“And who will join this standing up
and the ones who stood without sweet company
will sing and sing
back into the mountains and
if necessary
even under the sea:

we are the ones we have been waiting for.”
- June Jordan​

Why focus on QTPOC communities?
​

• Higher internalized queer/transphobia is linked to a decrease in the levels of confidence that QTPOC individuals may have in our relationships.
• The dual experience of racism and queer/transphobia that QTPOC individuals face makes it "harder to engage in constructive relational behaviors and receive social support that are associated with well-functioning romantic relationships" (Li & Samp, 2021).
• EAP clinicians share some of the same orientations/gender identities as our central demographic, which can help with building the therapy relationship; we also actively practice cultural humility-- which helps sustain the therapy relationship and is connected to more positive therapy outcomes.​​

​Source:

Luetke, M., Hensel, D., Herbenick, D., & Rosenberg, M. (2020). Romantic relationship conflict due to the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in intimate and sexual behaviors in a nationally representative sample of American adults. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 46(8), 747–762.

Li, Y., & Samp, J. A. (2021). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on same-sex couples’ conflict avoidance, relational quality, and mental health. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 38(6), 1819–1843. https://doi.org/10.1177/02654075211006199