Chicago Therapy Collective’s Training & Education program helps organizations move beyond performative inclusion toward meaningful and sustainable change.
Drawing on our team’s combined experience of over 100 years educating, shaping policy, and helping businesses and organizations achieve best-practices for LGBTQ+ affirming employment and service provision, Chicago Therapy Collective’s Training and Education program provides a comprehensive selection of trainings, workshops, and skill-shares for businesses, community organizations, and government bodies—all through a mental health lens.
Increase Awareness and Understanding
Promote Respect and Inclusion
Enhance Advocacy Skills
Improve Organizational Practices
Foster Community Engagement
Descriptions for some of CTC’s most frequently offered trainings are below. If there is a training related to LGBTQ+ identity and/or mental health & wellness not listed here that your organization/business is interested in, please contact us to discuss our customized training options.
LGBTQ+ 101
LGBTQ+ 101 is a 60 minute introductory training that provides participants with a foundational understanding of LGBTQ+ identities, including sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression. Through a combination of didactic and experiential learning, participants will explore common terminology, how to use inclusive language, and how to foster respectful interactions & create welcoming environments for LGBTQ+ colleagues, clients, and community members.
Trans 101
Trans 101 is a 60 minute introductory training that provides participants with a foundational understanding of trans and nonbinary identities. Through a combination of didactic and experiential learning, participants will explore common terminology, inclusive language tools, and how to use gender neutral pronouns. This session will equip participants to foster respectful interactions and create welcoming environments for trans and nonbinary colleagues, clients, and community members.
– Allyship (Add-On)
This 30 minute session is a deeper dive into allyship. Participants will learn clear, actionable tools to better support their LGBTQ+ colleagues, clients, and community members on both an individual and institutional level.
– Bystander Intervention (Add-On)
Through direct learning and roleplay, participants will explore the “5 Ds of Bystander Intervention” in this 30 minute session. Participants will gain clear and actionable steps to respond to and deescalate incidences of anti-LGBTQ+ behavior.
Sexual Harassment
This 90 minute Sexual Harassment training fulfills State of Illinois & City of Chicago training requirements, with a holistic and inclusive viewpoint. Participants will be provide the foundational knowledge of how to identify, prevent, and report sexual harassment in the workplace. Additionally, they will explore bystander intervention strategies, what is consent, and how to set safe and healthy boundaries. The training includes information on how people with diverse gender identities and sexual orientations are impacted by sexual harassment and how to respectfully engage with these populations. This training can be tailored to any industry (including restaurants and bars) and audience (including managers).
LGBTQ+-Belonging in the Workplace
LGBTQ+-Belonging in the Workplace is a 90 minute training that provides participants with an understanding of the experiences of LGBTQ+ individuals in the workplace. Through direct learning and roleplay, participants will explore implicit/explicit bias, incidence of anti-LGBTQ+ harassment & discrimination in the workplace, and individual & institutional allyship. This training guides participants in creating welcoming and respectful environments for LGBTQ+ colleagues and employees.
Trans-Belonging in the Workplace
Trans-Belonging in the Workplace is a 90 minute training that provides participants with an understanding of the experiences of trans and nonbinary individuals in the workplace. Through direct learning and roleplay, participants will explore implicit/explicit bias, incidence of anti-trans harassment & discrimination in the workplace, and individual & institutional allyship. This training guides participants in creating welcoming and respectful environments for trans colleagues and employees.
Best Practices for Supporting Black and Latina Trans Women in the Workplace
Best Practices for Supporting Black and Latina Trans Women in the Workplace is a 60 minute training, developed in collaboration with Howard Brown Health, and TaskForce Prevention & Community Services, which focuses on 6 best practices that can help your workplace become more welcoming and inclusive of Black and Latina Women of Trans Experience. Attendees will leave the training with clear, action items as well as better understanding of the experiences of Black and Latina Women of Trans Experience in the workplace.
LGBTQ+ Inclusive Customer Service
This 60 minute training will create a supportive environment for participants to learn and practice LGBTQ+ inclusive customer service. Topics covered include examples of exclusionary experiences of LGBTQ+ customers, how exclusionary practices contribute to the vulnerability and marginalization of LGBTQ+ community members, and how such practices impact the reputation and bottom line of businesses. Importantly, participants will gain practical experience and tools for translating knowledge into action.
– Anti-Racist Customer Service (Add-On)
This 30 minute addition to LGBTQ+ Inclusive Customer Service, will explore how businesses can demonstrate their commitment to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) communities through their customer service. Participants will review how a lack of inclusive behavior affects spending habits and impacts customers on a personal and community level.
Top Considerations for Working with Trans Customers
From first impression to point of purchase, trans customers have unique needs. This 60 minute training will cover how to create a welcoming environment for trans customers including examples of trans-affirming facilities, standards of service, and methods of handling customer concerns. Attendees will explore how a lack of trans-inclusive practices impact the reputation and bottom line of businesses and gain practical experience and tools for translating that knowledge into action.
The State of LGBTQ+ Workplace Inclusion and Corporate Social Responsibility
In the current political climate, there are many questions about the state of workplace inclusion and belonging initiatives. This 45 minute training will focus on creating or maintaining practices that build a safe and welcoming workplace for LGBTQ+ employees and is in alignment with both the ethics of the business and the shifting legal landscape. Topics reviewed include discernment of business’ ethics and goals, current guidance on “legal” inclusion & belonging policies, and implementation of related practices.
Trans-Inclusive Practices for Chambers of Commerce
Chambers of Commerce serve as an essential service provider for businesses throughout the city. This 60 minute training provides Chamber leaders and employees with the tools necessary to lead by example in trans-inclusion. Through direct learning and roleplay, participants will explore implicit/explicit bias, incidence of anti-trans harassment & discrimination in the workplace, and individual & institutional allyship. Additionally, Chambers will learn how to communicate to members the importance of trans-inclusion in their own businesses.
– Disability and Trans Identity (Add On)
Transgender and nonbinary people are disproportionately more likely to have disabilities compared to their cisgender peers, making affirming and accessible services all the more critical. In this 20 minute session, we will discuss common challenges transgender people with disabilities face in accessing services and the workplace, and share practical strategies to help staff build trust, repair missteps, and foster inclusive, respectful relationships.
Chicago Therapy Collective works closely with organizational leaders and frontline staff to ensure that trainings are responsive, practical, and aligned with the needs and goals of the organization. Trainings are offered both in-person and virtually. We are able to modify trainings in response to the audience, including the number of attendees and job roles of those in attendance. CTC’s past trainings have ranged from five attendees to 500 and we have trained from entry-level employees to C-Suite leaders. Our trainings utilize both didactic and experiential learning to ensure that learners of all types are able to benefit from this crucial education.
Our Equity Audit program is a collaborative engagement designed to help organizations assess and achieve LGBTQ+ equity and compliance goals. During an Equity Audit, CTC partners with key stakeholders to identify and review all relevant documents, policies, procedures, and current organizational practices that may impact LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Additionally, we offer multiple avenues of data collection from employees including climate & culture surveys, knowledge surveys, and completely customized surveys tailored to the unique needs of the business/organization.
Integrating the most up-to-date best practices and relevant local and state laws, the CTC team prepares a private report that highlights our partner’s areas of success and of growth based on a jointly set standard of inclusion and belonging and provides tailored suggestions for how these standards can be met, maintained, and exceeded.
