BSW and MSW courses and facilitates knowledge-sharing among social workers across the state. Her commitment to professional development and interdisciplinary collaboration has made her a valued mentor and educator in the social work community. A frequent conference speaker and accomplished writer, Christa shares her expertise on trauma-informed care, LGBTQ+ affirmative practices, and inclusive perinatal support. She is also a certified birth doula, internationally recognized performer, and dedicated advocate for equitable health care practices. As a Fulbright Specialist, Christa brings global perspectives to her teaching, research, and consulting, further bridging knowledge exchange across cultures. Christa’s innovative approach, dedication to compassionate care, and commitment to professional excellence have established her as a respected leader in both clinical and academic settings. She continues to expand the boundaries of therapeutic practice while inspiring colleagues and clients alike to pursue growth, resilience, and wellness.

This presentation explores The Erotic Continuum of Care, a queer-centered framework integrating birth work, sex work pedagogy, and somatic healing for healthy, grounded, and liberated relationships within LGBTQ+ communities. Drawing on Audre Lorde’s concept of the erotic as power, the framework reframes erotic energy as a vital life-force nurturing agency, embodiment, relational resilience, and pleasure-not merely sexual expression. Grounded in community-based research, trauma-informed frameworks, and narratives from queer and trans practitioners, the Erotic Continuum of Care demonstrates how marginalized bodies cultivate relational strategies—both protective and healing—through birth work, intimacy practices, and erotic labor. Recognizing these practices as sources of knowledge and care expands understanding of what sustains LGBTQ+ relationships, families, and communities. Participants will explore how stigma, shame, and systemic oppression disrupt embodied connection and how affirming erotic agency rebuilds relational safety. Through interactive exercises and discussion, attendees will gain tools to strengthen communication, deepen intimacy, and foster pleasure-informed resilience. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Understand the Erotic Continuum of Care and its relevance to LGBTQ+ relational health
Explore the intersections between birth work, sex work, embodiment, and relational resilience
Identify how trauma, stigma, and structural oppression impact queer intimacy and embodiment
Practice strategies for cultivating erotic agency, relational communication, and embodied safety
Apply a queer-affirming, pleasure-centered framework to relationship support, community work, or clinical practice.

FRIDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #3: OPTION 3

Classroom 206, Pozycki Hall

Queer Inclusive Birth Work and Sex Work Education for Embodied Healing, Relational Resilience, and Justice

Christa McCrorie, LICSW-S, PIP; CD (DONA); CST - under supervision (she/any)

FRIDAY PLENARY SESSION

Rebecca Stafford Student Center - Anacon Hall

Title & Speaker Forthcoming

EVENING HANGOUT (optional)

An off-site social gathering at a local restaurant/pub to wind-down with attendees, presenters, and volunteers.. Location will be emailed to all those who register for the conference.

Friends drinking whisky and cocktails at

DAY TWO - SATURDAY, MAY 16, 9AM - 2PM (Doors Open at 8:30am)
CONFERENCE + CHOSEN FAMILY FAIR & OPEN MIC TALENT SHOW
The general LGBTQ+ public and their allies join conference attendees. Everyone begins in Anacon Hall. During breakout sessions, workshops labeled “Community” are designed for a general audience, while those labeled “Clinical” are intended primarily for health and mental health professionals. However, attendees are welcome to attend the workshops of their choice.

DOORS OPEN

Rebecca Stafford Student Center - Anacon Hall

Check-in, Get coffee, Find your seat, Connect with others

SATURDAY OPENING PRESENTATION:

