With great power comes great responsibility: Understanding power dynamics at your table

Who holds the power in your therapeutic spaces?

Power is an ever-present phenomenon that impacts all relationships– including those happening between providers and clients, group and party members, and even friends spending time together to play. Similarly, power is complexly informed by sociocultural contexts, lived experiences, personal values, and individual and collective action. Recognizing the manifestation of power dynamics at our tables is key to ensuring all individuals are respected and safe.

This presenter will speak from her clinical and geek experience, her research around power dynamics, and her background in social justice and advocacy to explore ways power may be impacting attendees’ sessions and spaces. By reviewing current literature on power, this presenter will help attendees conceptualize power in a modern and informed way.

The bulk of this presentation will be focused on helping attendees explore the power differentials in their own work and lives. Further, through group discussion attendees will identify actionable steps to address harmful power dynamics through micro, meso, and macro-level advocacy.

Learning Objectives:
1. Attendees will develop a deeper understanding of power dynamics, as informed by both sociocultural contexts, lived experiences, personal values, and individual and collective action.
2. Attendees will apply this understanding of power dynamics to their own professional and personal settings, to begin to understand themes of power in their work
3. Attendees will generate specific actionable steps to disrupt harmful power differentials, build upon equitable and empowering dynamics, and address conflict and disagreements from a power-sensitive lens.