
Resonant Equity is pleased to present:
Snake in the Grass: How to Spot Conversion Therapy
Angela Brooks-Livingston, MA, NCC, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS (she/they)
Lisa Wenninger, PhD, MBA, NCC, LPCC/LPC/LMHC (she/her)
Date: Friday, March 20, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM to 10:30 AM Pacific / 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM Mountain / 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Central / 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM Eastern
CE hours available: 1.5
- Intended for: Novice/Beginning Learners: No advance knowledge required
- NBCC Content Area: Counseling Theory/Practice and the Counseling Relationship
Program Description
Transgender, non-binary,and gender nonconforming individuals are increasingly at risk in U.S. society based on bias, discrimination, and oppression, including from changing governmental policies, rhetoric, and harmful bias in the media.
While some inroads towards greater understanding and acceptance had been made in the recent past, protections for transgender youth and adults are fast eroding through legislation, such as so-called “bathroom bills” passing in multiple states which require individuals to use the restroom corresponding with their sex assigned at birth; lawsuits around participation of transgender individuals in competitive sports; and most recently, proposals to limit payment of gender affirming care by Medicare and Medicaid payors. Starting in 2025, gender identity markers are no longer issued on U.S. passports, and transgender individuals have been forced to leave the U.S. military. The federal government is trying to erase the existence of transgender individuals, as evidenced by the false assertion posted on government websites of an “immutable biological reality that there are two sexes, male and female”. The attack is even coming from within the mental health profession: The United States Supreme Court has recently heard a case brought by a Colorado counselor claiming that her free speech rights are being violated by not being allowed to practice conversion therapy. Court watchers expect the ruling to be in her favor, which means that previous state-level bans against conversion therapy will be lifted.
So what is conversion therapy and why was it made illegal in the first place – and especially important, as practicing mental health clinicians, how would we know if a colleague soliciting a referral of trans clients is actually practicing conversion therapy?
To use the definition from Wikipedia:
Conversion therapy is the pseudoscientific practice of attempting to change an individual’s sexual orientation, romantic orientation, gender identity, or gender expression to align with heterosexual and cisgender norms. Conversion therapy is ineffective at changing a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity and frequently causes significant long-term psychological harm. The position of evidence-based medicine and clinical guidance is that homosexuality, bisexuality, and gender variance are natural and healthy aspects of human sexuality and gender identity.
This training will educate mental health providers on the dangers of conversion therapy, to help fight back against the oppressions that are threatening our trans community from within our profession itself.
Educational Goals
This training will walk through the harms that can be caused by conversion therapy and explain why 27 states had banned it. The trainers will contrast conversion therapy with the evidence-based standard of gender affirming care, so that the differences are clear. We will trace the marketing tactics and evolution of messaging within the field of conversion therapy and show the attempts to normalize the practice of conversion therapy in mental health, so that informed therapists and counselors can properly vet colleagues when seeking referrals for a nonbinary or transgender client or their family.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this program, participants will be able to:- Compare and contrast conversion therapy with gender affirming care
- List at least 3 reasons why conversion therapy has been made illegal in 27 U.S. states
- Name at least 2 professional organizations that promote gender affirming care as the gold standard in medicine
- Describe at least 3 anti-trans actions taken by the U.S. government or courts since 2025
- Name at least 3 characteristics to look for in a gender-affirming mental health therapist or counselor to whom you might send a transgender individual or their family for care
Equity Focus
This training centers the needs of transgender and gender nonconforming clients who are being subject to greater oppression.
Presenters
Presenter Name: Angela Brooks-Livingston, MA, NCC, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS (she/they)I am a Spiritual Guide, Sacred Space holder, ordained Minister, and astrology apprentice. I am an activist, licensed counselor, and educator. As a therapist, I specialize in working with the LGBTGEQIAP+ community, particularly transgender and gender diverse clients. I work with many queer folx who have experienced religious trauma. I found typical counseling approaches do not facilitate deep healing from religious trauma. I call upon my work as a Shaman and Sacred Space Holder to help folx heal from religious trauma. I have worked with trans/gender expansive clients for 14 years and provide continuing education trainings for counselors who want to be competent in working with trans/gender-diverse clients.
