Our Clinical Approach

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Intersectional Cognitive Behavior Therapy & Approach (I-CBT)

Our trauma-responsive approach consists of using Intersectional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy & Approach (I-CBT) and Somatic Sex Therapy. Developed by Lena Queen, LCSW, M.E.d, I-CBT is a 4-module integrative trauma-responsive healing model that is informed by a person's lived experience honoring the relationship between one's identity  and systems of power and oppression.  One's identity could include but is not limited to race, ethnicity/culture, gender, class, ability, spirituality and power. 

I-CBT includes the emotional coaching system, SHIFT, which is comprised of 4 mindfulness strategies when used intentionally has tremendous impact on helping one navigate and support themselves when experiencing emotional discomfort. Similarly with the  I-CBT framework, each strategy can also be used concurrently or as a stand-alone intervention depending on the intensity of the discomfort experienced. SHIFT has been shown to be effective for tweens, teens and adults.

For pre-school and elementary age children, I-CBT also includes the emotional coaching intervention Feel-Think-Do, which has been to be useful to younger humans in maintaining their emotional safety.  

I-CBT focuses on the embodiment of one's lived experience by addressing the question-Who Am I? We process this embodiment as it informs a person’s relationship to Self and others and is the undercurrent of their decision-making and health of those relationships.

Informed by Sandra Bloom's  Sanctuary Model, I-CBT  can be used in a variety of professional and community settings including  professional settings , life coaching settings, outpatient, inpatient, residential, community-based,  community centers, and  schools.  

Somatic Sex Therapy

Somatic sexology is not a new concept to sexology (sex education & sex therapy), but often seen as fringe because it teaches client’s how to improve their mind-body connection (experience-focus) which is unlike traditional sex therapy’s sensate focus (i.e. outcome/orgasm-focus). Like many other helping professions, sexology must undergo a transformation to disrupt and de-center dominant narratives that assume heterosexuality and monogamy and challenge research that is framed in those dominant narratives, which are rooted in Euro-centric views and values (i.e. White supremacy). 

With Black Sexual Epistemology’s The Erotic Self (Gilbert, 2019) and grounded in the intersectional pleasure-manifesto, Audre Lorde's Uses of the Erotic, Queen's brand of Somatic Sex Therapy is an decolonizing, intersectional queer and trans-affirming approach to sexology that is an integrative, healing-centered, & body-based approach to sex therapy.

Teaching Institute

I-CBT & Somatic Sex Therapy training can only available provided by Lena Queen, LCSW. M.Ed.  

Get the home study course,Intro to Intersectional Cognitive Behavior ( I-CBT) ,  here and  learn more about Queen's professional development trainings and  teaching institute, visit The WHOLE-Self Healing Institute, Inc.