Identity Through The Lens of My Character: Utilizing Geek Culture in Psychotherapy to Explore Gender and Sexuality Formation

There is a significant love for all things geek and nerd culture within the LGBTQIA+ community, one that is often misunderstood and underappreciated. As these interests are growing in acceptance and included in popular media, so are the ways that people begin to see themselves represented and can explore who they are through the actions of characters. Classic tropes in media can also be impactful for queer and transgender individuals in identifying how they feel they should show up in society, both negative and positive, which can influence identity formation.

In this session, we’ll be discussing some of the major characters your queer, transgender, and gender expansive clients may identify with, the different ways they utilize geeky interests to connect with aspects of their identities, and how they take can take an active role in creating their sense of identity through geek media.

Learning Objectives:

1. Discuss popular geek media and what queer/trans representation exists (both canonical and fan-theory)
2. Explore geeky interventions for assisting clients with connecting to their ideal gender identity and expression
3. Analyze how tropes in media and fandom may influence the sexuality and gender identity formation process
4. Identify characters that you identify with and how aspects of those characters are present in your self-concept