Presenter Name: Lisa Wenninger, PhD, MBA, NCC, LPCC/LPC/LMHC (she/her)Dr. Lisa Wenninger (she/her) has a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Antioch University Seattle. She is a National Certified Counselor and is licensed in California, Washington, and Virginia, with a telehealth-only social justice counseling practice working with individuals with marginalized identities who are navigating a complex and difficult world. Dr. Wenninger serves on the Board of Counselors for Social Justice to promote advocacy and allyship within the counseling profession and help nurture development of the professional identity of counselor-advocate in colleagues. Dr. Wenninger makes a point to attend the meetings of the California Board of Behavioral Sciences and in other ways stay on top of laws and regulations affecting counselors and our clients. She regularly provides continuing education courses on topics such as law and ethics of telehealth, culturally informed diagnosing, and antiracism in counseling, and consults with organizations interested in building more inclusive and welcoming cultures.
Flyer image by Hans from pixabay.com
Qualifies for 1.5 CE hours.
Resonant Equity, Inc. is authorized by NBCC to issue CEs. NBCC CEs are accepted by most state licensing boards, including California. Please check with your licensing board for their specific policies.
Continuing Education Program Policies
By registering for this course, you accept and agree to these policies.
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Resonant Equity, Inc. has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 7682. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. Resonant Equity, Inc. is solely responsible for all aspects of the programs. |
Resonant Equity sells access to a learning experience; we do not sell CEs. CEs are earned based on meeting the requirements set by our ACEP license with NBCC. You are welcome and even encouraged to engage with our learning content without needing the CE credit. However, if the CE hours are important to you, we require meeting these policies so that we may be in compliance with our obligations to the profession.
Participation in the training in full including attendance for the entire duration is required in order to qualify for CEs for that training. Instructions for attending, including how to access the online Zoom meeting or other online broadcast platform, are provided in the registration confirmation email. These instructions can also be found by logging onto your account at www.resonantequity.org. It is the responsibility of the participant to troubleshoot any technology access issues ahead of time. Resonant Equity, Inc. cannot provide technical support, and is not liable in the event of any internet outage, misdirected email due to entering a wrong address by the registrant, or other technology problem on the participant’s side that prevents access to the training. We are unable to provide refunds for such circumstances.
Participation requirements: Participants are invited to take care of their own needs during the course of a training, however if off camera for an extended time, then participants must be in close enough proximity to their viewing device that they can respond to any requests sent by voice or chat to confirm their active presence in the training experience. Participation in breakout rooms, if part of the training, is expected in order to engage in the learning activities. If you will be attending and are unable to participate in these ways due to specific circumstances, we do understand, and would appreciate being informed in advance if at all possible.
Completion Requirements for CE Credit – Home Study ProgramsResonant Equity, Inc. is approved by NBCC as a continuing education provider of home study (on-demand) training programs for mental health providers (ACEP #7682). In order to award CE hours, participants must complete the full duration of training, including watching any videos or listening to audio content in its entirety (no fast forward or skipping ahead), and reading all provided text-based learning materials in full. Completion is also verified by passing the assessment that checks knowledge based on the training content. CE certificates cannot be issued until completion is confirmed. Wherever possible, we implement technology based tracking to support these requirements, however some course content relies on the honor system for participants to attest to completion. We hope that our training content is engaging enough that you choose to take full advantage of the learning opportunities we design.
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ACEP Provider Contact InformationFor purposes of inquiry into any of our programs and policies, or to request accommodations as a participant, please use the Contact form on our website at https://resonantequity.org/about/contact/. Resonant Equity, Inc. may also be reached at programs@resonantequity.org.
