Celebrate Pride with a learning session that’s part clinic, part studio , Missed Connection: A Conversation of Identities in Queer Community is a two-hour virtual CE event on 23 June 2026, helping art therapists and allied clinicians sharpen queer-affirming practice while exploring identity through art.

Essential Takeaways

  • When and where: Tuesday 23 June 2026, 6–8pm ET, held virtually for accessibility.
  • Who’s leading: Presented by AATA Member Sara Blevins-Ranes (they/them) with AATA Board Member Michael Galarraga (he/him).
  • What you’ll gain: One hour of presentation on queer psychology frameworks, a Social Change Ecosystem Map overview, an art directive, and peer reflection.
  • CE credit: Attendees may earn 1 CE credit , useful for licence upkeep and professional growth.
  • Experience vibe: Hands-on, reflective, and advocacy-focused , expect collaborative exercises and practical tools.

Why this virtual CE matters now

There’s a hunger for competent, affirming care in LGBTQIA+ mental health, and this session aims straight at that gap. According to the AATA announcement, the event mixes didactic learning with lived exploration, so you won’t leave with only theory. The format feels like a studio clinic , expect the tactile hum of materials and quiet moments of reflection, even through a screen.

Accessibility plays a role too: a virtual gathering lets clinicians across time zones join without travel, making it easier to bring queer-competent approaches into a wider range of settings. If you’re an art therapist looking to deepen your practice for Pride Month and beyond, this is a tidy, practical slot in your calendar.

What the session covers , frameworks, mapping, and art directives

Organisers promise an hour-long presentation covering queer psychology frameworks and an introduction to a Social Change Ecosystem Map, followed by an art directive and peer exploration. That combination is smart: frameworks give language, the map gives systems thinking, and art practice ties it back to clinical technique.

For practitioners, the map is a particularly useful tool , it helps you see how individual identity work links to community structures and advocacy efforts. You’ll leave with both conversational frameworks to use with clients and concrete art-based interventions to apply in sessions.

Who’s presenting and what they bring

Sara Blevins-Ranes (they/them) and Michael Galarraga (he/him) bring both lived perspective and organisational experience. The pairing signals attention to intersectionality and governance: one presenter offers a non-binary perspective, the other connects that work to AATA leadership and professional standards.

That mix matters when you’re training clinicians: lived experience grounds clinical theory, and board-level insight helps translate training into practice standards. Expect nuance, not platitudes, and practical guidance for working with diverse LGBTQIA+ clients.

How to get the most from the event

Prepare like you would for an in-person workshop. Have basic art materials to hand , paper, paints, pens or collage bits , and carve out a quiet space where you can engage in an art directive without interruptions. Bring a case vignette or a question about clinical advocacy to discuss during breakout or peer reflection time.

If you need CE credit, check AATA’s instructions on attendance and post-session requirements. And if you’re new to queer-affirming practice, arrive with curiosity rather than a checklist; this session seems built to expand perspective rather than deliver one-size-fits-all protocols.

What this means for practice and Pride

Short trainings like this nudge the field toward more consistent, artful queer care. They’re practical refreshers for experienced clinicians and solid introductions for those newer to LGBTQIA+ work. Over time, small sessions add up: more clinicians using maps, frameworks and art directives means better access to culturally competent therapy.

If you value continuing education that’s thoughtful and creative, this is a tidy way to mark Pride while boosting your clinical toolkit.

It's a small change that can make every session safer and more generative.

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