Rebecca Stafford Student Center - Anacon Hall

Title & Speaker Forthcoming

SATURDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #1: OPTION 1

Classroom 204, Pozycki Hall

Title & Speaker Forthcoming

Dr. Lulu (Uchenna Lizmay Umeh, MD) is a Black queer immigrant physician, speaker, author, and leadership educator whose work centers how internalized, learned, and unconscious bias shapes thought patterns, decision-making, behavior, and outcomes across personal, professional, and communal life. Trained in pediatrics, Dr. Lulu brings a systems-informed and human-centered lens to understanding how early conditioning and unexamined beliefs quietly influence what people desire, what they tolerate, and how they show up in the world. At the core of Dr. Lulu’s work is helping individuals and organizations pause long enough to recognize how bias—absorbed through family, culture, institutions, and lived experience—operates beneath conscious awareness. She focuses on how these internalized narratives shape instincts, judgments, and actions, often leading people to make decisions that are misaligned with their stated values or true intentions. Her work invites reflection not for self-blame, but for agency: the ability to choose differently once patterns are seen. Dr. Lulu is the creator of the Bias Begins at Home™ framework, which examines how early-learned bias influences later outcomes in healthcare, leadership, parenting, education, and community life. While much of her work addresses systemic and institutional harm—particularly in healthcare settings—she also explores how these same internalized beliefs show up in interpersonal dynamics, including boundaries, intimacy, and relational decision-making. In this way, relationships are not treated as an isolated issue, but as one of many places where internalized bias becomes visible. A nationally recognized speaker, Dr. Lulu has delivered keynotes, plenaries, and workshops across healthcare systems, academic institutions, nonprofits, and community spaces. She previously served as a closing plenary speaker for the Contemporary Relationships Conference, an experience she describes as deeply affirming of both her work and the community. Her sessions are known for their clarity, rigor, and accessibility, offering structured reflection without pathologizing or positioning participants as broken. Dr. Lulu is the bestselling author of About Your Black Transgender Child, a widely used resource for parents, caregivers, clinicians, and educators. She is also a contributor to Proud Outtakes, where her writing reflects on identity, belonging, and the long-term impact of internalized narratives on lived experience. Through facilitated dialogue, structured worksheets, and leadership-informed frameworks, Dr. Lulu creates spaces where participants can examine how bias shapes outcomes—and how intentional awareness can restore alignment between values, choices, and results. Her work emphasizes that while bias is learned, it is not destiny, and that conscious reflection is a powerful tool for ethical leadership, relational integrity, and meaningful change. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Dr. Lulu continues to engage nationally as a thought leader, consultant, and educator committed to helping individuals and systems move from reflexive patterns toward deliberate, values-aligned decision-making.

This community workshop explores how internalized bias—learned through family, culture, and lived experience—shapes adult intimacy, boundaries, and relational decision-making, often without conscious awareness. Rather than treating relationships as isolated dynamics, the session centers the self-relationship as an underlying influence on attraction, conflict, and relational patterns. Through guided reflection and structured worksheets, participants will examine how internalized narratives about identity, worth, and belonging can quietly inform relational choices that feel instinctive but may be misaligned with personal values. While internalized homophobia is named as one example, the session broadens the lens to include other forms of internalized bias that affect adult relationships across identities. Designed as an educational and reflective experience—not therapy—this workshop offers language and tools to support awareness, agency, and more intentional relational decision-making. After attending this workshop, attendees will be able to:

Identify how internalized bias can influence adult intimacy, boundaries, and relational decision-making
Differentiate between instinctive, conditioned responses and values-aligned relational choices
Recognize common patterns through which internalized narratives show up in adult relationships
Apply reflective tools to pause, examine internal narratives, and make more intentional relational decisions

SATURDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #1: OPTION 2

Classroom 205, Pozycki Hall

The Relationship Beneath the Relationship: Internalized Bias in Adult Intimacy

Uchenna Lizmay Umeh (Dr. Lulu), MD, MBA, FAAP, CLC (she/her)

Adriana Gil-Wilkerson is an Assistant Professor and the Program Director of the MS Psychology-Marriage and Family Therapy Program at Our Lady of the Lake University-Houston. She has worked with the LGBTQIA+ community for over 20 years. Her areas of interest remain close to her own journey of becoming a therapist and educator. Her parents are immigrants and she lived the first generation experience in a rural area near Houston, TX. Her awareness of disparities and discrimination towards anyone who was different in her town, prepared her for a lifetime of being attuned to the needs of people who were often othered. Her passion in her field is fueled by the audacity that she may contribute to generating more resources for people from the LGBTQIA+ communities, immigrant communities, and for first generation immigrants. Adriana is a storyteller and has shared the love for co-constructing stories with all her conversational partners. She is a maker, a tinkerer, and a plant rescuer and lives in Houston with her husband, their two teenagers, and their two fur babies: Sil E. Cat and Dolly Pawdon.

