A Facilitated, Structured Dialogue About the War in the Middle East for Social Workers and Therapists in Massachusetts

Speakers: Jen Wofford, LICSW, and Rosa Khorshidi, LMFT

Tuesday, September 9 (12-1:30pm EST)

Please note - NO CEUS will be provided

Registration fees:

• FREE for NASW members

• $25 non-members

Description:

On Tues. Sept. 9th, we will hold a facilitated, structured dialogue and listening session, guided by Jen Wofford and Rosa Khorshidi, in which therapists and social workers can gather to talk about the war in Gaza, Israel, Palestine, and your concerns, for the purpose of increased understanding, listening, repairs, connection, community. Jen Wofford, LICSW is Jewish, Buddhist and a white American, and Rosa Khorshidi, LMFT, is Muslim and Iranian. This Listening Session is a space for all members of the therapist community, including, but not limited to Jewish / Israeli identified and Muslim / Arab identified people, as well as people of any background, to share your concerns and feelings within a structured, contained, facilitated process. This listening session is not a space to engage in arguments or winning a point. Rather we will be modeling how to listen to each other, and how to respond with empathy and validation, and to understand each other’s feelings, concerns, needs, and hopes. Ultimately our goal is to create understanding, repair, and strengthen community.

Our purpose is to create a space for respectful and courageous (from the heart) dialogue about the war in Gaza, where we listen to understand each other, and offer empathy and validation to each person who shares. We will seek to increase a sense of community, understanding, repair, connection in this structured dialogue process. We will touch and reflect upon the NASW code of ethics of service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence

We will begin with skill-building necessary to engage in a courageous dialogue, specifically,

1. Two tools for self-regulation to use when we feel reactive, utilizing IFS and SE

2. Two tools for dialogue across differences, empathy, and validation, utilizing EFT, Imago, NVC.

Please note: This webinar will be hosted in a Zoom Meeting room. Attendees will receive an email with details to join one day prior to the webinar. Please read our virtual programs and conferences participant expectations here. 

Speaker bio: Rosa Khorshidi is a Marriage and Family therapist, and an E.F.T. clinician, who is Muslim and Iranian. Jen Wofford is a clinical Social Worker therapist, who is Jewish, Buddhist and a white American.