The training opens with a brief look inside the spiritual and religious worlds of queer and trans youth through a body of research and clinical experiences. Then four sections outline the power of positive experiences, rejection in religious spaces, when religious rejection comes home, and what happens when families lose their faith communities because they have a queer or trans youth. Across each section, clinical application is highlighted. Additional reading and resources are offered for further education at the conclusion of the webinar.
Dr. Katie Heiden-Rootes is a professor in the department of Family and Community Medicine in the School of Medicine and has a dual appointment as an Assistant Vice President in the Division of Diversity and Innovative Community Engagement at Saint Louis University. Her scholarship is funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Missouri Foundation for Health, and the National Science Foundation. Her scholarship focuses on two areas. First, the advancement of clinical training and research on the health of the LGBTQIA+ community and their families. And second, intersectional equity and culture change within higher education. She has 51 published peer reviewed articles, 7 book chapters, 81 conference presentations, and has led 3 grant funded projects totaling over $3 million. Dr. Heiden-Rootes is currently writing a forthcoming book on family therapy with LGBTQ youth (publication date in 2027; PESI Publishing). Clinically, she co-founded the LGBTQ Wellness Clinic @ SLU in the Center for Counseling and Family Therapy, a community-facing and accessible resource for mental health services. As an educator, she teaches courses and lectures on human sexuality and gender, cultural humility, and qualitative research methods. Her work today is marked by the celebration of difference, engaging in difficult dialogue, and becoming comfortable in discomfort.