Marsha McDonough is a therapist in private practice in Austin, TX. She has many years experience working with clients who may often have been refused service at other practices or counseling centers. Marsha has been involved in the Collaborative-Dialogic Practices International community as a trainer, supervisor, presenter, and author. She has a long standing consultation group that has met since the better part of 25 years, in the hopes of promoting collaborative-dialogic work and supporting therapists and their clients as they navigate this way of working together.

James Boucher is entering an exciting part of his life about which he has not shared broadly. This work has been developed through the discoveries he has been making in therapy; and he joins us with an intention of sharing his own experience of the collaborative-dialogic practices and their role in his story.

Two colleagues and one of their clients engage in a dialogic consultation about the process of psychotherapy that led to significant changes in the client’s life. After attending this presentation, attendees will be able to:

Describe Collaborative-Dialogic Practices as a relationally responsive process for working with clients in recovery from addiction and trauma
Experience and participate in a live consultation exploring the complex story of a member of the LGBTQIA+ Community
Explore the significance of approaching conversations about trauma, addiction, and mental health diagnosis with a Postmodern: Dialogic/relational lens

SATURDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #1: OPTION 3

Classroom 206, Pozycki Hall

Reflections On Trauma, Addiction, and Recovery: A Dialogic Journey with a Client and His Therapist - Adriana Gil-Wilkerson, PhD, LMFT-Supervisor, AAMFT Approved Supervisor, QTAP (she/her/they/them), Marsha McDonough, PhD (she/her), James Boucher, Consultantee (he/him)

Rod Bravo, MPH, is an MD Candidate at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson. He holds a BA in Neuroscience & Psychology from Harvard University and a Master of Public Health focused in Healthcare Management and Policy from the Yale School of Public Health in conjunction with the Yale School of Management. He is a Co-Founder of RAPHI, a digital health platform bridging globally sourced healing modalities for patients enduring chronic and complex illness, as well as Co-Founder of Bravo Conscious Health, a boutique wellness practice focused on emotional wellness and biofield therapy. His previous clients, advisees, and collaborators have included Forbes alumni, Fortune 500 executives, Harvard & Yale faculty, and patients with conditions resistant to conventional treatment—generally spanning across medicine, the life sciences, and social-good enterprises. His passion for community health and relational communication draw from his time creating anti-heteronormativity and healthy relationship programming at Harvard College, establishing a free community clinic in Tucson, AZ, and teaching patients practical tools within mind-body medicine to support emotional and physical well-being across all areas of functional living.

Most relational stress does not come from saying the wrong thing—it comes from never being taught HOW to clearly express what we need. In families, friendships, and intimate relationships, unmet or unspoken needs often drive emotional reactivity, conflict, and disconnection, even when care and goodwill are present. This interactive workshop introduces Marshall Rosenberg’s Nonviolent Communication (NVC) as a practical, needs-based approach to navigating everyday challenges to mental health and relational life. Participants will learn a formula to shift conversations away from inadvertent blame or defensiveness and toward clear, emotionally neutral expressions of need. Drawing on real-world examples, including experiences common within LGBTQ communities and other contexts shaped by difference, attendees will practice applying NVC tools to conversations that matter most to them. This session offers concrete skills for communicating with greater honesty, stability, and emotional neutrality—without self-erasure or escalation. By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

Identify how the needs-literacy gap connects personally unmet or unspoken needs with emotional reactivity, relational stress, and mental health strain in everyday relationships
Apply the core Nonviolent Communication framework to express needs clearly while reducing defensiveness and escalation in interpersonal conversations
Practice translating real-life relational challenges into emotionally-neutral, needs-based language that supports emotional regulation, relational clarity, and community building

SATURDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #2: OPTION 1

Classroom 204, Pozycki Hall

Talk It Out: A Practical Introduction to Nonviolent Communication in Mental Health & Relational Life Rodrigo Bravo, MPH, MD(c) (he/him)

Melissa Delizia, MSW, LSW, DSW (she/they) is a death doula, educator, writer, and professional coach whose work lives at the intersection of sacred care, transformative education, and social justice. With a Doctorate in Social Work from Monmouth University focused on human rights leadership, Melissa’s scholarship and practice center queer and trans experiences of death, dying, and grief, and the urgent need to bring these narratives into educational and communal spaces. Through LaMort and other community projects, they teach classes in death coaching, hold grief-writing workshops, and create spaces for collective mourning and mortality awareness. Certified in grief companionship, deathcare, and sacred ceremony, Melissa integrates ancestral connection, mediumship, and energy work with clinical insight. As an adjunct professor and facilitator, they are dedicated to reshaping how death is taught and understood—centering marginalized experiences, challenging systems of harm, and cultivating spaces where grief and identity are honored in all their complexity.

This 60-minute experiential workshop invites participants into a queer-centered Death Café: a supportive space to talk openly about death, grief, and mortality. Grounded in death positivity and collective care, we will explore the unique needs and strengths of LGBTQ+ communities, from chosen family to inclusive deathcare. Participants will engage in reflective conversation and a writing activity, crafting a eulogy for themselves or for someone they are grieving, whether through physical death, a breakup, or another life transition. Attendees will leave both nurtured in their own reflections and equipped with tools and inspiration to create queer-affirming Death Cafés in their own communities.

Describe key principles of death positivity and their relevance to queer and trans experiences of grief and mortality
Experience the impacts of participating in a Queer Death Café
Develop strategies and resources to create and host affirming grief-support spaces in their own communities, learning the core components and facilitation practices of a Queer Death Café

SATURDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #2: OPTION 2

Classroom 205, Pozycki Hall

Queer Death Café

Melissa Delizia, MSW, LSW, DSW (she/they)

SATURDAY BREAKOUT SESSION #2: OPTION 3

QTAP STUDENTS ONLY

Classroom 206, Pozycki Hall

Queer & Trans Affirming Professional (QTAP) Certification: Required Orientation

Faculty, Center for Contemporary Relationships

Rebecca Stafford Student Center - Anacon Hall

Lunch served by Monmouth University

OPEN MIC TALENT SHOW!

1:00 - 2:00pm

Attention poets, singers, comedians, magicians, storytellers, and anyone with hidden talents - APPLY HERE

Schedule

ABOUT US

Since our inception in 2014, the Contemporary Relationships Conference (CRC) has been bringing cutting edge science and practical experience to explore dating,
relationships, and parenting within the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to the annual conference, we launched a second leg of programming in 2021, the Queer and Trans Affirming Professional (QTAP) certification, that has since produced dozens of QTAP certified professionals dedicated to serving our population and the specific needs therein, raising the bar of cultural competency for our community.

During this time of growth, we found the need to expand our leadership to accommodate the new demands of this growing organization. In 2024 we established The Center for Contemporary Relationships, with a formal board, composed of three committees, which will govern both CRC and QTAP as well as any new programs that may be developed in the future. This governing body is actively seeking committee members who are passionate about the mission of The Center and have interest and energy in helping guide the organization into its next iteration. We thank you for your support and are excited for the future of The Center for Contemporary Relationships.

Meet our Founder

Meet our Faculty

CENTER FOR CONTEMPORARY RELATIONSHIPS

CONTEMPORARY RELATIONSHIPS CONFERENCE 2026
+ CHOSEN FAMILY FAIR & OPEN MIC TALENT SHOW!

SPONSORED BY

SCHEDULE
subject to change

DAY ONE - FRIDAY, MAY 15, 8:50AM - 5:00PM
CONFERENCE (Doors open at 8am)
Workshops and presentations open to those who register for the full two -day conference

ABOUT US

CONTEMPORARY RELATIONSHIPS CONFERENCE 2026 + CHOSEN FAMILY FAIR & OPEN MIC TALENT SHOW!

SPONSORED BY

SCHEDULE subject to change

DAY ONE - FRIDAY, MAY 15, 8:50AM - 5:00PM CONFERENCE (Doors open at 8am) Workshops and presentations open to those who register for the full two -day conference

ABOUT US

CONTEMPORARY RELATIONSHIPS CONFERENCE 2026
+ CHOSEN FAMILY FAIR & OPEN MIC TALENT SHOW!

SCHEDULE
subject to change

DAY ONE - FRIDAY, MAY 15, 8:50AM - 5:00PM
CONFERENCE (Doors open at 8am)
Workshops and presentations open to those who register for the full two -day conference